The Hong Kong Premier League kicked off last weekend but several of the city’s best players were missing after Guangzhou-based R&F walked away at the end of last season, leaving them without a club and a pay packet. R&F, who are owned by R&F Properties tycoon Li Sze-lim, took the decision to pull out from Hong Kong football on October 14, just days after the 2019-20 campaign finished on October 11, having narrowly missed out on lifting a first title. That meant all of the players, including several Hong Kong internationals, were left without a club and facing financial loss as their contracts – among the most lucrative in the domestic game – would not be paid up. Several of the players took a pay-off from the club but others decided against it, instead choosing to fight for what they were owed. Jared Lum was one such player, who had the added ignominy of never actually playing for the club. Lum joined R&F midway through the Hong Kong Premier League’s Covid-19 pause so had to wait until the end of the season to register, but with R&F pulling the plug that point never came. Lum has now signed for Eastern but not all of his former teammates have been so lucky, including Matt Lam. With only eight teams in the top flight this season squad places are at a premium and budgets were allocated before R&F decided to pull out. Questions over Hong Kong football but China won’t be the answer “Less than 14 days before the start of the first game all of the team’s budgets were full,” Lum said of R&F making the call last month, two weeks before the Sapling Cup. “I was lucky to get the call. It’s been nine months and I just want to play football again,” Lum said. “We’re not asking for huge salaries. I think all the boys were aware, we know the situation with the pandemic. That’s cut the salaries. We know the situation being two weeks out, teams are full. I spoke to my wife and we can either go home [to Australia] or stay, but going home is not an option as we have to be here in person to fight the case.” Lum said the players have hired Hugill & Ip Solicitors to help them fight the case in the courts. The law firm confirmed that players have made appointments with the Labour Tribunal in late December to file a group action against the club. The first hearing will take place within one month of filing, as per the Tribunal rules. Of the club’s foreign players, 2019 Hong Kong Premier League MVP Igor Sartori was in Guangzhou quarantining, but Serge Deble and Adama Guira have returned home to their families, having decided against bringing them back for the league restart. “Some have taken deals,” Lum said, but they were “not anywhere near where we would accept, especially boys without a club”. Despite R&F being Guangzhou-based like their sister Chinese Super League side, the club was a Hong Kong company and subject to Hong Kong employment law. Hong Kong football will survive without R&F, says Eastern boss Lum said the club told the players that they had spoken to the Labour Department but the dispute now is that as the players were on a fixed-term contract – either one- or two-year deals – and there was no notice of termination, they are “due the whole thing according to Hong Kong employment law”, Lum said. “We all want as much as we can get from the club,” he added. The first step for the players is a Labour Tribunal, Lum said. “I didn’t sign up for this. I’m just a footballer. I’ve been watching [legal drama series] Suits on Netflix.” The club pulling out meant that neither the Hong Kong FA nor Fifa could help, as they ordinarily would with wage disputes. “The Australian PFA said as soon as they pulled out of the league then Fifa can’t help you,” Lum said. “That’s when we went to Hugill & Ip, they were recommended to us. ‘We do not want to lose them’: HKFA chief to urge R&F to stay “This is about contract law, the sports side of it is irrelevant,” Lum said, with the players contracts mentioning that they were entitled to full pay if the club pulled out of the league. Hugill & Ip said in a statement: “We are acting for a number of players of the club. We have written to the club on their behalf in connection with the termination of their employment and their contractual entitlements. “Under the Employment Ordinance, all due payments, including the payment of the balance of any fixed term contract periods, must be paid in full within seven days of the termination date. “Failure to pay all termination payments in a timely manner is a criminal offence. Employers and any director or manager that has consented to or connived in the failure to make timely payments can be liable to criminal prosecution, resulting in substantial fines or imprisonment. “We trust that the club will do the right thing and pays everyone what they are entitled to.” The Post has reached out to representatives from the defunct club and its parent company for comment. Hugill & Ip said they had not had a direct response from the club, despite several rounds of correspondence. Guangzhou side R&F pull out of Hong Kong ‘with immediate effect’ Lum, who signed for R&F in the summer on a two-year contract, said of the club’s decision to pull out: “I don’t think it was planned at all.” The players have collectively said they were “shocked” and it “came out of the blue”. Meanwhile, Lam, who is yet to find a club, said the players did what they could amid mounting costs for the club, in large part because they were forced to relocate to Hong Kong for the restart of the season because of the pandemic. “We understood R&F’s frustrations with the HKFA. We even put forward a proposal. We would take a pay decrease, we would restructure the bonuses and pay for the accommodation. We put forth a formal proposal on behalf of all the players. Global pandemics, social distancing, quarantine bubbles, weeks of treadmill running, signing for a club that withdraws before I can play a single minute. After this chaotic last couple of weeks I’m so FOOKEN HAPPY to put it all behind me and get back to doing what I love! pic.twitter.com/QjURFwzkEK — Jaredlum (@jaredlum22) November 19, 2020 “[With] the signing of new players, I was buoyed with confidence for the new season. In the end, this only delayed the decision to pull the team for a day or so. “It’s a struggle to be honest. The timing is not great, clubs are very full with squads,” Lam said. “Some reporters are saying we’re asking for too much money and that is completely not the case. Rosters are full, budgets are completely limited. Right now it’s a waiting game. China-based R&F pull out of Hong Kong Premier League: reports “Even looking at clubs abroad. It’s difficult. The world of football has been really struggling. It’s tough out there right now. Even getting into countries. “I’m still hopeful I’ll be able to land something sooner than later, but in the meantime I have this fight to keep busy with and keeping fit,” Lam said. “There hasn’t been much good news,” Lum added, but at least he has a club. “I might have to YouTube how to play football again.”