Hong Kong soccer is in need of investment to lift standards, boost attendances and take the game to a new level. The newly elected chairman of the Hong Kong Football Association sees the inclusion of more mainland teams in the city’s league as a good way of bringing in much-needed cash. Pui Kwan-kay said the arrival of teams from the mainland and perhaps elsewhere would generate more competition for the Hong Kong clubs. The proposal is one which has potential but would require careful management.
Local teams will be concerned that such a move would allow wealthier rivals from the mainland to dominate soccer in Hong Kong through their spending power. The only mainland team currently playing in the city’s premier league is R&F, from Guangzhou, which also has a team in the Chinese Super League. They are hotly tipped to win the
Hong Kong Premier League next season. Their budget of about HK$50 million (US$6.4 million) dwarfs that of their local rivals, including former champions Kitchee. R&F has already swooped to lure talent away from
last season’s surprise winners Wofoo Tai Po, who succeeded on a tight budget. Hong Kong’s Footballer Of The Year, Igor Sartori, has switched from Tai Po to R&F. The mainland team has also signed players from other Hong Kong clubs. The inclusion of more mainland teams in the Hong Kong league could spark greater interest in the game here. It would create more competition, inject more money, and attract better players. Certainly, something needs to be done. Hong Kong football suffers from low attendances and a lack of sponsorship. Incentives would need to be offered to attract mainland teams. But safeguards would also be required to reassure Hong Kong clubs. There would, at least, have to be rules, like those currently in place, to ensure the majority of players registered and fielded come from Hong Kong.
More mainland teams is an idea worth considering. But in the meantime, a convincing plan must be put together for the future of Hong Kong soccer. Government funding runs out in March and, if it is not renewed, the game will die. Hong Kong people have a strong appetite for soccer. There is potential in the local game. But more funding must be secured, whether from the mainland or elsewhere.
