Chengdu Blades: The Failed Experiment

[Louis Hobbs]

For those Blades that remember or don't, I've investigated into why McCabe's bid into Chinese football was a huge fail. Interesting read, with an interview with the former Director of Football. All reads appreciated! UTB

https://onceablade.co.uk/first-team/chengdu-blades-the-failed-experiment/

 

[Sean Thornton]

"proving how Kevin McCabe’s investment into Chinese football may be one of the worst failed experiments in the history of the game"

 

[Rob86]

I have actually visited the ground and could have bought a number of football shirts from Barcelona, Milan or Manchester at the club shop. Chengdu Blades I asked, my mate then interpreted it, the guy looked at me like I was mad.

Did they ever exist ? This was in 2009 when I went to Chengdu. A mere 7.8 million population.

Shame it folded really given the money being chucked about in Chinese football at the moment. Certainly forward thinking, just never paid off. Some you win, some you lose in business when your a millionaire I guess.

 

[BladeInIreland]

Did they go bust whilst still owned by McCabe?

I’m normally a big critic of him but I can’t fault the ambition of McCabe during this period to develop us into a “Big” club internationally. The problem was always money, had we stayed in the premier league these investments would of paid off imo. China could have been a huge market for us, we actually have plenty of links. Fradi was another link I liked.

It has to be said though he did treat these clubs with the contempt he says he wants to protect us from.

To end on a positive though I thought his plans, stadium, academy and international recognition could have put us in that stable premiership club category.

Dream team for me
McCabe in charge of off field development and strategy
A Director of football to deal with all football decisions
A Big sugar daddy to fund the whole thing

 

[JackSUFC]

I still regularly 5-a-side and gym in this!

 

[Eddiecolquhounsleg]

Did they go bust whilst still owned by McCabe?

I’m normally a big critic of him but I can’t fault the ambition of McCabe during this period to develop us into a “Big” club internationally. The problem was always money, had we stayed in the premier league these investments would of paid off imo. China could have been a huge market for us, we actually have plenty of links. Fradi was another link I liked.

It has to be said though he did treat these clubs with the contempt he says he wants to protect us from.

To end on a positive though I thought his plans, stadium, academy and international recognition could have put us in that stable premiership club category.

Dream team for me
McCabe in charge of off field development and strategy
A Director of football to deal with all football decisions
A Big sugar daddy to fund the whole thing

I assume you are going to tell Wilder this bit of news yourself? Good luck.

 

[nopigfansintown]

McCabe was actually prescient with this idea. It's been copied by premier league clubs since. We got the most important bit wrong though: a successful Sheffield United first team which raises questions about whether monies were diverted in the wrong areas.

 

[Cerberus Blade]

View attachment 49975

I still regularly 5-a-side and gym in this!

It says “Ramsden’s Currency” in Chinese.

 

[Sheffsteel]

Prescient? Does that mean “ahead of his time”

Agree, he got in there very early and could have been an important and worth while investment, if he’d kept it up.
Doesn’t look like Chengdu have re-formed a new club, maybe it’s not a football hotbed?

 

[pommpey]

McCabe was actually prescient with this idea. It's been copied by premier league clubs since. We got the most important bit wrong though: a successful Sheffield United first team which raises questions about whether monies were diverted in the wrong areas.

*SCREAM!*

So what are you saying NPFIT?

I mean, surely our other international ventures must have turned up coins. Like Sao Paolo, Ferencvaros and *waves hand across in sweeping fashion* y'know … the stuff Baki was employed to sort out?

pommpey

 

[Sean Thornton]

FACTS about United and Ferencvacos.

McCabes Hungarian company did the deal. Not United.

McCabe severed ties in 2011.

Baki came on the scene in 2013.

 

[JackSUFC]

It says “Ramsden’s Currency” in Chinese.

Not ‘Scarborough Group International’?!

 

[pommpey]

FACTS about United and Ferencvacos.

McCabes Hungarian company did the deal. Not United.

So, um … McCabe was involved in that venture?

McCabe severed ties in 2011.

So, another failed venture?

Baki came on the scene in 2013.

And left … when … having achieved … what?

pommpey

 

[TTMeysh]

McCabe was one of a large number of foreign investors who lost their shirts in China back in the 2000s. After China's accession to the WTO, they became very adept at hoovering up foreigners' money, skills and IP but its still basically a country where the rule of law is a somewhat elastic concept. The action against the bribery in Chengdu Blades' case was probably a bit of political score-settling.

 

[Sean Thornton]

Paid from Uniteds bank account. Zero.

Unless Baki was given a club time machine

 

[BladeInIreland]

I assume you are going to tell Wilder this bit of news yourself? Good luck.

Maybe not the exact same but similar to what wilder himself requested in Baki.

 

[Sean Thornton]

McCabe was one of a large number of foreign investors who lost their shirts in China back in the 2000s. After China's accession to the WTO, they became very adept at hoovering up foreigners' money, skills and IP but its still basically a country where the rule of law is a somewhat elastic concept. The action against the bribery in Chengdu Blades' case was probably a bit of political score-settling.

