Column | Is Hong Kong football doomed? South China’s withdrawal a kick in the teeth for local game
It’s going to take some getting used to as the Caroliners make a surprise move to abandon top-flight football, hammering another nail in the coffin for Hong Kong’s seemingly doomed local scene
South China’s decision to withdraw from the Premier League – preferring to focus on their youth policy – has driven another nail in the coffin of Hong Kong soccer, already reeling from dwindling crowds and low interest.
Since the team were founded in 1904, South China have always been at the forefront. They won a record number of trophies, lifting the Hong Kong league 41 times, the Senior Shield 31 times and were FA Cup champions 10 times.
Their red and white strip has always been a proud sight for South China fans but next season they will play in the First Division – the second-tier of the domestic game – for the first time in a century.
Former Premier League champions Eastern also experienced problems last season, giving up, at first, their participation in the AFC Champions League because they ran into “financial difficulties” only to make an unexpected return.
Eastern’s participation in the top-tier Asian club championship was largely a forgettable one – at least on the pitch – losing all but one of their matches, which was marred by fans from Eastern and Guangzhou Evergrande carrying political banners. The pressure got to their trailblazing female coach, Chan Yuen-ting, who stepped down to take up a lesser role with the club.
Crowd attendance for the past season was down 11.49 per cent compared to the previous season, meaning the average crowd was just a paltry 901 per match, although amateur clubs Hong Kong Football Club and a Guangzhou R&F youth development side helped push the figures down.