Hongkongers who moved to Britain enjoy own event
Second such competition brings eight teams to Wirral in England for tournament decider
A football competition for teams made up entirely of Hongkongers living in Britain could grow into a major annual event, boosting the economy of the region where it is played, organisers have said.
Eight teams took part in the Hong Kong Cup this month, with the Sheffield Trouble Gang, featuring a number of former topflight players from the city, ultimately winning the trophy at Prenton Park, the home of League Two side Tranmere Rovers.
The club’s owner, Mark Palios, said the competition was at the vanguard of plans to regenerate the Wirral region where the team are based.
Edison Kam-lau, who formerly played for Happy Valley, and moved to the UK in 2019, was a member of the Sheffield team who beat Nottingham Merry Men on penalties to win the final in front of around 400 fans.
Most of those taking part have British National (Overseas) passports, or BN(O) visas, more than 184,000 of which have been issued since January 2021.
A number of Sheffield’s regular players were not available because of university commitments, so Kam summoned old Hong Kong friends dotted around the UK.
“We were so excited we could get together for the first time since leaving Hong Kong, and create really special memories,” Kam said. “The whole occasion was quite fancy for us … we were probably overexcited, more than nervous.
“The atmosphere was so enjoyable, coming out of a proper tunnel in front of supporters. But the best thing was bringing my two daughters to walk around the pitch afterwards.”
The clubs play in the English Hongkonger Football League, while the cup competition was the brainchild of Kyle Choi, and Aslie Tang, two players from Yellow Lion FC, in Warrington. They took the concept to Roger Hind, a senior figure at the BNOhub, which is located in Liverpool and supports Hongkongers in the UK.
When Hind approached Palios, Tranmere “rolled out the welcome mat”.
“They are agile, they can make things happen quickly, and they want more visibility in the local community,” Hind said.
For the inaugural 2023 competition, around 14 interested teams were whittled down to six. This year, 20 were narrowed down to eight, who played in qualifiers at Tranmere’s Solar Campus training ground.
A final and third-place match were staged at Prenton Park, 48 hours later.
Palios, who sees a vastly expanded tournament becoming an annual fixture, believes the competition could be a powerful vehicle for “marketing both Tranmere, and the Wirral as a receptive place for Hongkongers moving to the UK”.
He also views it as an opportunity to regenerate the Wirral, which lies across the River Mersey from Liverpool, home to two Premier League clubs.
“The area is undeveloped,” Palios said. “We want to get the message to the Hong Kong community that Wirral is the place to come, why not move somewhere that is going to develop over the next 50 years?
“Hongkongers probably don’t know much about Wirral, but it is very attractive, with a welcoming culture. And if you are new here, you might not already have an affiliation with Everton or Liverpool, so could develop an allegiance with Tranmere. Getting the message around Hong Kong that Wirral exists is a success,” Palios said.
“The cup is a focal point, and generates interest; a team gets to win silverware and celebrate with their families. I am surprised how quickly it’s grown, but football is a unifying force. With the momentum gained, it will become a regular fixture, and we are already discussing how to accommodate its growth,”
Hind said future HK Cups could be held over three weeks, with the potential for youth and under-21 versions.
Konger FC, the 2023 winners from Manchester, who have a host of former Hong Kong professionals, beat Birmingham Burgos 1-0 to finish third.
Nottingham were runners-up for the second straight year. Chris, a Nottingham player on a BN(O) visa who did not want to share his surname called it “a brilliant experience”.
“We have our own club song, generated by AI, but they played the Champions League anthem when the teams came out, which was a nice surprise,” he said.