章節 1342: Chapter 1342: Turned the whole market upside down
The situation in the Hong Kong football world was quickly investigated.
Football in Hong Kong can be traced back to 1886, when employees of British trading companies formed the Hong Kong Football Club. It was not until 1908 that the Hong Kong First Division Football League was established.
In the early days, only foreign players participated, and the championship was monopolised by the British army and foreigners. It was not until 1923-24 that South China became the first Chinese team to win the First Division championship.
It was suspended during World War II, but then revived after the war. Over the past few decades, Hong Kong football has been very prosperous, and fans are willing to wait overnight for tickets.
At its peak, there were as many as 14 first division teams in Hong Kong, a small place with a population of a few million.
However, after entering the 1980s, Hong Kong football began to become chaotic and gradually declined.
From the twelve first division teams in 1980, until the beginning of the season in June this year, the Bulova football team announced its dissolution, leaving only nine first division teams!
At this time, the nine first division teams were Seiko, South China, Hai Feng, Happy Valley, Knights, Tung Sing, Eastern, Rangers, and Tsuen Wan.
Hong Kong football can be said to have been made and broken by capital.
In the past, Hong Kong's capitalists invested in football, so each team had the ability to bring in foreign players, ensuring the quality of the league and the excitement of the matches.
But capitalists are mostly short-sighted, only concerned about the advertising benefits, and if the players don't work, they just replace them. They don't pay attention to local youth training, and blindly know only to bring in foreign players, so that some teams can even have seven foreign players!
The disadvantages of bringing in foreign players have gradually become apparent. The influx of a large number of foreign players has not only squeezed the development space of local players, but also caused many teams to operate at a loss.
The Hong Kong Football Association vigorously reformed, but its methods were a bit radical. It successively issued the 'Foreign Player Restriction Order' and the 'Foreign Player Ban Order', and even introduced the all-Chinese team and the 'youth team' with young players as the main players. As a result, the competitive level seriously declined. The audience were not fools. The football market was no longer prosperous, and the once packed stadiums became deserted.
Under these circumstances, some backward teams could not withstand the pressure, could not see any hope for the future, and the capital withdrew one after another, dissolving the teams.
The Bulova team was dissolved for this reason.
Xia Yu still remembers that it seems the Seiko football team will also announce its dissolution in the next two years.
And according to the information here, the Seiko football team was founded by Huang Chuangshan, and the Bulova football team was established by Huang Chuanghua, who are brothers.
And the father of these two brothers happens to be a core member of the Southeast Asian consortium, the wealthy Thai businessman Huang Ziming.
The Seiko football team is currently the second-largest team in Hong Kong football, having won the league title nine times.
The undisputed number one is the oldest South China Football Team, which has won the league title a total of 19 times.
However, since 1977-78, they have not won a single league title. Over the past six years, the Jinggong Football Team has won six consecutive championships!
After reading the information, Xia Yu thought about it for a long time, and then asked someone to ask Huang Chuangshan, the chairman of the Jinggong Football Team, to come to his house.
...
Huang Chuangshan is a 34-year-old middle-aged man. As the third son of Huang Ziming, one of Thailand's top businessmen, and the man who single-handedly built the prestigious Seiko Football Team, Huang Chuangshan has a high status in society.
However, when he arrived at Xia Yu's house, he lowered his stance, and although he was older than Xia Yu, he treated himself as a junior.
There was no choice. After receiving Xia Yu's invitation, Huang Chongshan was shocked, and he hurriedly consulted his father Huang Zi Ming. After being told off by his father, he came to Xia Yu's house with a worried heart.
'Hello, Mr. Xia, I am Huang Chongshan. My father asked me to say hello to you!'
When he entered the door, Huang Chongshan personally carried two bags of high-quality fruit in each hand, as his father had taught him. Xia Yu didn't lack anything, and he wasn't sure if he would use the gifts anyway, so he simply brought fruit, which Xia Yu's family would eat anyway, and it was considered to be a token of respect.
'Mr. Huang, please come in. I have received your father's greetings, and I will thank him in person next time.'
Xia Yu did not put on airs, and smiled as he invited Huang Chongshan to come in.
'Mr. Huang, please make yourself at home. Would you like some tea or coffee?'
'Tea is fine, thank you!'
'Okay, tea will have to wait a little while. Let's have some fruit and snacks first.'
After a few kind words and a smile, Xia Yu could see that Huang Chuangshan was still a little uncomfortable, so he couldn't help but simply get straight to the point.
'Mr. Huang, the main reason I asked you to come over this time is to talk to you about Hong Kong football.'
