Chinese football fan revels in flight of fancy

LONDON: Chinese football fan Huang Wenbin took devotion to a club to new lengths by taking his family on a 12,000 mile round trip to visit not Manchester United or Arsenal but non league side Runcorn Linnets.

The 37-year-old told the BBC it had been “the greatest day of my life” to have finally visited the ground of the club he managed when they were Runcorn FC Halton on a computer game back in the 2001/02 season.

Huang flew to Liverpool with his wife, Lin Xiaoru, son Yandao, 4, and 11-month-old daughter Geshu, and then spent three hours trying to find the ninth tier club’s ground.

“We all breathed a sigh of relief when we saw that someone was waiting for us in front of the stadium,” said Wenbin, who was given the club tour by chairman Mark Buckley.

“Mark is such an easygoing person and he introduced the Runcorn Linnets club to us.

“He brought us a box of club souvenirs, such as a badge which my son wore on his clothes immediately.”

Huang, who during his time in virtual charge guided Runcorn from the depths of non league football to the Premier League having signed the likes of Roy Keane, David Beckham and Ruud van Nistelrooy, said his son had even been allowed to kick the ball around the pitch.

“My son wanted to kick the ball on the pitch,” he said.

“Mark was so kind to let him do that and my son enjoyed himself to the full.”

Buckley – whose side became the Linnets in 2006 – told the BBC they had had interest from fans living abroad before but Huang was in a different category.

“It’s a great story. They had a lovely day and they are a lovely family. We have a Swedish fans group and a Norwegian fans group, but China is certainly the furthest and a bit special.” — AFP