THE $850 million Hongkong Stadium is at the centre of a bitter controversy over the way it is to be managed, with Carlsberg threatening to cancel the Chinese New Year soccer tournament and boycott the arena unless it is satisfied with the new arrangements.
At the same time, there are concerns that Wembley International, the company appointed by the council to manage the stadium, may be affected by financial difficulties being experienced by its parent company in London.
Wembley, the leisure company and world famous stadium run by Sir Brian Wolfson, was recently reported by The Sunday Times in London to be ''running deeper into crisis as it reports losses for the second year running''.
It has been claimed that Wan Chai-based Wembley International intends to take control of selling the immensely popular and luxuriously revamped patrons' boxes, possibly on a yearly season ticket basis.
This could result in sponsors Carlsberg, Hongkong Bank and Cathay Pacific being denied the option of entertaining their own guests in the boxes at the Chinese New Year soccer tournament and Rugby Sevens.
The suggestion has infuriated the Hongkong Rugby Football Union, which is vehemently opposed to Wembley having any involvement in the Sevens, even though the union and Cathay Pacific will continue to organise it.
Mr Stuart Leckie, union chairman, said: ''It's a mystery to us why Wembley has been brought in. We've tried to get a copy of the contract that has been drawn up between them and the Urban Council, but have got nothing.