As soon as he heard about the football he was so proud of, Huang Chongshan's heart softened, and the feeling of constraint disappeared instantly. He sat up straight and said sincerely, 'Please go ahead, Mr Xia, I will tell you everything and answer any questions you may have.'
Xia Yu smiled faintly and said, 'Good, I've heard that there are currently many problems in the Hong Kong football world, and there are quite a lot of internal conflicts.'
'I'd like to hear your opinion.'
Huang Chuangsan's spirits lifted, and he associated it with something deeper, with a faint excitement in his heart.
He realised that this was an opportunity to bring about great changes in the Hong Kong football world!
He had already made many suggestions regarding the problems in the Hong Kong football world, but due to various reasons, he had little say, and was unable to promote certain things.
But if the big man in front of him was willing to take action, then the Hong Kong Football Association would have to comply.
He took a deep breath, sorted out his thoughts, and then respectfully said, 'Mr Xia, I do have some opinions of my own. Please forgive me if I say the wrong thing, as I am only a humble man.'
'Go ahead, today is just for communication, so speak freely,' Xia Yu said with a smile, once again reducing Huang Chuangshan's psychological pressure.
Huang Chongshan spoke eloquently: 'Mr Xia, the football world in Hong Kong is indeed at a critical juncture!'
'I admit that the Hong Kong Football Association's restrictions and bans have had a huge impact on our teams, to the extent that my second brother disbanded the Bulova football team.'
'The Football Association's intentions are good, even if it has affected the interests of the Seiko football team, but the Football Association has gone too far.'
'The Hong Kong football world is currently unable to ultimately achieve an all-Chinese team while ensuring competitive standards, because there is a shortage of young talent in the Hong Kong football world. What the Football Association should do most is to make every effort to build a youth training system and reform step by step.'
'Building youth training requires a lot of investment, but I am prepared to do it. However, other conservative teams are unwilling to do so, and they just want to drive us out of business. They want to restrict the entry of foreign players and reduce the salary levels of local players to below the average. This is absolutely not acceptable. Players' salaries cannot support their families, and this will definitely provide room for gambling and match-fixing, and players also have to make a living!'
'I prefer to increase income to reduce expenditure. This way, the Hong Kong football market will become bigger and bigger, and Hong Kong football will become more and more prosperous.'
'The Hong Kong Football Association wants to maintain the soil of Hong Kong football, and I support this too, but we cannot give up competitive standards for this reason. This is the biggest mistake. Without exciting matches, we cannot attract enough fans, and in the end, Hong Kong football will only decline.'
'I have some ideas about this. I think we can introduce a policy to limit the number of foreign players on each team, to ensure competitive standards while also providing room for growth for Hong Kong local players, and to continuously improve their standards.'
'As for the conservative teams, I think they think it's a big expense. I think all teams can do what our Seiko football team does. Either the football team takes a commercial sponsor as the team name, or adds the sponsor's name. With big capital behind them, they naturally have the money to build the entire team system.'
'It's just that the current structure of the Hong Kong Football First Division League is difficult to change, and there are significant drawbacks. The most obvious ones are stadium safety issues and the spate of large-scale football hooliganism disrupting public order.'
'Most teams don't have their own stadium, and they rent the Hong Kong Stadium and Mong Kok Stadium for their matches. However, the police stopped renting out the Mong Kok Stadium in the 1980s.'
'Apart from the Hong Kong Stadium, the remaining stadiums are all small, with a capacity of between 800 and 1,000 people. Fans often have to climb over walls to watch the matches, which poses a security risk.'
'But the major football teams don't have enough capital to own their own stadiums, and the current operating system also makes it difficult to attract large amounts of capital. So I think it would be best to create a league above the Hong Kong First Division League, and establish a new foundation to create an even bigger league.'
'Mr Xia, I'm sorry, I've spoken at length.'
After saying this, Huang Chuanshan looked apologetic, but still felt that he had not said everything.
Xia Yu smiled and said, 'Very well said, incisive and comprehensive, and you have given me a lot of the information I need, thank you!'
Huang Chongshan said humbly, 'You're too kind, Mr Xia. It's my honour to be of use!'
Xia Yu took a sip of tea and said to Huang Chongshan, 'The football in Xiangjiang must not only have a competitive level, but also be able to cultivate local players. Your thinking is correct, and the Seiko football team is operating very well.'
'A prosperous football market can only raise a high-level team. Perhaps before long, we will have to compete on the same stage, and we will have to learn from the Seiko football team.'
Huang Chuangshan was both surprised and delighted, and said hurriedly, 'Mr Xia, your entry into the football world is a blessing for the Hong Kong football world. I have only achieved trivial results, which are really not worth mentioning.'
'Haha...'
