The Rational Ref | Restructure could boost development of young players
As the HKFA changes the league system at the lower levels, the focus should now be on raising the standard of youth players within local clubs
By setting up four divisions in a straightforward ladder, could this be a prelude to professionalism and a portent that the Hong Kong Football Association has played a killer pass? Whether this move will produce the desired goals, we will have to wait and see. Central to this drama will be Mark Sutcliffe, the new HKFA chief executive, who is expected to hit the ground running when he arrives next month to take charge of the development scheme known colloquially as Project Phoenix.
Where previously there were four HKFA divisions with two parallel divisions at the lowest rung - confusingly named 3A and 3B - there are now four divisions aligned vertically atop of one another. Because youth development is earmarked as a major goal of Project Phoenix, presumably the HKFA decided to ditch the old 3A and 3B categories.
Traditionally, Division 3A clubs accommodate older players, notably experienced and seasoned old hands who are no longer suited to the higher divisions. These 3A clubs favour survival and prefer keeping older players instead of aiming to develop younger players.
In contrast, Division 3B clubs are "district" teams and were required to have at least seven players under 25 in their starting line-up. This arrangement is the reason why today there are district-named teams mixed up and down the soccer ladder. Shamshuipo and Southern are examples of "district" teams who managed to win promotion to the top flight. Inevitably, these clubs' young players are given a huge reality check as they struggle to survive in Division 1. Last season, it was painful to watch Shamshuipo and Hong Kong Sapling as they were both trounced and relegated.
Within six months in the job, Hong Kong coach Ernie Merrick declared that players were woefully short of physical fitness, making his point after the youth team lost all five matches at June's qualifying for the AFC U22 Championship in 2013.
Having watched Hong Kong U21 being trounced 3-0 and outwitted in three key areas - physically, technically and tactically - by Australia's U19 side on Wednesday, youth development has to be high on Merrick's agenda.
Having refereed league matches in Hong Kong and Australia, the reason for such a chasm in quality is the inadequate local programmes for youth development. The programmes here will never allow Hong Kong's youth to scale the heights of Australian youth soccer.