Changsha Ginde - History

History

The club was founded in 1986 by the local Shenyang government sports body to take part in the Chinese football league system and they simply named the club Shenyang (沈阳). The team would start at the bottom of the league system by playing in the second division, however they would not have to wait long for promotion when they finished high enough to compete in the 1988 Chinese Jia-A League. Their time in the top tier would not last very long and they would immediately get relegated. The following seasons would see the club mostly remain within the second tier, with short forays in the top tier that always saw them immediately relegated after only one season.

By the 1994 league season the entire Chinese football league system had become professional, the team would gather sponsorship and rename themselves Shenyang Liuyao (沈阳东北六药). When the team were relegated once more at the end of the season they would rename themselves Shenyang Huayang (沈阳华阳) and then Shenyang Haishi (沈阳海狮, literally Shenyang Sealions) in 1996. Once again the club would win promotion to the top tier, however unlike before they were able to avoid relegation. This was to be the beginning of the clubs establishment within the league, though the team benefitted from several seasons where there was no relegation while the league expanded. In 2001 the club would be taken over by Ginde Plastic Pipe Industry Group, a subsidiary of the Hongyuan Group and the club would change its name to Shenyang Ginde (沈阳金德). In 2007 the clubs homeground Shenyang Wuilihe Stadium (五里河体育场) was demolished and while it was expected that the club move to another stadium within Shenyang, especially the Shenyang Olympic Sports Center Stadium, a deal did not go through and the club would move to Changsha in Hunan and changed their name to Changsha Ginde (长沙金德).

After Changsha Ginde were relegated to League One at the end of the 2010 league season the club would be purchased by MAZAMBA and moved into the Shenzhen Stadium in the city of Shenzhen, Guangdong in February 2011. To represent this change the owners would change the clubs name to Shenzhen Phoenix as well as changing the home kit from sky blue to green. By May 2011 the club was exposed as having serious financial problems and were struggling to pay their players as well as their hotel accommodation. In serious doubt of completing the season the club was put up for sale and were bought by Chinese property developers Guangzhou R&F who moved the club to the Yuexiushan Stadium in Guangzhou and changed the clubs colours back to blue.