Soccer: I’m Building a Giant in the Premier League

Chapter 28 – I Finally Understand Abramovich's Joy!

One week after the Chelsea match, in League Two Round 26, Bayswater Chinese FC traveled away to face Grimsby Town.

The result? A frustrating 0–0 draw.

But no one was overly concerned.

Because in Round 27, back at home, Bayswater convincingly beat Rushden & Diamonds 3–0.

Center-back Roger Johnson opened the scoring, followed by a goal from Ribéry, and a late strike from sub Rickie Lambert sealed the win.

A comfortable home victory kept Bayswater firmly at the top of the League Two table.

…

Midweek brought the EFL Trophy Quarterfinal.

Away at Northampton, Bayswater conceded early in the 14th minute due to a rotated back line.

But Yang Cheng made halftime adjustments, and the second half belonged to his team.

From the 61st minute, Bayswater scored three unanswered goals, turning the game around to win 3–1.

All three goals?

From Dave Kitson.

Another hat-trick!

If his debut hat-trick had been a statement, this one was a declaration.

Even Yang Cheng was surprised—but when he thought about it, it made sense.

Kitson was three years older than Jonathan Stead—more mature.

They were similar in height and build, both strong and physical, but Kitson had better leaping ability, sharper positioning, and superior heading technique.

Most importantly, he was two-footed, making him a much more complete finisher.

And by the way—Stead, now at Blackburn, had started in both of his last two matches and scored in both.

In the Premier League.

So everyone agreed—Blackburn's £8 million was well spent.

…

After the EFL Trophy, it was time for the FA Cup Round 4.

Bayswater traveled south to face Portsmouth.

Coached by Harry Redknapp, the Pompey side didn't fall into Chelsea's trap.

Right from kickoff, it was a tough battle.

Yang Cheng's tactics successfully contained Portsmouth's attack—until the 35th minute, when a mistake opened the door.

Left-back Matthew Taylor surged forward, met a lovely pass from Israeli midfielder Eyal Berkovic, and scored the opener.

Martin Devaney and Steve Jenkins struggled to contain Pompey's left side.

In the second half, Bayswater went on the offensive.

In the 56th minute, Ribéry equalized—1–1.

After that, it turned into a brutal war of attrition.

Portsmouth, playing at home, dug deep.

In the closing stages, veteran Teddy Sheringham assisted Taylor again for a second goal.

2–1.

That scoreline held until full time.

Bayswater's Cinderella run in the FA Cup came to an end.

Yang Cheng didn't blame his players.

The strength gap was obvious.

Redknapp was a seasoned manager. Portsmouth were full-strength and at home.

Bayswater had nothing to be ashamed of.

"This match showed us the gap between ourselves and Premier League teams,"

Yang told his players calmly in the locker room.

"But it's not insurmountable."

"We have a chance. Don't be discouraged—we'll win next time."

The players accepted it.

Losing away to a mid-table Premier League team? Fair enough.

It was just that stunning win over Chelsea had created some unrealistic expectations.

But Yang had always known—League Two was their real battlefield.

And maybe the EFL Trophy too.

…

Because of the FA Cup, Bayswater's League Two Round 28 match was postponed.

Back in London, the team then traveled to face Brighton—and lost 1–2.

In Round 30, they were held 0–0 at home by Bournemouth.

In Round 31, they lost 0–1 away to Tranmere Rovers.

Thankfully, after Stead's move to Blackburn, the media's spotlight dimmed.

So their three-game winless streak didn't generate too much pressure.

Yang Cheng explained it as the natural fallout from a young team's FA Cup exit and the fatigue of juggling two competitions.

Then came Round 32.

Home win, 2–1, over Port Vale—a team with promotion ambitions.

It knocked them down to fifth in the table.

In the midweek makeup game for Round 28, Bayswater beat Stockport 2–0 away.

Then, in Round 33, they beat Blackpool 1–0 away.

Meanwhile, QPR had drawn three in a row, and Bristol City lost to Sheffield Wednesday.

Plymouth surged to second, but Bayswater stayed top, though the lead had shrunk to five points.

Despite some inconsistency, Bayswater booked their place in the EFL Trophy Final.

In the semifinal first leg, they drew 1–1 away at Southend.

At home, Ribéry led the way, and they won 3–0, sealing a 4–1 aggregate victory.

Because Wembley was under reconstruction, the final would be held at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.

Their opponent?

Blackpool, also from League Two.

The final would be played on March 21.

Just ten kilometers north of London's Hyde Park lies the world-renowned Brent Cross Shopping Centre.

Touted as the crown jewel among the UK's eight major shopping centers, it's a mecca for fashion-savvy tourists from around the globe.

It also happens to be the most important transport hub in northwest London.

Underground lines, railway stations, the M1 motorway, and the orbital ring road all converge here.