I don't think he lost his shirt as his other Companies were quite successful there and clearly still has contacts. The bribery charges related to a time before McCabe got involved (when the were Chengdu Wunei) and he got out when it became known.

 

[nopigfansintown]

*SCREAM!*

So what are you saying NPFIT?

I mean, surely our other international ventures must have turned up coins. Like Sao Paolo, Ferencvaros and *waves hand across in sweeping fashion* y'know … the stuff Baki was employed to sort out?

pommpey

I've no idea if the property side of the venture prospered. It seems unlikely looking at the state of the global economy at that time.

 

[pommpey]

Paid from Uniteds bank account. Zero.

Unless Baki was given a club time machine

Not quite following. I'm not aligning Baki with Chengdu. I am suggesting that Chngdu, Ferencvaros, Sao Paulo and Baki were part of a series of failed ventures into some or other overseas market whereby McCabe possibly made one or two miscalculations. I mean, Baki was meant to scope oversea opportunities or summat, wasn't he? In the name of SUFC? And got … 'what' exactly achieved?

pommpey

 

[Ranmoorblade]

How is the Syrian venture going?

 

[MobileBlade]

Not quite following. I'm not aligning Baki with Chengdu. I am suggesting that Chngdu, Ferencvaros, Sao Paulo and Baki were part of a series of failed ventures into some or other overseas market whereby McCabe possibly made one or two miscalculations. I mean, Baki was meant to scope oversea opportunities or summat, wasn't he? In the name of SUFC? And got … 'what' exactly achieved?

pommpey

They've all got lovely pitches though

 

[Eddiecolquhounsleg]

Maybe not the exact same but similar to what wilder himself requested in Baki.

Is that true? Wilder doesn't strike me as wanting a DOF and seems to do everything on his own with Knill as his right hand man. Seem to recall that when Baki left last year we appointed Jan Van Winckel to be the DOF but Wilder poo pooed that idea sharpish. Maybe it's my old memory banks getting the better of me but Wilder seems to be his own man and doesn't want interference from anyone in footballing matters.

 

[Sean Thornton]

All l've done is post facts. Not opinion, supposition or unanswerable questions.

 

[Sean Thornton]

Is that true? Wilder doesn't strike me as wanting a DOF and seems to do everything on his own with Knill as his right hand man. Seem to recall that when Baki left last year we appointed Jan Van Winckel to be the DOF but Wilder poo pooed that idea sharpish. Maybe it's my old memory banks getting the better of me but Wilder seems to be his own man and doesn't want interference from anyone in footballing matters.

Baki was nothing to do with the football side so l find it odd Wilder would request anything of him to do with that. His brief was as pommpey has pointed out - and is on the OS - to develop international contacts, but I don't know what he did.

 

[pommpey]

All l've done is post facts. Not opinion, supposition or unanswerable questions.

Well, 'opinion', 'supposition' and seemingly 'unanswerable questions' are allowed on here you know. It is a forum. I know you have been 'stifling negative debate since 1889' and all that schizz, but this Chengdu farce (which we all kind of sucked our cheeks in at when it came about, especially as it was just as we began our slide southwards) seemed steeped in fuck up and failure. McCabe's foreign outreaches have not quite been Midas-touch stuff, have they?

pommpey

 

[Sean Thornton]

Never said they weren't allowed although unanswerable questions are a waste of everyone's time. *

Not going to get into it with you again btw, as I said, my post was factual. Not interested in wordplay.

* but, here's one for you, how much did McCabe lose - or gain - from those deals?
I have no clue but there's a difference between the football club not gaining anything from them and it costing it money.

 

[espoo blade]

Not ‘Scarborough Group International’?!

红灵山（hong ling shan) is actually the name of a mountain in Sichuan province, not any company I could find. No wonder the club went under after being sponsored by a geographic feature!

 

[Rodley]

FACTS about United and Ferencvacos.

McCabes Hungarian company did the deal. Not United.

McCabe severed ties in 2011.

Baki came on the scene in 2013.

HMS Erroneous has been bang at it for 20 years.

 

[Chali 2na]

Not quite following. I'm not aligning Baki with Chengdu. I am suggesting that Chngdu, Ferencvaros, Sao Paulo and Baki were part of a series of failed ventures into some or other overseas market whereby McCabe possibly made one or two miscalculations. I mean, Baki was meant to scope oversea opportunities or summat, wasn't he? In the name of SUFC? And got … 'what' exactly achieved?

pommpey

Baki had nothing to do with McCabe - he originally came is in as the prince's advisor.

Still though, good excuse to stick the boot in.

 

[pommpey]

Baki had nothing to do with McCabe - he originally came is in as the prince's advisor.

Still though, good excuse to stick the boot in.

Feller - everyone is sticking the boot in. The latest is gonna be the messy outcome of this here court case, which everyone is ignoring. I'm just glad we have Wilder and the current playing staff doing what they are doing out there to take our minds off it. I still maintain that if the miracle is fulfilled and we make it upstairs, we'll be looking at the transfer window on 31 Aug this year thinking 'FFS, are you lot gonna buy someone?' and we'll get Nugent, on loan or summat.

pommpey