Illustration: Liu Xiangya/GT

With an average attendance of nearly 10,000 spectators per match, a constant stream of viral banter online, and fans scrambling for tickets, the inaugural Jiangsu City Football League has recently become a sensational phenomenon, sparking heated discussions on why it has risen to instant popularity and its implications on grassroots football development. 

Using playful slogans such as "The match comes first, friendship fourteenth," and "No match-fixing, just long-standing rivalries," the amateur league features all 13 cities under direct jurisdiction of Jiangsu Province and is founded on the principle of mass participation and a shared sense of city pride.

Veteran football fan Peng Dalian witnessed his hometown team, Yancheng, score a dramatic 1-0 winner against Huai'an in the 89th minute on Sunday. He said the league is far beyond just winning or losing. "It's about a sense of pride and emotional resonance that belongs to every city and every resident," Peng told the Radio Jiangsu News.

The reason behind the league's rapid rise lies in its ability to capture the essence of local identity, grassroots traditions, and the spirit of friendly rivalry among cities.

The overall level of competition in the league isn't very high. However, that's not where the public's attention lies. What has truly captured people's interest are the stories and values behind the game - the sense of community, city pride, cultural identity, and the shared emotional experience that football brings. 

The Lianyungang team has turned its home matches into a seafood festival, while the Yangzhou team transforms halftime breaks into an intangible cultural heritage showcase. The clash between Huai'an and Yangzhou was touted as a "battle of cuisine" as both cities are known for culinary traditions. Each participating city has used the pitch as a stage to present its own unique local culture.

By tapping into the cultural essence of cities, the league has brought these values to life through football, a sport with broad popularity and high visibility. 

The biggest highlight of this tournament is that it's attracting the attention of people who normally wouldn't follow football, Wang Xiaowan, vice president of the Jiangsu Football Association, told The Time Weekly.

"On one hand, football has been deeply integrated with our region's local characteristics, bringing unique local cultures into the spotlight. On the other hand, our approach is people-centered. Ticket prices are as low as 5 yuan [$0.69]. People come for the lively atmosphere, to enjoy themselves and to experience the pride and culture of their city in person. Even online, folks are playfully teasing each other with memes. In this way, football has truly become a cultural phenomenon, a way of life for local residents," said Wang. 

According to statistics from the Jiangsu Provincial Sports Bureau, the league has so far attracted over 180,000 fans to watch matches onsite in the host cities, with attendance rates rivaling those of Chinese professional football leagues. The hashtag #JiangsuCityLeague has surpassed 100 million views on social media platforms, and even professional football websites have launched dedicated standings tables for the league.

Set to last for seven months, the league will hold a total of 85 matches. During the regular season, the 13 participating teams play each other in a single round-robin format with home and away games. In the knockout stage, the top eight teams advance to single-elimination matches to determine the final four and ultimately the championship.

A total of 516 players are participating, ranging in age from 16 to 40. Over 65 percent of them come from various walks of life, including teachers, students, delivery workers, and programmers.

"The vitality of football lies in public participation and genuine passion. Only when more city-level leagues like this emerge can we truly foster a strong grassroots ecosystem for the development of football in China," Luo Le, a sports scholar at Beijing University of Chemical Technology, told the Global Times on Tuesday. 

If scaled across China, leagues like this could become the cornerstone of a truly bottom-up football ecosystem, just as local clubs have been the bedrock of English football's global success.

The success of the league proves that grassroots football holds great potential in China just like the Village Super League (VSL), or known as Cunchao, hosted in Rongjiang, Southwest China's Guizhou Province. More than 3,000 players from 108 teams participated in VSL in its third season this year. 

With proper organization, cultural integration, and active public involvement, the grassroots leagues can continue to grow and thrive. 

As Peng said, "I hope the league will continue for years to come and ultimately grow into a proud cultural symbol of Jiangsu."

The author is a reporter with the Global Times. life@globaltimes.com.cn