Dennis Lee

Opinion | For Kai Tak Sports Park, is the missing piece a football home team?

Rather than worry about how to get people home after an event, Hong Kong must figure out how to attract loyal crowds to the new stadium

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Dennis Lee

Published: 9:30am, 6 Nov 2024

Kai Tak Sports Park is undeniably the most anticipated infrastructure project in Hong Kong. Ahead of its opening next year, hype has been built up around its hosting of the Hong Kong Sevens and Coldplay concerts, and the economic and social benefits to the surrounding area.

A world-class venue for sports and entertainment is long overdue, especially if Hong Kong is to live up to its brand as “Asia’s World City”. While some of us are sentimental about Hong Kong Stadium, the ageing facility in So Kon Po has never quite resolved technical issues such as the lack of noise control measures and quality of the pitch, even after an overhaul in 2015. Experts have pointed to underlying design problems that limit the wind flow and sunlight needed to maintain healthy grass. Given the dearth of suitable venues, top performers and teams haven’t chosen Hong Kong as a tour stop.

That is set to change, of course, with the iridescent Kai Tak Sports Park designed by Populous, the architecture firm behind London’s state-of-the-art Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and Las Vegas’ iconic Sphere.

I happened to be working on a small interior fit-out project in the sports park’s Kai Tak Stadium, and had a chance to see the venue recently. It did not disappoint. The 50,000-seat stadium feels intimate – spectators would feel close to the action – while the retractable roof allows matches to carry on in inclement weather. The glass facade on the southern side of the stadium is a nice touch, bringing in natural light while offering a view of Victoria Harbour. I could almost feel the electrifying atmosphere of a match day.

But can and will our spanking new stadium thrive without a home team? In the United Kingdom, where an English Premier League football club hosts 19 home games on average per season, a club stadium is able to sustain itself with sold-out games and football hospitality packages, as well as other sporting and entertainment events. Some club stadiums are also fitted with museums, merchandise shops and themed restaurants, which further contribute to revenue.

As much as Hong Kong is part of China, unfortunately, we are not part of the Chinese Super League. Instead, the local Premier League consists of district and private clubs which attract limited fan bases and low attendance at matches.

Shanghai Port players celebrate after defending their Chinese Super League title in Shanghai on November 2. Photo: Xinhua