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Nicolas Atkin

If the packed turnout to see Gary Neville at a speaking event in Hong Kong on Friday was anything to go by, Manchester United remain a hugely popular club in the city.
The former captain was here promoting his new luxury development, the W Residences Manchester, but potential buyers turned into star-struck fans as they lined up for selfies and autographs with him.
United’s mass appeal still remains strong in Hong Kong, but for how much longer is anyone’s guess, as the English Premier League giants continue to struggle on and off the pitch, while treble-winning rivals Manchester City go from strength to strength.
“There’s no doubt that Manchester City have made inroads in the last five or 10 years,” Neville told the Post during the Leap to Entrepreneurship event at Central’s Eaton Club in Champion Tower.
“When you’ve got players like Erling Haaland, Kevin De Bruyne, Phil Foden and Jack Grealish, and Pep Guardiola as the manager, you’re going to attract people to watch.

“What I would say is for all Manchester United’s difficulties, they are on another level when it comes to scale of club and international fan base and local fan base. They just need to start winning again.
“But there’s no doubt that Manchester City, Chelsea and other clubs that have had wonderful periods in this last five or 10 years where Manchester United haven’t, will have excelled in their support.
“Well done to them for that but Manchester United is rock solid in its foundations. It’s a giant club and will come back, there’s no doubt.”
Neville says ‘whole of Man Utd needs disrupting’ as Ratcliffe arrival looms
The lack of recent appearances in the city will not have helped swell United’s Hong Kong fan base, either.
United dropped plans for a preseason match last summer, meaning it has now been more than a decade since the club last played here in a 5-2 win over local giants Kitchee.
When tickets went on sale in February 2013, five months before that match, the queue at the Tom Lee Music store in Tsim Sha Tsui snaked around the block overnight.

But local officials balked at the sizeable HK$39 million (US$5 million) appearance fees demanded by some Premier League clubs in 2022, with the asking prices driven up by competition from other destinations such as the US, Australia and Singapore scaring off clubs in Hong Kong.
“It used to be that Manchester United would travel all around the world equally to make sure that all their fans were able to catch a sight of their heroes,” Neville said.
“Now I suspect it may be slightly different and they will pursue the highest dollar. Ultimately that means that some fans don’t get to see the team as often as they would like.
“So I hope they can come back to Hong Kong very quickly because I know as a team when we played, and the manager, we loved coming over here and playing, we had a fantastic time in Hong Kong.
“We had some great events to attend, we had some great nights out as well. It’s a city that really looks after Manchester United, so they should come back soon.”

Neville himself has “special memories” of Hong Kong. He first came to the city with England in 1996, alongside his brother Phil Neville, for a match against a Hong Kong Golden Select XI.
It was the first time two brothers had played for England since Bobby and Jack Charlton in 1960. They also came to the city with United as freshly minted treble winners in 1999 for a preseason match.
“Every time I come here I get so excited. Just purely when you drive over that bridge [from the airport] and you look to your right and you think ‘wow’,” Gary Neville said.
“For those who live here, you maybe take it for granted sometimes but for those who travel here and come here less frequently it’s an amazing place.
“I’ve been back many times since with Manchester United and the Class of 92, love the place. I love Asia. I always travel to Asia on holiday with my family. Very rarely go West, I always go East, because I just think the people over here are incredibly special.
“We’ve always had a great relationship with Hong Kong, Manchester United is loved over here. But we loved coming over here as well.”


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English Premier League

Gary Neville thinks Manchester United must ‘win again’ to maintain Hong Kong fan base and fend off rivals City

Fans of Manchester United during the 2013 pre-season match against Kitchee at Hong Kong Stadium. Photo: Felix Wong

Gary Neville (second right) is seeking buyers in Hong Kong for his new luxury development, the W Residences Manchester. Photo: Handout

Manchester United fan Jeff Chan Tsz-ho shows off his tickets after queuing overnight outside the Tom Lee Music store in Tsim Sha Tsui in 2013. Photo: Nora Tam

Gary Neville (right) with John O’Shea (left) and Wayne Rooney on the team bus as Manchester United leave Hong Kong International Airport after arriving for a match on their Asia Tour in July 2005. Photo: David Wong

Gary Neville says ‘whole of Manchester United needs disrupting’ as Jim Ratcliffe arrival looms

Gary Neville poses on the red carpet upon arrival to attend the Premiere of ‘Beckham’ in London on October 3, 2023. Photo: AFP

Gary Neville (second right) is seeking buyers in Hong Kong for his new luxury development, the W Residences Manchester.

INEOS chairman Jim Ratcliffe at Old Trafford in Manchester earlier this year. Photo: Reuters

Manchester United CEO Richard Arnold is set to leave the club. Photo: AP

Manchester United manager Erik Ten Hag is reportedly set to keep his job despite poor results this season. Photo: AFP

Bobby Charlton’s funeral cortege welcomed by thousands of UK football fans in Manchester

The cortege of English soccer icon Bobby Charlton passes a street lined with fans on its way to his funeral service in Manchester, England, on Monday. Photo: AP

Bobby Charlton (L) and Ray Wilson during the 1966 World Cup. Photo: via dpa

Former Man United star Gary Neville seeks buyers from Hong Kong for branded property units in Manchester

Former footballer Gary Neville is marketing to Hongkongers, flats in a 41-storey tower in Manchester that will be the first branded residences and five-star hotel in the city located in northwest England. Photo: AFP

Gary Neville’s W Residences flats have a starting price of £341,000. Photo: Handout

How meeting Manchester United legend Bobby Charlton left Hong Kong footballer Charlie Scott ‘gobsmacked’

Workers place a memorial poster to the late Sir Bobby Charlton outside Old Trafford. Photo: dpa

Charlie Scott signs his Manchester United contract in 2014, surrounded by his family, Bobby Charlton (back right) and Brian McClair (back left).

Charlie Scott (back row, second right) with his Manchester United youth teammates and Bobby Charlton. 

Sport

Football

Hong Kong

Former captain says United ‘is rock solid in its foundations, will come back no doubt’ despite rivals City growing in popularity in Hong Kong
‘For all of Manchester United’s difficulties, they are on another level when it comes to scale of club and international fan base,’ Neville says


Former captain Gary Neville says Manchester United ‘is rock solid in its foundations, will come back no doubt’ despite rivals City growing in popularity in Hong Kong.


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