Hong Kong football fans returned to stadiums on Saturday after a frustrating 10-month absence but overall attendance for two Sapling Cup matches showed there was still more work to do to attract crowds. On a sunny afternoon, 235 fans watched the Sapling Cup group match between Resources Capital and Kwoon Chung Southern at Yuen Long Stadium in the New Territories – the first match with fans since the Covid-19 pandemic hit Hong Kong. The response was better for the evening game at Mong Kok Stadium where 850 spectators turned up to watch Eastern Long Lions beat Happy Valley 2-0. Fans expressed relief at being able to watch a live game after so long, even though the Yeun Long attendance was sparse. “I feel very excited because it has been quite a long time since we last watched a football game here,” said one fan, surnamed Wong, at Yuen Long. “I did watch local football live through the internet when we were not allowed to come, but football is always about the atmosphere and you can’t feel it in front of the monitor. “As a keen football fan, I always hope more people can come and support Hong Kong football.” Hong Kong football fans allowed back in stadiums for weekend games The last time spectators could attend a local game was in January before the Covid-19 outbreak threw the sports calendar into disarray, interrupting the previous season twice with all matches played behind closed doors. The start of the new season was delayed until October but fans were still barred until this weekend’s games after the Hong Kong Football Association and the government agreed on opening the ticket gates if certain safety measures were implemented. These include limiting attendance to 75 per cent of capacity, no more than four people sitting together, checking temperatures at the door and providing travel history details for the previous 14 days. Wong said the process was smooth when he entered the stadium and he was able to complete the formalities in one minute, with the small crowd likely to have speeded up the process. Although Wong is not a supporter of either Resources Capital or Southern, he was impressed by the newly promoted side’s youth policy. And Resources Capital did not let him down, picking up their first point in the competition after three defeats as they held Southern to a 1-1 draw. Striker Wong Wai-kwok levelled the score for Capital Resources after Hong Kong international James Ha put Southern ahead. The 21-year-old Wong impressed the crowd by breaking through Southern’s defence several times for scoring chances including his equaliser on 18 minutes, seven minutes after Ha’s goal for Southern. Football venues still closed but local Premier League can go ahead “We have learned from the first few games and improved our defence today,” he said. “It’s a great feeling with the fans back in the stadium as they cheered for you whenever you score or came close to scoring. This is my first goal [against a top team], which will definitely boost my confidence.” Southern chairman Chan Man-chun said he expected a low turnout for the game because he felt fans would be reluctant to travel to Yeun Long during the pandemic. “This is just the beginning but hopefully it can get better as the season moves on,” he said. “But nonetheless it will be difficult for all the teams this season given the economic situation. Teams may struggle with their commercial sponsorship.”