The new chief executive of the Hong Kong Football Association last night pledged to devote himself 100 per cent to raising the standard and profile of the game in the city.
'Change agent' Mark Sutcliffe accepted the position yesterday, taking over from Gordon McKie, who fell out of favour with the HKFA less than six months into his three-year contract, believed to be worth more than HK$3 million a year.
Sutcliffe was the obvious candidate for the job, having played an instrumental role in the game's development, firstly as the author of the government's development strategy 'Dare to Dream', and more recently as the official change agent appointed to assess the operations of the HKFA. His raft of recommendations to revitalise the local game was adopted as 'Project Phoenix'.
'The chance to be the CEO is a fantastic opportunity,' Sutcliffe said yesterday. 'In 2009, when working on Dare To Dream, I first saw the potential of football in Hong Kong. Since then, there have been some very positive steps forward, but I am sure everyone would agree, there is still a long way to go.
'I am under no illusions about how important this challenge is and I will devote myself 100 per cent to raising the standard and profile of football in Hong Kong and to delivering that potential.
'My experience through the development of Project Phoenix has helped me build positive relationships with the board of directors, existing staff and other stakeholders. I am sure that collectively, we can become a winning team,' said Sutcliffe, who will assume his duties in September.