Guangdong Winnerway F.C.

Did You Know?

• The club renamed itself Guangdong Wanbao football club on January 2, 1985, after gaining sponsorship from the Wanbao refrigerator factory.
• Xie Yuxin became the first Chinese person to transfer to another country when the club sold him to FC Zwolle in the Netherlands.
• Li Bing was bought for 640,000 RMB in 1994, making him at the time the most expensive player in Chinese football.

History

The club originated in November 1958 when the Guangdong government took over the Guangzhou Sports University football team, which then competed as the Guangdong Provincial team at the 1959 National Games under head coach Zheng Deyao, finishing fifth. The team entered the top tier of the national league in 1960, placing fifth, and reached the Chinese FA Cup final that same year, losing 2–1 to Tianjin. Gong Boqiang became head coach the following season but could not improve results. Su Yongshun took over in 1965, but the club finished bottom; the 1966 season was halted by the cultural revolution. Zhao Yong managed the side during the intervening years of regional competitions. When the league resumed in 1973, Guangdong returned to the top tier under Su Yongshun, who guided them to fourth place. In 1975 the team won the National Games. Su then integrated young players such as Cai Jinbiao, Chen Xirong, Du Zhiren, Guan Zhirui, He Jia and Rong Zhixing, leading the club to the 1979 league title. After that, Su Yongshun became head coach of the national team, and Xian Dixiong took over as club manager. The aging squad, with Rong Zhixing receiving China's first testimonial on February 27, 1983, before retiring, regrouped to win the South Championship in the 1983 season.