Travel southwest in a straight line for just 4 kilometers from the M1's starting point, and you'll arrive at Wembley Stadium—or at least, where it used to stand. The historic stadium had been demolished three years ago, and only recently had work begun on its long-delayed reconstruction.

Nestled between Brent Cross and the future Wembley, you'll find London's largest natural reservoir: Brent Reservoir.

Encircling the water lies a wetland park, a sanctuary for birds.

To the northwest, the Welsh Harp Open Space sprawls out in green tranquility.

But on the north bank of the reservoir lies something even more interesting—a massive rectangular stretch of land covering over 200 acres, divided neatly by rows of trees.

On the north and south ends of this land sit two football clubs.

To the northwest, adjacent to residential areas, is Hendon FC—a club that has spent decades fighting in the seventh, eighth, and even ninth tiers of English football. Despite their long history, their best achievement was reaching the third round of the FA Cup.

Still, despite their amateur status, Hendon boasts a 2,000-seat stadium and several youth pitches, occupying nearly half of the entire space.

To the south, near the water's edge, is Kingsbury Town, or Park Royal FC—a lesser-known, barely active club mostly focused on youth development. Their facilities cover a good chunk of the southeast portion of the land.

After a full lap around the site, Chris Hunter pulled his car over beside Hendon's Silver Jubilee Park. With him were Yang Cheng, Lin Zhongqiu, and Brian Kidd.

"Those trees over there? Beyond them is community parkland," Chris said, pointing toward the northern row of trees. Behind them, you could vaguely see open space.

"Hendon currently owns this whole section we're looking at—around 100 acres."

About 600 mu, in Chinese land measurement.

"That's a bit small," Yang Cheng said, turning to gaze southward.

Lin Zhongqiu had no real sense of scale, but Brian Kidd nodded in agreement.

If they were to build a comprehensive youth academy, 100 acres wouldn't be enough.

English youth development typically covers ages 7 to 16, spanning ten full age groups.

Above that are the reserves, and some clubs even have two additional transitional age groups between U16 and the first team.

And of course, you still need facilities for the senior squad.

Many English clubs actually don't train their youth teams at the main training ground because the facilities are so poor that even the first team barely gets by.

Yang Cheng wanted something better.

By his standards—those of a world-class club—the senior team alone would need at least three full-size rotating training pitches, all maintained properly.

And with England's notorious weather, he'd eventually want to build an indoor facility for training during rain or snow.

Add to that training complexes, dormitories, and support buildings.

In short, 100 acres wouldn't cut it.

"If Hendon's land is too small, we can include the Kingsbury section too," Chris offered. "Plus the strip just south of Hendon, between the road and the water. That brings the total to around 150 acres."

About 900 mu. Now that was workable.

Yang Cheng had entered the area from the south and had already been eyeing it.

The scenery around Brent Reservoir was stunning.

If they built player housing along the north bank, just waking up and seeing that view would be a luxury in itself.

"How much would it cost to buy all of this?" Yang Cheng asked.

He didn't have unlimited funds.

Chris Hunter knew exactly how tight Bayswater Chinese FC's finances were.

They'd sold Jonathan Stead for £8 million, paid off the £2 million debt to Elvino, and made decent earnings from the FA Cup.

Yang still had around £6 million in hand.

And with recent sellouts at home, ticket revenues were healthy.

"Hendon and Park Royal have both been running at a loss for years. They're deep in financial trouble. Convincing them won't be hard."

"The tricky bit is the land north of the road—it belongs to Brent Council. To purchase it and get construction permits, we'd need approval from the city council and local residents. That's a bit more complex."

Yang Cheng wasn't surprised.

Even Chelsea, loaded with cash, had tried to purchase a golf course in the south for their training base but were shut down by residents. That's why they ended up relocating to Cobham.

"Then you and Uncle Lin go negotiate. Try to get a good price. I promise your commission will be worth your while."

As Yang said this, he couldn't help but feel smug.

How the tables had turned.

He finally understood Abramovich's joy.

Chris Hunter was quick to agree.

The English football industry was in terrible shape.

Not just the lower leagues—even Premier League clubs, except Manchester United, were drowning in debt.

In the City of London alone, countless clubs were up for sale or undergoing restructuring.

To Hunter, the biggest obstacle to earning a fat commission would be government bureaucracy and local objections.

But Yang Cheng had a plan for that too.

"Tell them this: Bayswater Chinese FC is committed to this training base.

In the next two years, we'll invest at least £20 million."

£20 million?!

At least?!

That pledge stunned Chris Hunter, Lin Zhongqiu, and Brian Kidd alike.

Especially Lin.

With the club's current finances, where on earth would £20 million come from?

Was Yang Cheng crazy?!

Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.

Read 20 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Canserbero10