'For the time being, don't tell anyone yet. I still have some things to think about,' Xia Yu laughed and then instructed Huang Chuangshan.
'Please be assured, I will keep my mouth shut,'
Huang Chuangshan replied hurriedly.
...
Two days later.
A yacht was anchored on the azure sea. Xia Yu, Bao Yugang and Huo Yingdong each took a fishing rod and were happily fishing on the deck of the yacht.
'Yu, it's still a big deal outside because of Wheelock, but you're here fishing with us. If this gets out, it'll definitely surprise a lot of people,'
Huo Yingdong said teasingly to Xia Yu as they all chatted idly on the boat, fishing being too boring to do on its own.
'It's just a trivial Wheelock & Company, it can't make a big splash, why waste so much energy? It's better to do something meaningful.'
Xia Yu laughed lightly and said casually.
Huo Yingdong was suddenly overwhelmed with emotion, and said to Bao Yugang next to him, 'Lao Bao, listen to this tone of voice. A consortium with ten billion Hong Kong dollars only deserves the triviality in Ah Yu's mouth. When will we be able to be so domineering like this?'
'Yes, we two can't compare with Ah Yu. As soon as he announced his reputation as the terminator of British consortia, Wheelock couldn't wait to get away.'
Bao Yugang and Huo Yingdong sang in unison, teasing Xia Yu.
Xia Yu shook his head helplessly. He didn't know when it started, but Bao Yugang and Huo Yingdong increasingly liked teasing him.
But this was also a manifestation of the good relationship between the three of them.
'Hey, he's biting!'
'It looks big.'
Just then, Xia Yu noticed that the float was sinking rapidly. After he finished speaking, he hurriedly began to pull the line.
Bao Yugang and Huo Yingdong stopped teasing and watched Xia Yu reel in the fish, speculating.
'Judging from the curvature, it must weigh at least 20 catties. I just don't know if it's a grouper.'
'I think it weighs more than 20 catties, at least 30 catties!'
...
After a long struggle, the fish finally came up. Sure enough, it was a big fish. Finally, with the help of the bodyguards, the fish was caught. It was a 34-catty grouper.
The fish that was caught was immediately taken by the chef to be cooked, and Xia Yu and the other two continued fishing.
At this time, a new topic was brought up, and it was Xia Yu who brought it up.
'Lao Huo, you are now an executive member of FIFA, right? How influential are you in the Hong Kong Football Association?'
The sudden topic of football made Huo Yingdong and Bao Yugang both a little puzzled.
But Huo Yingdong still said honestly, 'I am still an executive member of FIFA, and I only hold the honorary position of president of the Hong Kong Football Association. I usually don't interfere with the work of the Association. To be honest, if anything were to happen, they would have to give me face and I would have a lot of say.'
'Ah Yu, why are you talking about this? Are you interested in football?'
'Yes, I am, but I'm mainly thinking about the spiritual and cultural development of the people of Hong Kong.'
Xia Yu didn't beat around the bush and nodded in acknowledgement.
'I learned from the news the other day that the Asian Football Confederation intends to restart the AFC Champions League next year. Football is the world's number one sport, and this is a good stage. As Hong Kong's economic hard power goes up, its cultural soft power has to go up as well.'
'I don't want to hear people making fun of the Chinese for not being able to play football and for not having a good team in the future. After all, we are the ancestors who invented football.'
'The day before yesterday, I went to see Wong Chong-san, the third son of Wong Chi-ming, who runs the Seiko football team, to find out more. After thinking about it for the past two days, I have come to the conclusion that I have to do something.'
'If I didn't know, I would just let it go, but I can't just stand by and watch the Hong Kong Football Association ruin Hong Kong football!'
This last sentence directly expressed his own opinion, and he was certain that the Hong Kong Football Association was doing something wrong.
Huo Yingdong and Bao Yugang looked at each other. Bao Yugang did not know much about football, so he did not venture to express an opinion.
The key still lay with Huo Yingdong, because he had liked playing football since he was a child. Football in Xiangjiang had developed so quickly in the past, and he had contributed a lot, otherwise he would not be the honorary president of the Xiangjiang Football Association.
Huo Yingdong had always been committed to promoting sports and enhancing cultural soft power in Xiangjiang.
Now it was clear that Xia Yu wanted to interfere in the Xiangjiang football world, and it was worth his while to be very cautious.
He knew very well that Xia Yu could simply go down to the pitch without asking him, and the entire Hong Kong football world would be turned upside down.
He fell into deep thought, and the major events that had happened in Hong Kong football over the years came back to him. After a long while, he said, 'Ah Yu, are you saying that the Hong Kong Football Association's measures such as the ban on foreign players and the promotion of all-Chinese teams were wrong?'
