As the most commercialized league in the world, the Premier League knows exactly what fans want.
This should be the most basic quality of any service provider, but unfortunately, many fail to do it well.
For example, the simplest match scheduling.
In every round of the Premier League, one or two of the most anticipated matches are arranged at noon.
This timing is uncomfortable for the participating teams, but it is undoubtedly the most suitable for fans watching around the world.
On the second match day of the first round of the new season, the most-watched fixture was between Leeds United and West Ham United.
After selling six star players this summer, how much fighting power does Leeds United still have?
That was the question on the minds of fans all over the world.
On the first match day, the performances of Premier League teams were rather dull.
Manchester United drew 1-1 with Leicester City at home. Mourinho's side took the lead in the 83rd minute through Luke Shaw, but Leicester equalized in the second minute of stoppage time.
The first eighty minutes of that game were extremely boring and uneventful.
The next match was equally lackluster.
Tottenham played away at Newcastle. Vertonghen scored in the eighth minute, but Joselu equalized for the Magpies three minutes later. After that, neither side managed to score again for over eighty minutes.
The game ended in boredom.
Sarri's Chelsea performed well away from home, comfortably defeating Huddersfield 3-0.
Mané, Jorginho, and Pedro each scored a goal.
It was also Mané's debut after transferring to Chelsea.
It could be said that on the first match day, apart from Chelsea, the top teams' performances were largely disappointing.
This made many people wonder whether the next day's fixtures would bring something better.
Especially the much-anticipated clash between Leeds United and West Ham United scheduled for noon.
How could the White Rose still win after selling so many players?
…
This was the first time Gao Shen watched a Leeds United game purely as a fan.
He drove to Elland Road with his wife and child, parked nearby, and walked to the Amazon Stadium just like every other supporter.
The family of three wore Leeds United's new jerseys, chatting and laughing along the way like the other fans.
But they were quickly recognized.
Leeds United supporters were very satisfied with Gao Shen's management of the club and treated the family politely.
Even though Gao Shen's Real Madrid had beaten Leeds United in last season's Champions League final, the White Rose fans did not hold a grudge.
As they said online, as long as Gao Shen helps Leeds United win a Champions League title as compensation, the "debt" will be cleared.
The fans' demands were that simple.
The second phase of the stadium project must be suspended on every match day.
This was different from before.
The new stadium construction was on the west side of the site, so fans didn't need to pass through it to reach Elland Road. But the new work was now on the east side, meaning fans had to pass through the area, so construction had to stop during matches.
Gao Shen and his family followed the crowd into the venue, chatting with other fans about the new season.
Many gathered around, asking Gao Shen for his thoughts on the match and the upcoming campaign.
"I think we can win. I have great confidence in Pochettino," Gao Shen said with a smile.
The fans around him erupted in cheers.
If Gao Shen said they could win, then they believed it.
He also asked the fans for their opinions on the new stadium. To his surprise, their attitudes were overwhelmingly positive.
This wasn't part of a club-organized interview or media campaign. Gao Shen simply followed the crowd and talked to fans randomly. From time to time, someone came over to chat or even interrupted him.
It was the most genuine feedback from Leeds United fans.
"You know what? I've been supporting Leeds United for more than fifty years. Even now, I still can't believe we have such a fantastic stadium. I've written to the club several times, hoping they'll open up the area around the stadium so fans can have their ashes buried there after they pass away."
This came from an old fan in his sixties, attending the game with his family.
In the Premier League, this is indeed a tradition. Some fans want their ashes to be buried at the stadium, to remain forever with their lifelong football faith.
Some clubs even provide such paid services.
But Leeds United had no plans to offer it.
"Then you should stay healthy, take care of yourself and your family, and don't talk about death so easily. You'll live to see Leeds United win the Champions League and many more trophies."
Gao Shen's words of encouragement drew another round of cheers from the fans.
They were already in high spirits before even entering the stadium.
When else would they get the chance to walk and talk side by side with Gao Shen like this?
