The Century-Old Famous School Cup | An 11-Year-Old Boy, 150 Years of Legacy, and Reflections from Gulangyu

Written by Nan Nan “Our performance last time was not ideal, and this time we mainly focus on training the team. After advancing from the group stage, we need to compete seriously against every opponent.” Facing the interview camera during the group stage, 11-year-old Zhang Yuyang displayed a maturity rare for his age. However, he felt somewhat regretful that in the quarter-finals, this number 10 player from Xiamen People's Primary School couldn't help his team overcome Nanning Taohuayuan Primary School, ultimately missing out on the top four—this was the second time People's Primary School participated in the Century-Old Famous School Cup; last year, they failed to advance from the group stage, but this time they made progress.

Zhang Yuyang was born into a family with a football heritage; his father, Zhang Yuehong, is a well-known figure in campus football in Xiamen and even nationwide. He is not only the director and head coach of the administrative office at People's Primary School but also the director of the technical training department of the Xiamen Campus Football Office. Additionally, he serves as a member of the National Youth Campus Football Expert Committee, an instructor for AFC and CFA coaches, and holds an AFC A coaching license.

Zhang Yuehong has twice led national teams as a coach in international competitions: in 2019, when the Chinese Campus Football National Team was established, he served as the head coach for the boys' U12 team, leading them to France for a Sino-French football exchange match; in May 2024, he was an assistant coach at the inaugural International Middle School Girls' Football World Cup held in Dalian, assisting veteran coach Yu Dongfeng, helping the team secure third place.

As a coach, lecturer, and parent, Zhang Yuehong is about to face the same choice as many other parents—Zhang Yuyang is about to enter the sixth grade, and by this time next year, he will be 12 years old. If he cannot overcome the current biggest hurdle in campus football, the “retirement at 12” issue, many children of the same age may lack the courage to face and resolve this challenge.

Of course, Zhang Yuyang is fortunate because Gulangyu, where People's Primary School is located, is not large, only 1.88 square kilometers, allowing it to seamlessly connect with Xiamen No. 2 Middle School for further education.

The football culture of Gulangyu has a history of over 150 years. In 1872, American consul Li Xiande leased a piece of land leading to the intersections of Tianwei, Gangzaihou, and Riguang Rock on Gulangyu, enclosing it with a low wall to create a football field exclusively for foreigners, known as Fanzi Qiu Pu, which is one of the earliest professional football fields in China. Today, Fanzi Qiu Pu has transformed into the People's Stadium of Gulangyu.

In 1898, British missionary Shan Yage founded Yinghua College (the predecessor of Xiamen No. 2 Middle School) on Gulangyu, and on that day, the Yinghua football team was established, bringing modern football to Gulangyu, which became one of the birthplaces of modern football in China. Football has always been the most representative sport on Gulangyu.

With over a century of legacy, coupled with People's Primary School's persistent development of campus football, under the efforts of Zhang Yuehong and his colleagues, People's Primary School has remained a traditional stronghold in campus football in Xiamen. Similarly, Xiamen No. 2 Middle School, located on Gulangyu, naturally receives players from People's Primary School's football team for further education, and in recent years, Xiamen No. 2 Middle School has also reached the top eight in national youth campus football competitions.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, in the second half of next year, Zhang Yuyang and his peers are very likely to enter Xiamen No. 2 Middle School together and fight side by side again. Regarding this, Zhang Yuehong said, “I hope my child can see football as a hobby and pursuit. Whether he can pursue a professional path or enter a prestigious school through football as a special talent depends on his development and potential. Of course, I hope he can enter university through football and become a coach or worker in the sport.”

Zhang Yuehong knows that the situation for entering university as a football special talent is very challenging. Due to policy issues, middle schools cannot admit children with football specialties. Although policies have relaxed somewhat in recent years, most children playing football in various cities still cannot progress to schools with football characteristics. Even if they can take this route, they will still face layers of selection and screening in middle and high school. With changes in the policies regarding sports certificates for high school to university transitions, obtaining such certificates has become increasingly difficult.

“If football special talents cannot obtain sports level certificates, they will face significant difficulties when applying for universities later.” Zhang Yuehong said, “Currently, the recruitment for football programs is still not well-established and mature, which leaves many parents feeling confused, especially those of primary school students. However, I believe that as policies gradually improve, the path for football special talents will become increasingly broad.”

Due to geographical factors, People's Primary School and Xiamen No. 2 Middle School have achieved a structured transition for elite teams. Although this case is unique, the people of Xiamen are still willing to try. In 2015, Xiamen, Qingdao, and Yanbian became the first three campus football experimental zones in the country, thus Xiamen has consistently had supportive policies for the comprehensive development of football talents.

Currently, four schools in Xiamen have achieved a city team-school partnership, recruiting football special talents from across the city.

“Although the previous policies were quite good, we hope to cover a broader range of schools because the number of children playing football far exceeds what these four schools can accommodate; we have many more children.” Zhang Yuehong said.

In addition to Xiamen, Quanzhou also has its own policies. Quanzhou operates on a district basis, with one middle school corresponding to children from three nearby primary schools, allowing for structured movement. However, since some of the corresponding primary schools do not have football specialties, the effectiveness remains to be seen. “The Gulangyu case is caused by geographical reasons; we need to guide them to solve problems through policy orientation on a larger scale.” Zhang Yuehong said, “If we can achieve structured transitions like those at Shaanxi Normal University Affiliated Primary School into middle schools, it would greatly help alleviate parents' concerns.”