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Fan travels from China to visit Runcorn FC - whom he managed on Championship Manager

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Runcorn FC play in the ninth-tier North West Counties League Premier Division

An avid Championship Manager fan brought his family thousands of miles from their home in China to visit his favourite English club - Runcorn Linnets of the ninth-tier North West Counties League Premier Division.

It was an unlikely ambition fulfilled for Huang Wenbin, who got to see The Millbank Linnets Stadium at close quarters with his wife, Lin Xiaoru, and children, Yandao and Geshu, on their own exclusive tour last Sunday.

Wenbin became an exiled fan of Runcorn FC Halton - as they were then known - following his tenure in charge of them on Championship Manager 01/02.

He turned his Runcorn side into world beaters, taking them all the way from the Conference to the Premier League and signing the likes of David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, Edgar Davids and Roberto Carlos along the way.

And Wenbin enjoyed his title-winning game so much that he decided he had to pay them a visit in person.

Wenbin said in an interview with Mirror Football:

The first time I made the decision to find Runcorn FC was in 2015.

I went to Liverpool by train to watch Steven Gerrard's last match at Anfield.

When the train was parking, I saw a sign for Runcorn. I told my friend I will be there again to find my club.

After arriving in England last week, Wenbin set up a Twitter account in order to contact the club to try and organise a visit.

We all breathed a sigh of relief when we saw that someone was waiting for us in front of the stadium. We spent over 24 hours to arrive in Liverpool from Xiamen in China.

We missed the bus station and got lost on the road in the countryside near Runcorn Linnets.

We spent three hours trying to find the club. It must be my false for my poor English speaking and listening.

Fortunately he and his family were given a warm welcome upon arriving at The Millbank Linnets Stadium.

Wenbin was shown the fans-owned club's facilities by club chairman Mark Buckley and even had a kick-about on the pitch with his son.

Wenbin has promptly taken again to Twitter to thank the Linnets' chairman for the warmth of his welcome.


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