Even as they entered, fans politely asked Gao Shen to go first, but he declined.
Leeds United offered several entry methods to the new stadium. In addition to traditional tickets, the club encouraged fans to use the official mobile app.
By downloading the app, fans could link their identity information, purchase season and match tickets, and shop directly from the club store. To enter, they only needed to scan their digital ticket code, which was very convenient.
Another advantage of this was a major reduction in match-day labor costs.
In the past, thousands of temporary workers were needed, but now, most fans used their phones to scan their tickets, with only a few manual checks remaining.
…
The Amazon Stadium was a semi-open structure.
The main body and the roof were two completely independent components. The design was stunning from afar and even more impressive up close.
Before entering, fans could already hear the thrilling music booming from inside.
Every match day, Leeds United arranged various performances and fan activities, including raffles and interactive games.
As soon as fans scanned their tickets, the app sent them a message inviting them to predict the match score, first goal scorer, and other outcomes. Those who guessed correctly received a beautiful gift or shopping coupons.
In addition, the app provided real-time highlights and goal videos during the match, allowing fans to rewatch key moments instantly, whether at the stadium or watching elsewhere.
This feature was highly popular among fans.
The biggest issue with watching live matches is that exciting moments often happen too fast to process. While this adds thrill and adrenaline, it also leaves some regrets.
Through this interactive feature, fans could relive those moments immediately.
More importantly, they could share the content on social media such as Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook.
This helped Leeds United build its online presence and global influence.
Every game became a massive online advertisement for the club.
After several years of development, the Leeds United app had been downloaded over five million times, and registered members exceeded one million—the largest fan membership among sports clubs worldwide.
However, critics argued that becoming a Leeds United member only required a five-euro annual fee, which mainly granted access to real-time match highlights and club events.
This wasn't equivalent to full membership in the traditional sense.
The club also offered senior memberships costing fifty euros annually, which included a gift package containing the season calendar, posters, magazines, and a specially designed club souvenir such as a scarf.
Leeds United's senior members numbered fewer than 200,000, while Bayern Munich had over 200,000.
The club did not refute outside criticism but emphasized that both ordinary and senior memberships were growing rapidly.
Over time, Leeds United would surely become the sports club with the most members in the world.
Additionally, the club worked with sponsors to enhance member-exclusive benefits. Emirates Airlines provided discounted airfares, Huawei offered discounts on mobile phones and digital devices, and fans could purchase these products directly in the app store.
In the pedestrian shopping area of the stadium's second phase, both Apple and Huawei rented flagship store spaces.
Apple partnered due to its long-standing collaboration with architect Norman Foster, while Huawei, as the club's sponsor and technology partner, also had its store designed by Foster.
Leeds United's ability to deliver real-time video highlights and social media sharing depended on having the world's most advanced stadium WiFi, provided by Huawei.
Of course, Huawei gained greatly from this collaboration. After establishing itself through Leeds United's WiFi system, it quickly expanded across European football and even participated in the renovation of Real Madrid's Bernabéu Stadium.
Their success in stadium technology helped elevate their reputation across Europe, further boosting their smartphone business.
…
Like all the other fans, Gao Shen and his family entered the stadium by scanning their phones and proceeded to the executive box in the chairman's stand.
Lucas and the other executives were already waiting.
After greeting them one by one, Gao Shen stepped out onto the terrace and was immediately met by thunderous roars from the crowd.
A live band was performing on the pitch, and the atmosphere was electrifying.
The world-renowned circular screen hanging above displayed real-time footage, ensuring that every fan in the 67,000-seat stadium had a clear view of the action.
It also doubled as the main scoreboard.
During the design stage, Norman Foster's team had carefully studied ventilation to ensure that even on hot summer days, with the stadium full, fans would remain comfortable.
With the roof overhead, they also didn't have to worry about the sun.
Standing outside the executive box, Gao Shen held the railing and looked around at the sea of fans. His blood was boiling.
This was his team.
This was his stadium.
It was truly shocking.
(To be continued.)
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