Shenzhen Celts x Wild Geese

The Shenzhen Celts and The Wild Geese are two of the longest-running sports clubs in our city. The GAA club and football team have historically shared a lot of the same members and same sponsors, but for the first time on Friday 30th August, the two sides held a joint match and social.

The Celts were kind enough to put on a training session for the Geese before the match to teach them the basics of Gaelic football. Already familiar with how to kick a ball, the Geese were shown how to hand pass and even to do a bit of soloing with help from some of the Celts.

The sides were then mixed up for a game of Gaelic football, where a few of the Geese players proved themselves to be naturals for the sport. After a high scoring but competitive game, the Geese had a chance to show what they were capable of with a football match. Some of the Celts revealed themselves to be very handy soccer players too and it was another close-run affair.

After the joint session, both sets of players headed down to their sponsor the Evil Duck in Shuiwei for a few drinks.

A big thanks to the Shenzhen Celts for organizing the session and for the Evil Duck for providing the pitchside beers. With plenty of players from either side enjoying the night, it will hopefully be the first of many joint events between the Celts and Geese. If you would like to get involved in either or even both teams, check the contact details below.

The Wild Geese

Named after Irish mercenaries who used to fight in foreign armies overseas, The Wild Geese was established in 2013 and have been a mainstay of the Shenzhen International Association Football League ever since. Although created as a football team for Irish in Shenzhen, the team has always been a broad church and currently counts players from Ukraine, England, Japan, Canada, and Turkey amongst their members. If you are interested in joining the Geese, add “eddyoneill87” on WeChat.

Shenzhen Celts

Shenzhen Celts is a GAA club founded in 2004. Its a place where Irish and non-Irish alike are come together to play the great game of Gaelic football. The club, however, is about more than just playing. There is a heavy emphasis on the social side too with the team heading down to the Evil Duck after training each Friday and organizing regular socials. Officially recognized by the GAA - you will find our team crest on the wall at Croke Park - the team competes in the All-China Games and All-Asia Games every year as well as regularly playing games against our local rivals in Hong Kong and Shunde. If you are interested in joining the Celts, add “danlyons2905” on WeChat.