It’s understandable that Hong Kong Football Association chief Mark Sutcliffe is rather miffed about the whole thing.

“Our beloved game is being hijacked (to the obvious delight of the media) as a political tool by both sides in a polarised, fractured society,” he wrote in his blog on Friday. “It’s very sad that the action on the pitch is now seen by many as secondary to what is happening off it.”

Sutcliffe also noted a trend involving an “orchestrated anti-booing rent-a-crowd – people are apparently paid to come and oppose those who are booing”.

Hong Kong national anthem law to punish only those who deliberately disrespect it, Carrie Lam says

He took a swipe at the media as well for providing a platform for political grandstanding, noting that newspapers had “stopped reporting on the football and are solely interested in the crowd behaviour before the match, which, of course, just encourages more booing”.

“It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy, which I am sure the media knows and relishes,” he wrote.

As a news editor guilty of driving such coverage, I have to admit he has a point, although he should also understand there are bigger issues at stake here than just kicking a ball around the pitch. It goes far beyond spoiling the fun for genuine soccer fans – it’s a trolling challenge to the “comprehensive jurisdiction” that Beijing is asserting over the city in response to the alarming level of contempt towards the sovereign nation coming from some quarters here.

National anthem law won’t cover all scenarios, Hong Kong justice chief says

Let’s be realistic, looking at the gangs of anthem anarchists in the spectator stands. Do Beijing loyalists seriously expect scores of them to be arrested and prosecuted once the new law comes into effect?

Apart from the daunting legal logistics of identifying and proving a case against each culprit in court, do we really want to create another, bigger batch of self-styled martyrs for democracy with mass incarcerations?

Watch: how well do Hongkongers know their national anthem?

Here’s the thing to keep in mind about Hongkongers: they consider their civil liberties to be sacrosanct and will react badly to any perceived encroachment from across the border into their personal freedoms.

You misinform them that they’ll have to drop their fishball noodles and spring to attention if they hear the national anthem go off at the local dai pai dong, of course there’ll be a backlash.

Explainer: Hong Kong’s to-do list now that it must pass a national anthem law locally

At the end of the day, you can’t make people wear patriotism on their sleeves. You can’t instil a genuine sense of flag-waving pride in the country and anthem-saluting love for the motherland through force. It has to be earned.

Watch: five reasons China’s national anthem is the saddest ever

May cooler minds prevail in this atmosphere of alarm, where immovable objects clash against unstoppable forces as we stare anthem Armageddon in the face.

Yonden Lhatoo is the chief news editor at the Post