How far would fans travel to watch Hong Kong play football?
From viewing Hong Kong’s away game in Liechtenstein then the answer would be….from all corners of the world.
From all accounts, Mong Kok stadium temporarily shifted to Europe when the two sides met and it would be interesting to see what local Liechtenstein residents thought of this sudden influx of HK football fans.
The beauty of international football are some of the fascinating fixtures which can arise.
Football can transcend borders and unite and the mere mention of Liechtenstein versus Hong Kong was both fascinating and bizarre though in a positive sense; there would be little to no other sporting avenues in which Hong Kong could face off against Liechtenstein.
Once the Hong Kong away game in Liechtenstein was announced, hardcore Hong Kong football fans such as Joshua Rodrigues (and his friend, Niklas Fung) knew that this was a once in a lifetime opportunity not to pass up.
This historical nature of the game would mark the first time Hong Kong would play a competitive match in Europe.
Rodrigues is now based in Valencia in Spain for his studies yet keeps in contact with Hong Kong football via all the live streams which show Hong Kong games and continental football.
Rodrigues kindly took time out of his volunteer efforts around Valencia after the recent flooding which occurred there, to share about his experiences following Hong Kong on an ultimate away game.
Rodrigues ended up making it a trip to remember as they traversed various countries to end up in Liechtenstein.
“As soon as I heard about the match I knew I couldn’t pass up this opportunity. If I remember correctly, the match was announced in late May or early June, which was right before my university finals.
I spent 2 days planning the trip instead of studying, first by myself, and then asking my close friends from HK if they were down for an away trip. In the end only 1 could make it because he also lives in Europe.
Our trip included 5 countries in 8 days, it was crazy but definitely worth it. In the end this was a once in a lifetime opportunity to see the HK team in Europe and there was no way I was going to miss it!”
All roads lead to the Rheinpark Stadion and all methods of transportation were a go! It was planes, trains and automobiles!
“It was very exciting to see so many Hong Kongers in Liechtenstein , (almost) all wearing red. We started seeing match going fans around midday, and it was nice to hear Cantonese being spoken in central Europe. Me and my friend and I arrived at the stadium around an hour before kickoff, and most of the away fans were already there.
We could hear the drums and chants from a long way away as we walked to the stadium, and it only got better once we entered. I sat in the 3rd row, right next to the chant leaders, and our 300+ plus fans sang the entire game without fail, even after full time for a good 5 minutes. It was definitely one of the best experiences I’ve had as a fan.”
Rodrigues seemed to grasp the historical nature of the game and could not seem to believe he was watching Hong Kong play on European soil.
“Since I’ve moved to Spain I’ve tried my best to watch Hong Kong matches live when I can, but never in my life did I think I’d see Hong Kong playing in Europe, let alone in such a beautiful country. The result was a disappointment but the vibes were beautiful!”
All football fans have a starting point where the beautiful game goes beyond watching mere games to a point where it becomes part and parcel of life.
A new breed of Hong Kong football fans have risen and everyone has a starting point where a passing interest turns into fully fledged fan support.
Ironically it was a positive Lionel Messi experience where he first watched the Hong Kong team.
The true turning point was the Hong Kong home world cup 2018 Asian qualifiers at Mong Kok stadium.
Each home match was a grand occasion and the fervor amongst the fans was incredible.
“My first HK team match was against Argentina in 2014, but I’d say the moment that really made me a diehard fan was the world cup qualification campaign in 2015, especially the matches against China.
I watched all the matches either at the stadium, or at public viewing events, or with friends. The player from that time that quickly became our favourite player by far was Jaimes McKee.
Over the years me and my friends have gotten a few photos with him at matches. Hong Kong football definitely has an approachable attitude about it that makes it easy to become a fan.”
Like many long term football observers, Rodrigues, has some ideas on how the domestic game in HK can improve.
Street football is now rare as the game moves towards more ‘organized’ and less organic and natural forms of the game. The ‘game’ is ‘drilled’ into young players and it is often forgotten that iconic players like Zidane and Maradona honed their skills on the streets.
“In my opinion it has to start from the grassroots. I grew up playing football on concrete 5-a-side pitches near my school and home, and I think local kids would benefit a lot from having access to grass pitches without having to pay or book in advance.
Here in Spain, kids play football everywhere they can, in the streets, on small cage pitches, etc, but they also have the option of just walking to a small stadium with a grass pitch for free and play there whenever they want.
More and more Hong Kong players now play in the Chinese super league and league 1 and this can only benefit their development.
“I also think it’s a really good sign that a lot of HK players are playing across the border, it will definitely give them more opportunities at a higher level than the HKPL, which I see as suffering from a lack of consistency and funding.”
Devoted football fans often will travel over ‘Land & Sea’ to see their teams and it is wonderful that this new generation of HK fans are willing to do so as well…….It is a love supreme.
Home is where you make it.
Hong Kong played in Europe and HK fans flocked there and for a brief moment, a small part of Liechtenstein was forever Home Kong.
All photos from Joshua Rodrigues
