Tapping into the Far East is a must for Premier League clubs - and watch the money come in
Tapping into the Far East is a must for Premier League clubs - and watch the money come in
Martin Lipton says Premier
League chiefs have ensured clubs do not just pitch up, play, take the cash and move on - there's a long-term interest
Huge support: Chelsea and other Premier League clubs are engaging with Far East fans
Thananuwat Srirasant
Flying the flag? Simply cashing in? Or maybe both?
When everybody is doing it, you have to be part of the wave, or left behind. Harsh, perhaps, but true.
In the 1840s, the American Gold Rush saw the speculators heading for California, including many from Britain.
Two
hundred and fifty years earlier, Sir Walter Raleigh went to the New
World in search of El Dorado, the mythical city of immense wealth.
And
for English football, the new frontier, the lands of plenty, are in the
Far East, a rich, potentially limitless, seam to be tapped.
Manchester
City, Tottenham and Sunderland have gathered in Hong Kong for the
Barclays Asia Trophy, the Premier League’s bi-annual pre-season
showpiece.
Meanwhile, Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool have
played in Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia and Japan between them.
Let
us be honest. They have not travelled 6,000 miles for the football. Or
for the weather. Only over-weight jockeys opt to spend time in a
sweat-box. Complaints about tired players will elicit little sympathy.
But
this is about establishing a bridgehead in new territory, flattering
their hosts, creating the conditions to grow the brand. And eventually
opening the coffers to watch the cash flood in.
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Andrew Powell
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Indonesia XI and Liverpool at Gelora Bug Karno stadium
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The
Far East markets accounted for 50 per cent of the most recent overseas
market TV deal that was worth £1.437billion last season alone. And that
is a sum that can only grow.
It
is not entirely that blatant or cynical, of course. For one, the fans in
Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Yokohama and elsewhere are not that gullible.
Premier
League chiefs have ensured clubs do not just pitch up, play, take the
cash and move on. The requirement is public training sessions,
engagement, partnership development. Hey, even Ashley Cole spoke
yesterday!
But there is an innocence that allows the Premier League clubs to win converts.
Far
East fans love the spectacle, the passion, the competitive element of
English football - reasons why Spain, with what is a two-club league,
and Italy have made less of an impression in this part of the world.
Yet
they are not interested in the back story. John Terry and Cole can adorn
billboards in Thailand without them being defaced. The same goes for
Luis Suarez. They are judged only for the deeds hyped and seen on
television.
That the message is getting through is unquestioned, not just with
the crowds at matches which are barely more than semi-competitive
training exercises.
Watch the video of the fan in Hanoi, who ran for five miles alongside the Arsenal coach.
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AFP
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Chelsea in Bangkok
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Witness
the frenzy in Jakarta when Liverpool came into town. See the faces of
the youngsters at Chelsea’s ‘’Blue Pitch’’ events at all three of their
stop-off cities.
That is not fake or knock-off, unlike the proliferation of ‘’replica
kits’’ that will have left the various chief executives shaking their
heads.
Chelsea’s
slogan is ‘’Here to play; here to stay’’, reinforcing the message of
permanence, even if it has been renamed ‘’Here to play; here to satay’’
by those who have enjoyed their dining experience.
Jose
Mourinho justified Chelsea’s stance. ‘’The stadium is blue and you have
to answer to that incredible passion,’’ he explained.
“It’s sometimes difficult for us to understand, that countries so far from Europe still have people in love with your club.
“That’s
not just a commercial issue or a financial issue. When you are initially
not loved in your city, not even loved in South West London but become
bigger and bigger, then come to an Asian country and feel this fantastic
passion, it’s more about that.
“Chelsea
is a big club that wants to be even bigger. You can’t do that by just
winning trophies. You need a big fan-base. We must feed the passion
growing up around this club.’’
Feed
it, watch it flourish, and then harvest the crop. Sometimes, you don’t
needs to grab them where it hurts to win hearts and minds. You just have
to show them the balls.....
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