Fan Zhiyi

[Kerso]

Article saying celtic could make millions tapping into the Asian Market

Did we miss a trick with Fan Zhiyi or wrong place wrong time ?

[Dens Bound Rhino]

We were told the same at the time. I think the media hype this up more than the reality of it. Maybe there is more interest in East Asian football now with all the money being invested in China but I doubt it will have a huge impact on their finances. 

[Taipei]

We were never going to make a penny really.

In todays market, you can buy fake replica strips in every Chinese city very easily, and they are usually extremely high quality. We are Dundee, not Liverpool etc, and while Chinese culture is very insular and about supporting Chinese people above clubs, supporting winners is important, so buying into a mid table, or more likely lower Scottish club just wouldn’t make sense. Other merchandise would be the same, anything that would sell, would be copied and sold cheaper in seconds.

Again, in todays market, there is a Chinese equivalent of IPTV boxes are widespread, you get a ton of channels from across East Asia for next to nothing, so I wouldn’t think we would see a great influx of the viewers. 

The money would be from marketing, and hoping to get a sponsor, there’s a lot of Chinese betting firms sponsoring English teams, I think that would be the only real hope, but brands only want to be associated with winning or what’s perceived to be top quality.

Japan is a completely different scenario, and Celtic will now have a good market. Potential sponsors and a tour could give them a good return. 

Sadly, we are too small of a club, picked the wrong country and at the wrong time. 

[Harold Finch]

If there was money to be made from Fan Zhiyi and the Chinese fanbase Rangers would have poached him from us the same way they took Zurab, Novo, Caniggia and many others over the years.

I'm not sure how many Japanese football fans will support Celtic because a couple of random Japanese players have signed for them........I'm not rushing to order a Vancouver Whitecaps kit on the back of Ryan Gauld playing for them.

[HK Blues]

11 hours ago, Harold Finch said:

If there was money to be made from Fan Zhiyi and the Chinese fanbase Rangers would have poached him from us the same way they took Zurab, Novo, Caniggia and many others over the years.

I'm not sure how many Japanese football fans will support Celtic because a couple of random Japanese players have signed for them........I'm not rushing to order a Vancouver Whitecaps kit on the back of Ryan Gauld playing for them.

I teach Japanese folk every day.  You'd be surprised how many of them are so patriotic that they'll switch allegiances at the drop of a hat if a Japanese player signs for a team.  They still go on about Nakamura and that was more than 15 years ago.  They even know about Dundee United as Kawashima played for them. 

[Abernethy Dee]

3 hours ago, HK Blues said:

I teach Japanese folk every day.  You'd be surprised how many of them are so patriotic that they'll switch allegiances at the drop of a hat if a Japanese player signs for a team.  They still go on about Nakamura and that was more than 15 years ago.  They even know about Dundee United as Kawashima played for them. 

World famous right enough then! And I never believed the Tangy mongrels either.

[Gedee]

6 minutes ago, Abernethy Dee said:

World famous right enough then! And I never believed the Tangy mongrels either.

I think "Oor Freend HK" will quickly dispel that notion

Or even student, that persist wi' that idea, in his class

[HK Blues]

21 hours ago, gedee said:

I think "Oor Freend HK" will quickly dispel that notion

Or even student, that persist wi' that idea, in his class

Too right, gedee.  And I always start be explaining how Kawashima threw in a couple of goals on his debut in a derby.