District council will not endorse cash-strapped Wofoo Tai Po in Hong Kong football any more
- Council passes motion stating club had refused to come under its supervision
- The 2019 Premier League champions will only play in the First Division next season
Premier League defending champions Wofoo Tai Po will not be endorsed by its district council to participate in the 2020-21 season even if the cash-strapped club no longer play in the top flight.
At a Tai Po District Council meeting on Tuesday, councillors said the football club would no longer be monitored by them, passing a motion they would not be given proper team endorsement.
Council members were also disappointed there was no mechanism for them to withdraw the Tai Po Football Club’s membership at the Hong Kong Football Association, even if the club had failed to pay their players.
Since the introduction of the district football scheme in 2002, Wofoo Tai Po were the first district team to clinch the top-flight championship. After starting in the Third Division, they reached the top tier division in 2008 before being crowned champions in 2019.
Last week, it was reported Wofoo Tai Po withdrew their annual funding application of HK$800,000 from the council which would be used for youth development and promotional activities. The bulk of their expenses on the professional team, however, comes from commercial sponsorship.