Soccer is being hijacked as a political tool – and the media are to blame, says HKFA chief Mark Sutcliffe

Hong Kong’s soccer chief has claimed the game is being “hijacked as a political tool in a polarised, fractured society” after the national anthem was again booed this week at a match involving the national team.

In his blog, Mark Sutcliffe blames the media for focusing on the booing at matches instead of reporting on the action on the pitch, and claims there is now an “orchestrated anti-booing rent-a-crowd” attending matches.

“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,” said Sutcliffe, the chief executive of the Hong Kong Football Association (HKFA).

“It’s very sad that the action on the pitch is now seen by many as secondary to what is happening off it.”

Sutcliffe said the blanket newspaper coverage of Hong Kong’s Asian Cup qualifier against Lebanon on Tuesday at Hong Kong Stadium, which Lebanon won 1-0, focused on crowd behaviour “which of course just encourages more booing”.