Hong Kong Premier League club R&F’s dual status was brought into question again when a proposal that they be accepted as a voting member of the Hong Kong Football Association was rejected in a poll of existing members. At an extraordinary general meeting of the association on Tuesday night, the Guangzhou-based club failed to obtain enough votes to join the existing 47 members. Of the 22 members present, 16 voted against the recommendation by the association’s board. Of the 10 teams in the Premier League, only R&F and Lee Man are not voting members. The decision, however, will not affect their league campaign as they can continue to play as a non-voting member. Top-flight clubs Kitchee, Pegasus and Kwoon Chung Southern all voted against the recommendation. No R&F representatives attended the meeting but association chairman Pui Kwan-kay said they conducted the required procedures as “there was no prejudice against any member”. “Although it was a recommendation of the board, the members have to vote and it was their decision,” he said. “Of course, the club also has to work hard to get the support if they want to win the vote.” Any club that has played in the Premier League for three consecutive seasons without relegation can apply for a voting membership, provided the club also passes an assessment. R&F, who first entered a team in the Hong Kong league in 2016, has met that requirements. R&F also compete in the Chinese Super League through a different team which bears the same name and keep using their Yanzigang venue in Guangzhou as their home ground for the Hong Kong competition this season, as approved by the HKFA. The decision to use the Yanzigang venue has come under fire by the fans following the political tension between Hong Kong and the mainland. Members at the meeting also queried the status of R&F as the club has yet to obtain Asian Football Confederation (AFC) approval to represent Hong Kong in regional cup competitions, should they qualify. This approval should be cleared by the continental governing body before the mainland club could obtain voting membership in the Hong Kong league, the meeting heard. R&F budgeted a staggering HK$50 million this season, far more than rivals such as Kitchee, Eastern Long Lion and Pegasus, to lure players to the club. Footballer of the Year Igor Sartori left champions Wofoo Tai Po for Guangzhou this summer at a reported monthly salary of HK$300,000. The club were runners-up in the league last season and have already targeted winning all titles available this season, which could earn them a place in the regional competitions in 2021 if the approval is gained from the AFC. Meanwhile, Yvonne Tsang Wong Yuen-kee was elected a member of the board as club-linked director for the term 2015-2021. She was the only candidate for the vacancy left by Pui, who became chairman in June.
