All photos by Santiago Kwok
“If you build it……he will come..” – Field of Dreams (1989)
Hong Kong had finally built ‘It’ (Kai Tak Sports Park) though would ‘They’ (Hong Kong football fans) come as a misfiring HK team faced an India team in free-fall?
The pertinent question leading up to the Hong Kong Asian Cup Group C qualifier was how large the crowd attendance would be for the HK men’s team first competitive match at Kai Tak.
The fans certainly did not turn out in their tens of thousands at Hong Kong Stadium when Hong Kong faced Nepal.
Around 6,092 came out and the HK fans made a huge noise along with the Nepalese away support though there were glaring holes in the stands.
HK fans had barely came to see 27 rounds of HKPl 2024-2025 games.
A total of 74, 011 loyal HK fans entered the turnstiles for HKPL games over the entire course of the season.
On average, 72,692 Real Madrid fans turn out at the fabled Bernabeu stadium for 2024-2025 La Liga home games.
Only 3,392 fans watched Eastern defeat Rangers in the HK FA Cup final a few weeks ago.
Manchester United used to be a hot ticket in Hong Kong and again, fans did not fill out Hong Kong Stadium.
So would the fans really flock to Kai Tak sports park?
There was, of course, a guarantee that fans groups like Chi Sin Lo & The Power of Hong Kong would be there as they are always bringing life, sound and colour to HK home and away games.
But what about the other sometimes fickle HK football fans who often have their football fill of 24/7 hour global coverage of ‘better’ football ‘products’.
Would it really be worth the time, money and effort for the ‘HK’ product?
Rumours started to fly around that the bottom tier stands were all sold out (Vs India) and that the top tier tickets would be sold. The rumours soon proved to be correct. News flew around that the game was sold out.
On the day itself, the fans came in their tens of thousands……..
A sea of red as all roads led to Kai Tak.
Some adults, wearing different generations of HK home shirts, were as wide-eyed as their accompanying children as they approached this new shiny arena.
Some barely able to contain their excitement.
Inside the stadium was a blusterous and booming roar of noise as the 42.570 certainly did not hold back.
Football Without Fans is Nothing
The momentum will build and as HK is a city of trends then expect the homes games against Singapore and Bangladesh to be hot tickets.
Hong Kong keeps evolving though ‘football’ remains a part of the fabric of society and this will continue for generations.
After the intense & rambunctious 1-0 win….the fans dispersed into the night with wonderful memories and stories to tell.
‘They’ did come and witnessed history and left with a child-like sense of wonder of all the future possibilities…..
“Ray, people will come Ray. They’ll come to Iowa for reasons they can’t even fathom. They’ll turn up your driveway not knowing for sure why they’re doing it. They’ll arrive at your door as innocent as children, longing for the past. Of course, we won’t mind if you look around, you’ll say. It’s only $20 per person.
They’ll pass over the money without even thinking about it: for it is money they have and peace they lack. And they’ll walk out to the bleachers; sit in shirt sleeves on a perfect afternoon. They’ll find they have reserved seats somewhere along one of the baselines, where they sat when they were children and cheered their heroes.
And they’ll watch the game and it’ll be as if they dipped themselves in magic waters. The memories will be so thick they’ll have to brush them away from their faces.”
Field of Dreams (1989)
All Photos by Santiago Kwok
