Chinese fan goes behind the mic

'Crazy' passion takes a football lover into the heady world of sports broadcasting

"When I am sitting down, looking at the screen and talking about the match, I really feel I am a king," says He Yu, 25, a football radio commentator in Britain.

It is difficult to imagine that such a seemingly shy young man could speak so confidently. However, when it comes to his dream, anything is possible.

He took only three years to turn his dream into reality. His tiny studio is his dreamland.

He developed a passion for football when he was 10. This was in 1998, when the World Cup opened his eyes to another world.

He had become enchanted by the game. "It was so exciting," he says. "It was the first time I found that I could be so crazy about something."

Since then, his passion for football has never stopped growing. A year later, he encountered another milestone in his football journey when he became a fan of the famous "Red Devils", Manchester United Football Club.

"The magic red will forever run in my blood." He says this with all the commitment of a general swearing an oath to his country.

Shortly after, He decided he would become a football commentator.

In 2010, after He had graduated from university, his father hoped that his only son would take on the family business, so he decided to send him overseas to learn about international business management.

He's father compared many universities in various countries, but He always thought he should study in the UK. He didn't want to study in a country such as the US, where football is not one of the major sports. Eventually, he started a marketing degree at Liverpool University.

"If my passion for football was like a monologue before I went to England, it quickly became a dialogue when I saw matches at the grounds."

He says his first visit to Manchester United's stadium, Old Trafford, was like a pilgrimage.

It was November 2010, and He was one of five fans who did not know each other but had connected on a football website and arranged to go together to see United play Wigan Athletic.

"When I was passing by the clubhouse, I felt like I was on sacred ground."

He says he was so excited he almost got lost in the huge crowd. "I was too excited. No words can describe my feelings."

The result was perfect. United won 2-0, but for He, the victory was only one of the good things to come from that unforgettable day. His future girlfriend was one of the five fans.

He says he was very happy in his first year in England.

"I could enjoy the fantastic football. I could talk with my girlfriend about football. I could enjoy the unique sports culture."

However, things were about to get even better.

He saw a job advertisement from Perform, a UK sports media company. They were looking for a Mandarin-speaking football commentator.

"It was amazing when I saw the ad, but then I thought it might be a fraud." He says he didn't believe that the UK media needed Chinese staff.

But the British media was beginning to understand the huge potential sports market in China.

According to an investigation by Kantar, one of the world's leading market research companies, there were 105 million Manchester United fans in China in 2012. That figure is slightly more than the combined populations of the UK and Poland.

The emerging Chinese market had also been noticed by Spanish football people. In 2011, Marca, Spain's major sports media company, reported that there were 60 million fans in China who watched the Spanish Primer League on TV or the Internet. The SPL's match scheduling has even been adjusted to cater to Asians' work and leisure habits.

He applied for the job with Perform but soon found the process more challenging than he'd expected.

He felt nervous but also excited during the interview process. He says it was very difficult when he did a test commentary on a match between Arsenal and Chelsea.

"I used to criticize commentators, but I would never do that again." He says it was hard commentating on a match when he was sitting alone in a room watching it on a TV screen.

He says every minute he waited at home for the result of the interview was torture, but he got the position. In March 2012, He began his career as a professional commentator.

"I was paid 80 pounds (94 euros) a match." He says he never thought he could earn a living from his hobby. After he took the part-time job, he put all his time and energy into it.

"I watched videos of games constantly, preparing background information, memorizing all the names and records," he says.

However, the work dried up in the early summer, once the football season had ended and it didn't kick-off for him the following season.

"I don't know what had happened to the company, but I felt that I had lost my way."

He said he was depressed and sometimes even had doubts about his decision to take the job.

After a demoralizing period, He suddenly received an invitation email from Talksport, a major British sports radio network.

"Incredibly, they wanted to offer me a job," He says. Later, he realized the invitation had come from his former boss at Perform, Zheng Guidong.

"He was very special and so passionate," Zheng says. "He was the first person we wanted to use after we employed him at Perform."

Zheng told China Daily that Talksport wanted to get into the Chinese market, and now had about a dozen people in his China team.

This summer, Talksport sponsored He for a work visa. He was the only one in Zheng's team to be offered that support. Though it was not easy to get the visa, Zheng wanted to keep the talented He.

"He deserved it," Zheng says.

Without sponsorship, the other commentators can only work part-time and may even have to return to China due to UK immigration policies.

"But we don't mind," says Pan Yan, a young woman doing an internship with Talksport. "It's already been a lucky and happy experience for us."

Pan says the team members get on well together and no one is jealous of He. "Maybe football lovers are all simple, kind people," she says.

His new life has prompted He to give up some bad habits. Now, to protect his throat he has given up smoking, alcohol and spicy food, and does more exercise to keep fit.

He has also matured in the job. He says the situation on the pitch changes so quickly that he has learnt how to stay calm and concentrate.

"Sometimes there could be two goals in five minutes." He said he once missed a quick second goal because he let himself relax after the first goal. "I don't want to make a mistake like that again."

For the future, He is planning to marry his girlfriend, and have a baby to wear the Manchester United uniform.

Football is like an exhilarant in He's blood, enabling this quiet young Chinese guy to live with passion and spirit, like his hero - the legendary France and Manchester United player, Eric Cantona.

"Life is a marvellous journey and football will be the best companion," He says.

qiubo@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily Africa Weekly 10/18/2013 page20)