Zhao Dapeng, a veteran fan of the soccer world, has been fascinated by the sport since the early days of the First Division A era. He has witnessed almost all of Dalian's home matches over the past three decades, the debut of young player Sun Jihai, and the retirement ceremonies of players such as Li Ming, Jangovic, and Ahn Jung-hwan.
"With the metamorphosis and departure of every generation of players, I have witnessed the glory and the trough with the team and the thousands of fans in Dalian from the stands. Crossing over from the A-A era to the Chinese Super League, then to the Central League, and back to the Chinese Super League, I experienced the ecstasy of winning the title and the tension of relegation, and also shed tears in the loss of conceding a goal or even being relegated." Over the years, soccer has left him with countless precious memories.
Multiple measures to safeguard fans' viewing experience
Due to the impact of the tournament system, Zhao Dapeng and many other fans lost the opportunity to watch the game live. Fortunately, Dalian, as a Chinese Super League (CSL) region, has opened its doors to the public for some of the matches, and Zhao Dapeng's record of watching the matches live in the 2020 season has been extended.
However, the 2021 season's fixture system and empty pitch policy prevented Zhao Dapeng from watching the matches live throughout the year. He said, "Watching CSL matches live has been an indispensable part of my life, it's not just about soccer, it's about the honor of the city and the fans' sense of belonging as citizens." After the ticket program was announced, Zhao Dapeng grabbed his tickets on the night of the 2nd, only to find out the next day that they were nearly sold out.
Puwan Stadium is far away from the city center, but the relevant parties in Dalian have provided thoughtful and humane services for the fans. Zhao Dapeng said, "First of all, the number of open stands reached 20,000, and despite the remote location of the stadium, a number of free bus routes were arranged and the subway had an extended service. In addition, a 48-hour nucleic acid report was required, but free nucleic acid tests were provided for ticket holders."
"It was a slight inconvenience, but it all made sense. Fans readily accepted that ticket prices were the same as in previous years, and I've heard that each ticket also comes with a $20 welfare ticket."
The official data shows that the number of fans attending the game reached 16,000 people. Before the game, a huge tifo made by the fans attracted a lot of attention, with Xie Hui's classic quote "Just press on" printed on it. On a hot summer day, Lin Liangming helped Dalian to equalize the score and won the enthusiastic cheers of the fans, making this lively game a return to the passion of soccer.
Home games provide positive incentives for teams
Back at home, Dalianjin were clearly boosted by their home field advantage, and even with a lack of substitutes, they fought with Harbor until the last minute. Attacking player Lin Liangming was on the ground in injury time, and an FA official who had watched Dalian's matches in Haikou and Dalian said: "The crowd was very motivating for the home team. In fact, the harbor's form has improved compared to the first stage, and this wonderful game should be attributed to the fans."
"It's awesome, exciting!" The FA staff who came to work in Dalian have lamented. This is the first actual home game after the resumption of home and away matches, taking into account the work of television broadcasting, on-site coordination, etc., the Football Association sent a working group of several people to the Dalian match.
"Dalian is very mature in terms of running races and has been the venue for the race meeting system in recent years, and this race went very smoothly from a working point of view, with basically no hiccups or mishaps encountered."
In the FA's view, the success of the game has made a good start to the restoration of home and away: "With a successful experience, it can lead to other places. We still hope that the league home and away can slowly return to the way it was in 2018 and 2019, that's the situation we all hope for."
