Baozilona
| File:BaoZiLona Official Crest.jpeg | |
| Nickname(s) | The Mandarin Orange |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2012 |
| Ground | BaoZiLona Stadium |
| Capacity | 1,000 |
| Chairman | David Austin |
| Manager | Robin Roy |
| League | Chengdu International Football League |
| Website | Club website |
BaoZiLona is a Chinese amateur football club based in Chengdu that plays in the Chengdu International Football League.[1] Founded in 2012, BaoZiLona has gone on to establish itself as one of the league's most successful clubs having won two league titles and three cup competitions.[2]
History
The Rest of The World
The Chengdu International Football League was established in March 2012.[3] One of its original participants, The Rest of The World counted BaoZiLona's founding fathers Robin Roy & Tom Crowhurst amongst its ranks.
IES Global Years & Early Success
BaoZiLona was born in August 2012. The club's team members originally consisted exclusively of language teachers who had all come to Chengdu on the same internship program. Success was instant as they won the season opening Sebastian Muller Cup.[4] A thrilling win against the much fancied defending champions Athletico Esperanto [5] gave them the impetus in the title race as they went on to achieve the league & cup double, clinching victory on the last day of the season.[6]
The following season saw BaoZiLona rocked by the departure of their influential wing back George Dean and an injury to playmaker Robin Roy, as they surrendered their title to Athletico Tiki Taka (formerly Esperanto).They also failed to challenge for league honors the following season though they did secure their second Sebastian Muller Cup in September 2013. The emergence of new young talent, most notably in the form of 2013 CIFL Team of the Season midfielder Colin Ross, also stood to reignite optimism as they looked to rebuild ahead of the Spring 2014 season.
Return to The Top
Though BaoZilona struggled to hit their early heights in 2013, 2014 saw them re-emerge as title contenders. Boosted by the return to fitness of Robin Roy, the acquisition of Lasse Buchert & the form of Dominic Lytwyn, Baozilona started the season strongly winning their first five games. They would remain unbeaten the entire campaign, with nine wins and two draws, capturing the clubs second league title in the process.[7]
BaoZiLona began the Autumn campaign by lifting their third Sebastian Muller Cup in a row, continuing their record of having won the competition every year since its inauguration. Lost points and early defeats early on in that campaign dashed hopes of successive championships but they finished the season strongly, earning a top four finish.
The 2015 spring season saw Baozilona get off to a stuttering start. An injury to Kevin Burns on the opening day ruled him out for the rest of the season. Fellow striker George Snow also struggled for full fitness throughout the campaign. With Baozilona thread bare in attack pressure was put on the board to find replacements. On Saturday April 18 Baozilona chairman David Austin announced that the club had acquired Chinese prodigy Rambo on the advice of chief scout Jack Jack. The move proved a masterstroke as Baozilona went on a run that saw them spring back in to contention for the title with just one game remaining. In what many observers widely regard as the greatest final day in CIFL history Baozilona avenged their 6-2 defeat to WMD. They were then left to await the outcome of the game between Footballers Anonymous and AS Classe to see if it would be enough to be crowned champions. The game however finished 2-2 and Classe finished top on goal difference.
The Next Station
The end of season awards night saw Colin Ross voted Ballon D'Orange winner. His was not to the only departure that summer. Dominic Lytwynn, himself a three time Ballon D'Orange winner, also bid the club farewell. Captain Damian Flynn announced that he felt the time had come to take a step back and 'pass the torch to the next generation'. Brian Remo was chosen as his successor and charged with leading Robin Roy's new look Baozilona into a new era.
The 2015 Winter season began with a return for former Baozilona fan-favourite Danny Curran, as well as signings Welshman Joe Barker, Italian Mirco, and Brazilian Lucas. Liam King was doing his part in the future of Baozilona by bringing his son, James King, into the world. Despite starting the season poorly, Baozilona went on to break CIFL history with a 26-0 win with each member of the squad scoring. A dominant 5-2 win against CIFL title winners Classe showed the true class of Baozilona, who were in contention for top spot. However, a mid-season departure from key player Tom Crowhurst cast pressure on the remainder of Baozilona’s season. A key defeat for Baozilona meant that the team finished in a final position of 4th, despite what was one of the best squads in Baozilona history.[8]
The Spring 2016 season started with a depleted squad for Baozilona, as former season Ballon D'Orange Danny Curran was absent on visa problems, as well as departures of other key members of the team. A big return to the squad was that of Manager and Captain Robin Roy, who was able to play again after a prolonged absence. Things looked positive for Baozilona as the Piss Up Cup was retained for another, as well an opening day win. Newly married Matt Nicholson started the season on fire and looked destined to finish the season with all the top gongs. However, despite the emergency loans of Jamie King and Belgian Ollie, several key defeats against the big teams meant Baozilona went into a big game with WMD fighting for the much-coveted fourth spot. A tense 4-3 win meant Baozilona have consistently made the top four in the past four seasons. Finishing the season fourth, Baozilona said goodbye to long-standing defender Damian Flynn, season Ballon D'Orange Rambo, and Chairman Dave. A short-term loan deal for Matt Nicholson meant he returned to England to fill in at left- back for Bolton. However, Joe Barker helped by adding one more to Baozilona’s youth system, Liu Barker.[9]
Current Squad
First-team squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Club Honors
| Competition | Season | Number of Titles |
|---|---|---|
| Chengdu International Football League | 2012(A), 2014(S) | 2 |
| Sebastian Muller Cup | 2012, 2013, 2014 | 3 |
*A= Autumn Season, *S= Spring Season
Hall of Fame
Ballon D'Orange Winners
| Year | Spring | Autumn |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | - | Damian Flynn |
| 2013 | - | Dominic Lytwyn |
| 2014 | Dominic Lytwyn | Dominic Lytwyn |
| 2015 | Colin Ross | Danny Curran |
| 2016 | Rambo |
Hall of Fame Inductees
- George Dean (2012-2012)
- Kamran K Akbar (2012-2012)
- Rasmus Mossberg (2012-2012)
- Graham Connelly (2012-2012)
- Sebastian Hayes (2012-2012)
- Mark Calland (2012-2012)
- Kyle Long (2012-2013)
- Eric Cabezas (2013-2013)
- Danny Curran (2012-2013)
- James (2014-2014)
- Kevin French (2014-2014)
- Lasse Buchert (2014-2014)
- Charlie Baynes (2013-2015)
- Kevin Burns (2013-2015)
- Colin Ross (2013-2015)
- Dominic Lytwyn (2012-2015)
- Tom Crowhurst (2012-2015)
References
- ↑ http://www.chengdufootball.com/
- ↑ http://www.chengdufootball.com/articles/review-season
- ↑ http://www.chengdufootball.com/about
- ↑ http://www.chengdufootball.com/articles/review-season
- ↑ http://www.immerqi.com/blog/teach-and-travel-china/close-baozilona
- ↑ http://www.chengdufootball.com/articles/review-season
- ↑ http://www.chengdufootball.com/articles/ies-global-cifl-week-4
- ↑ "BaoZiLona | ChengduFootball.com". www.chengdufootball.com.
- ↑ "IES Global CIFL Week 3 | ChengduFootball.com". www.chengdufootball.com.
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