Xia Yu said slowly, 'Not that they were completely wrong, but they were too radical. The sport of football is a team sport, and it needs to communicate with the outside world and keep up with the times...'
Xia Yu explained his views at length. Only a small part of these views were Huang Chuangshan's, while the vast majority were his own conclusions based on the situation in the future.
For example, the prosperity of the football market must be driven by strong capital.
For example, in order to vigorously combat football-related security incidents, in addition to increasing the severity of punishment and improving the standard of guidance and education, it is most important to properly construct stadium facilities.
For example, in order to create a comprehensive youth training system, it is also necessary to provide basic ideological education, so that players can develop a positive outlook on life from an early age.
Another example is starting from scratch and creating the Xiangjiang Football Super League to make the football pie bigger.
And so on.
As Xia Yu was talking, Huo Yingdong and Bao Yugang both fell into deep thought.
'Yu, I always thought you didn't know anything about football, but you've taught me a lesson today!'
'I agree with all your points. The Xiangjiang football world really needs to change. If we let them mess around, the consequences will be disastrous, and it will be too late to regret it!'
'I can't help but form a team and personally promote reform of the Hong Kong football scene.'
Huo Yingdong was full of emotion, but his gaze was unusually sharp.
Xia Yu immediately said, 'Lao Huo, let me say this first, I want the South China football team, and I will also buy the entire South China Athletic Association. I have already thought of a name for the new football team: South China Tiangong Football Team.'
Fok Ying Tung shook his head and laughed, 'Ah Yu, you are still more astute. A dead camel is still bigger than a horse. Although South China Football Club has not won the championship for six years, it has the most followers and has some foundation.'
'I won't compete with you. I will buy a team and compete with you on the same stage.'
Bao Yugang finally said, 'How can I miss out on such an interesting thing? I will also buy a team and call it Lufeng Football Club.'
'Haha...'
'Next year, we must make the Hong Kong Football Super League a reality. When that happens, the three of us will be competing, and the Hong Kong football scene will have to change, whether it wants to or not.'
'By the way, the football venues in Hong Kong are terrible. The biggest stadium, Hong Kong Stadium, is not only used for football, but also for other sports. We shouldn't take up other public resources.'
'I'm thinking of rebuilding a football stadium in the Southern District of Hong Kong Island that can accommodate at least 50,000 people. It's just that the area near Zi Gang Bridge was originally a dairy farm, and it's all my land.'
After Xia Yu finished speaking, Bao Yugang continued, 'Ah Yu, why don't you give me a share of the stadium, and my team can also go in.'
'No problem.'
Xia Yu agreed without hesitation, then looked at Huo Yingdong.
Huo Yingdong thought about it for a while and shook his head, saying, 'I'll pass. It's almost enough for one stadium to accommodate two teams. It's not convenient to have an extra team, so I'll go buy the Mong Kok Stadium from the Hong Kong government and renovate it.'
Mong Kok Stadium is second only to Hong Kong Stadium, and was formerly known as the Army Stadium.
'Okay, we have a deal then.'
'I'll get started when I get back.'
...
After returning, Xia Yu, who was the best prepared, was the first to get started.
He spent a direct 340 million Hong Kong dollars to buy the South China Athletic Association, the most powerful and influential sports organisation in Hong Kong. The reason it was so expensive was that the South China Athletic Association had a lot of fixed assets, including major sports venues and clubs.
The South China Athletic Association has 25 sports departments, including basketball, billiards, golf, swimming, etc., and the football department is just one of them.
The Tiangong Group acquired the South China Athletic Association and renamed the South China football team the South China Tiangong football team, directly announcing that it would build a new 50,000-capacity football stadium in the Southern District of Hong Kong Island, investing more than 100 million Hong Kong dollars.
The entire Hong Kong sports world was shaken by this, and Huang Chuangshan of the Seiko football team sighed that the big guy is the big guy, and he really made an extraordinary move.
Shortly afterwards, the Hong Kong Huo's Group acquired Happy Garden Football Club and renamed it Kong Wing Football Club.
Then, just one day later, Luk Fung International acquired Oriental Football Club and renamed it Luk Fung Football Club.
A series of intense news broke, and the media's attention was focused on Hong Kong football. The Hong Kong Football Association was under the most pressure and hurriedly sought out Huo Yingdong.
The major capital bosses were also looking for news everywhere, but one thing was certain: Hong Kong's football market was about to explode!
The curtain of reform in the Hong Kong football world is rapidly being pulled open.
At this time, the outcome of the battle over Wheelock Shipping Company has finally been decided.
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