Mongkok Retailer looks to stay ahead of the field

Hong Kong's first store selling official European soccer club merchandise and memorabilia opened last week in another sign of the city's growing passion for the beautiful game.

Rather than offering the official club jerseys now sold in sports shops around Hong Kong, the new 1,800 sq ft store called Free Kick has official key rings, mugs and travel bags carrying the crests of top English and European sides.

The shop in Ginza Plaza, Mongkok, boasts that the merchandise it offers - including branded items from Manchester United, Arsenal, Real Madrid, Juventus and Ajax - is normally only available in club stores or on official websites. Its range includes autographed team strips.

The shop opened last Thursday and replaces an old store of the same name that specialised in team strips but found the market becoming saturated with outlets all selling the same thing.

'There are at least 10 live European matches a week broadcast on television in Hong Kong and China,' said Angus Wong Man-lung, chief executive officer of World Team which runs the store. He said Free Kick was also targeting mainland visitors.

'All the top European clubs are eyeing the Asian market,' he said.