THE Hong Kong Football Association, not known for their positive thinking, have excelled themselves in turning down the chance to host AC Milan at the Hong Kong Stadium in June. At a council meeting last Tuesday, the FA decided to end the season on Sunday, May 22 with their 80th anniversary match between the Hong Kong League XI and English FA Cup finalists Chelsea. The fact that Milan, Serie A champions for the third successive season in a haul of 14 titles in all, had already signed a contract with a Hong Kong sports promoter to play one match in the territory on an end-of-season tour was not enough to convince the FA that such a game was feasible. So Hong Kong football fans, who have supported the game so patiently and loyally at Mongkok Stadium for the past couple of seasons, will be denied the chance to watch Milan after the FA refused to sanction a proposed game at the new stadium. Milan will now change their schedule and visit Indonesia, Malaysia and possibly Singapore on their way to China, where they will play three matches instead of two. Although they will still have to visit Hong Kong, they will not be unpacking those famous red and black shirts - a disgraceful state of affairs. The FA's decision was laughable but not totally unexpected as they had never appeared comfortable with the proposal put forward by Hong Kong sports promoter Brian Catton. After several rounds of talks, the FA had indicated to Catton that they were not prepared to host Milan officially but would be prepared to sanction a match provided the promoter organised everything, including the opposition. So Catton went about assembling a Hong Kong representative side, offering to pay each player $15,000 in appearance money and bolstering the team with Australian goalkeeper Mark Bosnich (Aston Villa) and England internationals Gary Pallister (Manchester United) and Ian Wright (Arsenal). On top of this, the FA would have been guaranteed a minimum of $400,000 from the gate receipts - but that amount would have been nearer $700,000 if the anticipated attendance in the budget (29,000) had been reached. One concern for the FA was the strength of the Milan squad, bearing in mind that nine of their players - defenders Tassotti, Costacurta, Baresi, Maldini and Panucci, midfielders Albertini, Eranio and Donadoni and striker Massaro - had been included in Italy's provisional World Cup squad of 31 players. The list sent by Milan to Hong Kong, however, still included goalkeeper Rossi and forwards Lentini and Simone, plus five foreign players in Desailly, Boban, Savicevic, Papin and Brian Laudrup . . . not a bad line-up, you must admit. Not good enough for the FA council, however, and in their wisdom they decided not only to turn down the offer of an official match but also to refuse to sanction any game whatsoever. So, on behalf of the many thousands of football supporters in Hong Kong, may I say a big ''Thank You'' to the Hong Kong FA for depriving us of the chance to see such a famous club play in our new sports stadium.
