Book

Bamboo Goalposts: One Man's Quest to Teach the People's Republic of China to Love Football

Name: Bamboo Goalposts: One Man's Quest to Teach the People's Republic of China to Love Football
Author: Rowan Simons

Rowan Simons

2008

Rowan Simons · 2008 · UK/China

A memoir of building grassroots football culture and youth clubs in China from the 1990s onward.

A rare English-language insider account of Chinese football's grassroots struggles before its state-driven boom.

The Historian

This intimate memoir captures the early days of Chinese football's grassroots revolution, a period of pioneering work that laid the groundwork for the country's subsequent success on the global stage. Rowan Simons' firsthand account preserves a crucial chapter in the development of Asian football, contextualizing China's journey within the broader narrative of international football history.

The Psychologist

This memoir represents a classic case of the "outsider within" phenomenon, where Rowan Simons' desire for connection with Chinese culture and people is channeled through his passion for football. His efforts to build grassroots youth clubs reveal projections of Western ideals onto Chinese society, highlighting the tension between cultural exchange and imperialist undertones.

The Sceptic

This memoir romanticizes Simons' idealized vision for Chinese football, glossing over systemic barriers to genuine community engagement. Limited by his outsider status and privileged position as a "football expert," Simons' narrative reinforces Western notions of football as a panacea for social ills, rather than a complex cultural phenomenon with its own unique histories and challenges.

These are interpretations written in three voices, not quotations from any individual.

Language: English
Length: 352 pp
Subject: Grassroots football development in China
Region: Asia
Tone: Light
Difficulty: Familiar

Macmillan/Pan Books; paperback

In print

Sourcegoodreads.com

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