Discursive expression of football fandom in China: language, creativity and digital community

The central role of the state and its partners in business as authors of football development in China has led scholars to foreground institutions, policy, political motivations and outcomes. Grassroot expressions of football culture have generally been sidelined in favour of analyses of the politics-business nexus, governance, public health etc, creating the impression that football culture in China is a top-down enterprise driven exclusively by political and politically connected commercial interests. In this article, we recentre grassroots engagement with football by examining aspects of the digital involvement and contribution of audiences and fans to Chinese football culture. Specifically, we investigate discursive components of online football fan culture and demonstrate through an analysis of language and practices how such communities engage with the game creatively.