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Cliff Buddle

A famous English football club playing in Hong Kong is always a special occasion for the city’s fans, who rarely get to watch their heroes perform live.
Manchester United, arguably the biggest team in the world, are usually one of the most eagerly anticipated visitors.
But they arrived in the city last week under a cloud, at the end of their worst top-flight season in half a century, languishing in 15th place in the English Premier League.
United secured victory on Friday, beating a battling Hong Kong select XI 3-1. But the postseason Asian tour has raised questions.
The whistle-stop trip at the end of a gruelling season has been criticised amid concerns about the welfare of players facing a punishing schedule. One former footballer described it as “mad” and a British radio pundit branded the tour “utterly ridiculous”.
Hong Kong supporters, meanwhile, still smarting from the notorious non-appearance of revered superstar Lionel Messi in the city last year, might question whether they received value for money. Ticket prices ranged from HK$1,390 to HK$2,990, significantly higher than the sum I paid to watch United play Arsenal in the premier league.
Asian fans welcome any opportunity to see their teams play in the flesh. They almost expect to be exploited and put up with inflated prices for matches which are, in footballing terms, almost meaningless.
But there are limits. Manchester United have long been one of the most popular teams in Asia. But support depends on success. The absence of three top players, who were shipped off to India for a sponsor’s meet-and-greet instead, doesn’t help.
The attendance at Hong Kong Stadium was only 33,038, well short of the 40,000 capacity. There were many gaps in the more expensive seats and reports of tickets selling at half price on the black market. United manager Ruben Amorim urged the club’s supporters to turn up in force. More would have attended if ticket prices were reasonably priced.
The game itself was never going to be a full-blooded affair. Hong Kong coach Ashley Westwood rightly described it as an exhibition match.
United could hardly have faced more accommodating opponents. Westwood said the Hong Kong team would treat the game as a training session and help United “put on a show for the fans”. The local players have much more important matches ahead.
So this was very much “a friendly”. But United desperately needed a win.
Their tour had begun with a humiliating 1-0 loss to an Asean All-Stars team in Malaysia. That match was not a sell-out either and there were even boos for United from some fans.
Amorim must have feared the worst when Hong Kong also took a surprise lead. The Manchester Evening News live blog broke the conceding of the goal to its readers with the words: “And, of course, United go behind …”
Hong Kong’s players deserve credit for a resilient defensive performance. They managed to stay at least on level terms until eight minutes from the end. This will give the team encouragement ahead of a crucial Asian Cup qualifier against India next month. Supporters should pack Kai Tak Stadium for that one.
United’s tour was billed as a “thank you” to their Asian fans. But everyone knows it is about raising revenue, with the club receiving almost £8 million (HK$84.5 million).
Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham and Italian giants AC Milan will play in Hong Kong in July. Tickets sold out within hours. The timing of those games will make them more meaningful, as they will be part of the visiting teams’ preparations for the new season.
The top clubs have a duty to respect Asian fans and to repay their loyalty by giving value for money, not taking their support for granted.
United’s Hong Kong fans revelled in the opportunity to see the stars perform. Amorim said it would be “so much fun” to return after a more successful season. This is a dream their supporters in the city hope will come true.


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Hong Kong fans cheer for Manchester United at Hong Kong Stadium. Photo: Elson Li

Opinion

Hong Kong Opinion

The visiting teams have a duty to respect and not take for granted their supporters who welcome any opportunity to see them play in the flesh


The visiting teams have a duty to respect and not take for granted their supporters who welcome any opportunity to see them play in the flesh.


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Expresses the views, ideas and conclusions of the author. (Eg. Enough of Crazy Rich Asians, think of crazy poor Hongkongers.)


Column

My Take

Top football clubs need to repay Asian fans with value for money

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The visiting teams have a duty to respect and not take for granted their supporters who welcome any opportunity to see them play in the flesh

The visiting teams have a duty to respect and not take for granted their supporters who welcome any opportunity to see them play in the flesh