8月12日 英国驻华贸易投资副参赞 霍加凯

本周末，新一季的英超联赛即将拉开战幕。今年，中国观众有幸能提前体验英超的魅力。曼联,赫尔城,热刺以及西汉姆等英超劲旅于最近几个星期先后来到中国，进行赛季前的友谊赛和表演赛。

在友谊赛进行得热火朝天的同时，英超联盟也乘着主持巴克莱亚洲杯的东风来到了中国。英超从创立至今仅仅17年就已迅速成长为全球性的足球品牌，他们的球队受到全世界球迷的喜爱，在中国，也随处可见身穿英超俱乐部球衣的球迷。想当初1986年我第一次来到中国的时候可不是这幅景象，当时为人们熟知的英国球员也就只有博比.查里顿( Bobby Charlton )一人。

过去的12年中我有9年的时间呆在中国，分别在南边的广州和首都北京住过。两三年前，英超比赛还在全国电视台进行直播，因此英超也顺其自然的成为了我和当地友人茶余饭后的谈资，尤其是和出租汽车司机。他们总是会先对糟糕的中国足球来上一段抱怨（连续两届世界杯预选赛失利）, 然后对大卫.贝克汉姆（他可是为数不多的“中国人都知道”的外国名人之一！）和其他英国球星进行一番溢美，最后对我的祖国足球实力的强大表示赞叹。在中国的各大报刊体育版中，有关英国足球的报导常常占据了的重要位置。

中国众多的观赛的人数和对于这项运动的热情毫无疑问体现出足球作为一个产业在中国的巨大潜力。在这里我很高兴的告诉大家我们刚刚签订了协议，阔别中国两年之久的英超免费直播将于下一个赛季重装上阵（点击查看详情）。然而，英国足球在中国仍面临着挑战 – 比如来自西班牙甲级联赛和意大利甲级联赛这样的竞争对手。虽然曼联在中国是最受欢迎的球队之一，然而皇家马德里，巴塞罗那，AC米兰也深受球迷喜爱。足球产业还面临着来自其他体育项目的竞争，尤其是篮球。NBA正在中国建立起一套非常成功的授权营销体系。姚明、科比等篮球明星在中国的广告号召力不输任何其他明星。而足球方面，中国需要有一支优秀的国家队来保证大众对足球运动的持续热情。

当然，这所意味的不仅仅是赛场上的输赢。它令中国有机会向许多来自英国的球迷们敞开大门。来到中国看球，不仅满足了他们对于足球的热爱，更让他们对飞速发展中的中国有了更多的了解。这种文化上的交流是增进彼此了解的最好桥梁。

足球也很好的体现了英国经济的多元化－从组织世界上最成功的联赛所显示出的技能和专业性，到高品质的市场营销、媒体传播将这项赛事每个星期带给百万观众，以及像新温布利球场和阿联酋航空球场（阿森纳新主场）这样的一流体育场馆，无不展现了英国在工程，设计以及创新方面的领先地位。

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As the new Premier League season gets under way this weekend, we’ve been lucky enough in China to get a sneak preview. Manchester United, Hull City, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham have all been in China playing  pre-season friendly tournaments in recent weeks.

It’s no coincidence the English Premier League (EPL) came to Beijing recently to host the Barclays Asia Trophy. Established only 17 years the EPL has quickly grown into a global brand, and its teams are adored by fans the world over, including in China, where the member clubs’ shirts are a ubiquitous sight across the country. A far cry from when I first came to China in 1986, when the only recognised English footballer was Bobby Charlton!

I’ve spent 9 of the last 12 years working in China, both down south in Guangzhou as well as in the nation’s capital. Until a couple of seasons ago EPL games were shown live on national TV so football has become an easy subject of casual conversation, especially with taxi drivers. They are usually quick to bemoan the parlous state of professional football in China (having failed to qualify for the last World Cup and 2010), but equally admire the likes of David Beckham (one of the few foreign celebrities that must be known by almost everyone in China!) and congratulate me on the prowess of the England team. British football features prominently on the sport pages of any newspaper you can buy here.

The sheer size of the viewing numbers and passion for the game shows how much potential China might hold for the business of football. And I’m happy to report that after the signing of a new deal, one EPL match will again be aired for free in China next season. Nevertheless, English football in China has its challenges – not least from the Spanish La Liga and Italian Serie A. Although Manchester United are one of the most popular teams here, Real Madrid, Barcelona and AC Milan are equally popular. They face competition as well from other sports, especially basketball, where the NBA is building a successful retailing franchise and the likes of Yao Ming and Kobe Bryant sit alongside other celebrities on advertisement hoardings. China needs to develop a strong national football team to sustain long-term mass appeal.

Of course, it’s not just about winning on the pitch. It was great to see how football has opened the door to China for so many fans from the UK, who have been able to indulge their passion for football while learning at first hand more about the fascinating place that is modern day China. Such cultural exchanges are a great means of raising awareness and increasing mutual understanding.

Football is also a great example of UK business diversity - from the skill and professionalism of organising one of the most successful leagues in the world, to the  quality of marketing, media and broadcasting, which bring the game to millions each week, to the state of the art venues like the new Wembley Stadium and The Emirates Stadium (Arsenal) which are wonderful showcases of British engineering, design, and innovation.