Chinese Football Association Jia League

Infobox sports league
logo=CFAJiaLeagueLogo.jpg
pixels=158px
title=Chinese Football Association
Jia League
current_season = Chinese Football Association Jia League 2008
sport=Football
founded=2004
teams=13
country=PRC
champion=Guangzhou Pharmaceutical

The Chinese Football Association Jia League (Simplified Chinese: 中国足球协会甲级联赛) is the second tier league of the People's Republic of China. The league is under the auspices of the Chinese Football Association. Above the Jia League is the premier league - the Chinese Super League or CSL.

Prior to the formation of CSL , Jia League was known as "Jia B League". The then top two levels of Chinese football league were known as "Jia A League" and "Jia B League" respectively. "Jia A" was rebranded as CSL and "Jia B" was rebranded as the current Jia League in 2004. Below the Jia League is the Yi League, following the Chinese Heavenly Stems naming convention of numbers.

Unlike the CSL, the Jia League does not seem to have any standard common name or abbreviation in English, however, it is commonly and simply called the "China League". It is currently made up of twelve teams, playing home and away. At the end of each season, the top two will be promoted to CSL and the two lowest placed teams from CSL will be relegated to the Jia League.

eason 2006

Season 2006 was the first year in which promotion and relegation between the two leagues took place. Round 1 of the 2006 season began on March 25 and ended with Round 26 on October 28.

The clubs competed in the Jia League were :

*Beijing Hongdeng, Beijing
*Chengdu Blades, Chengdu (formerly Chengdu Wuniu)
*Guangzhou Pharmaceutical, Guangzhou (formerly Guangzhou Rizhiquan)
*Henan Jianye, Xinxiang
*Hunan Xiangjun, Changsha
*Jiangsu Sainty, Nanjing
*Nanchang Bayi, Nanchang
*Nanjing Yoyo, Nanjing
*Qingdao Hailifeng, Qingdao
*Shanghai Stars, Shanghai (formerly Shanghai 9th City)
*Shanxi Aosen Luhu, Taiyuan
*Yanbian, Yanbian
*Zhejiang Lücheng, Hangzhou

The Chengdu Blades are so-called because they are owned by Sheffield United who are nicknamed the Blades.

eason 2007

The clubs competing in the Jia League are:

*重庆力帆 Chongqing Lifan
*成都谢菲联 Chengdu Blades
*北京宏登 Beijing Hongdeng
*山西路虎 Hohhot Black Horse
*江苏舜天 Jiangsu Sainty
*广州医药 Guangzhou Pharmaceutical
*青岛海信 Qingdao Haixin (formerly Qingdao Hailifeng)
*延边 Yanbian
*上海群英 Shanghai Stars
*南京有有 Nanjing Yoyo
*南昌八一 Nanchang Bayi
*哈尔滨毅腾 Harbin Yiteng
*北京理工大学 Beijing Institute of Technology FC

eason 2008

The clubs competing in the Jia League are:

*重庆力帆 Chongqing Lifan
*江苏舜天 Jiangsu Sainty
*青岛海信 Qingdao Hailifeng
*延边 Yanbian
*无锡中邦 Wuxi Zobon
*南京有有 Nanjing Yoyo
*南昌八一 Nanchang Bayi
*烟台毅腾 Yantai Yiteng
*北京理工大学 Beijing Institute of Technology FC
*北京宏登 Beijing Hongdeng
*上海东亚 Shanghai Dongya
*四川 Sichuan FC
*安徽九方 Anhui Jiufang

Former Clubs

*Guangdong Hongyuan
*Bayi Zhengbang
*Hohhot Black Horse

ee also

*Chinese Football Association
*Chinese Super League
*Chinese Football Association Yi League
*Chinese FA Cup

External links

* [http://fa.org.cn/ Official site of the Chinese Football Association (In Chinese)]
* [http://www.rsssf.com/tablesc/chinahist.html China League and Cup History on RSSSF ]