Manila Digger F.C.

Foundation and early years

Manila Digger's foundation can be traced back in 2017 when a community of Chinese migrants in Manila who were working and studying in the Philippines formed an amateur football club. In 2018, a group led by Chinese investor Sha Shuo splintered from this amateur team over internal disagreements to form Manila Digger F.C.. The team was named "digger" to reflect the Chinese founders' aspiration to make a good living in the country. Manila Digger competed in the weekend amateur leagues during its early years playing both in the standard 11-a-side and the 7-a-side formats. A women's team was also formed. Originally an all-Chinese team, Manila Digger began recruiting Filipinos and non-Chinese foreigners.

Entry to the PFL

Manila Digger began their journey in professional football in the 2023 edition of the Copa Paulino Alcantara. They did not advanced from the group stage. They then earned a license on January 17, 2024 as documented on Sha's Bilibili account "Caogen Zuqiu Jingli" (Chinese: 草根足球经理, lit. 'Grassroots Football Manager') where he paid the relevant registration fee, for his club be eligible to compete in the Philippines Football League (PFL). The account was used to build a fanbase for Manila Digger. Manila Digger made their PFL debut in the 2024 season. In the leadup to their eventual debut in March, Sha and Diao Su recruited players through their personal connections with scouts and relied on informal methods such as leads…