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With many English Premier League clubs choosing to go to China as part of their pre-season tours, we can see how important China already is for Premier League clubs like West Ham United, when it comes to their future growth in popularity and money.
Over the years the joke has been running around that there are more Manchester United fans based in London than there are in Manchester itself. This is true, but with fans like Pan from China, who features in the latest Betway Soccer documentary, you might struggle to find a more die-hard Hammer even though he’s from China, football supporters don’t have to be from a five-mile radius any longer and nor should they be.
A fan like Pan epitomizes what it means to follow your team come rain or shine and even at 3 o’clock in the morning. Mark Noble, Manuel Lanzini and his teammates are heros to Pan, as they are to many other supporters from around the worls. Such is the magnitude and global appeal of the English premier league clubs to audiences from around the world.
It is even estimated that the English Premier League has a following of around 150 million people in China alone, one of which is Arsenal fan Hong Wen Liu, known as 'Granny Liu', who was more than happy when she won football-themed trip to the UK through a VisitBritain competition to find China’s biggest Premier League fan this season.
Money plays a part in the reason why English Premier League clubs flock to China, as last month, Simon Chadwick, professor of sports enterprise at Salford University, tells City A.M: “China is a huge country with strong economic growth, healthy disposable income levels and a growing middle class that is predisposed towards spending on leisure and entertainment.”
Fans like Pan will continue to follow premier league clubs for some time to come as the English Premier League continues to commercialise its operations all around the world.
Written by Ketan Patel
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