Jets fueling fan interest in China

Australian league champion Newcastle Jets will tour China to play a series of friendlies in the coming weeks as the Chinese-owned club ramps up efforts to gain a higher profile with fans in the world’s most populous nation.

The Ledman Group, headed by Chinese businessman Martin Lee, purchased full ownership of the Jets this summer.

Newcastle will kick off its tour with a match against Chinese Super League club Liaoning Whowin on Aug 27, followed by games against clubs in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, on Aug 31, Sept 2 and Sept 3.

Lee’s vision is for the Jets to win new fans in both China and Australia, aided by “one or two” Chinese suiting up for the team in the future.

The Jets won the 2007-08 A-League but are better known to Chinese fans for qualifying for the 2009 AFC Champions League.

Before Ledman’s takeover, the team was also linked to the CSL as its Australian international striker, Joel Griffiths, was loaned to Beijing Guo’an in 2009 and helped the club win its first Super League title that year.

“The A-League is getting more and more attention from China through the Asian Champions League,” Lee said.

“The Australian national team also won the Asian Cup. Ledman has a very good network in China, so we have many options for our acquisitions. And we also want one or two Chinese players in the future to join the Jets so we can hopefully get more and more attention from Chinese fans.”

In response to the soccer revitalization program supported by the Shenzhen government, Lehman will invite Newcastle players to participate in community programs and interact with fans in order to bolster the development of campus soccer and youth training in Shenzhen while also boosting the company’s profile.