Cleanliness of Suchao soccer matches attraction for fans

The lasting popularity of Suchao, local amateur soccer league matches in Jiangsu province, which poses a stark contrast with the increasingly cold shoulder given to Zhongchao, the Chinese Super League, offers some valuable lessons for Chinese soccer.

A Suchao match between Nanjing, the provincial capital, and neighboring Suzhou, the largest city economy in the province, on Saturday attracted more than 60,000 spectators to the former's home ground despite the humid 40 C heat, a record number of spectators for an amateur soccer match in the country and markedly higher than that of even some of the big matches in the top professional national league.

Local governments in Jiangsu have made tremendous efforts to make Suchao a popular brand among soccer fans in order to boost consumption, tourism and the local economic growth, and promote local culture.