Hong Kong Stadium is the main sports venue of
Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
. Redeveloped from the old Government Stadium, it reopened as Hong Kong Stadium in March 1994. It has a maximum
seating capacity
Seating capacity is the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, in terms of both the physical space available, and limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that ...
of 40,000, including 18,260 at the main level, 3,173 at executive level, 18,510 upper-level seats and 57 seats for wheelchair users.
The stadium is located in
Causeway Bay
Causeway Bay is list of buildings, sites and areas in Hong Kong, an area and Victoria Park, Hong Kong, a bay on Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong, straddling the border of the Eastern District, Hong Kong, Eastern and the Wan Chai District, Wan Chai ...
,
Hong Kong Island
Hong Kong Island is an Islands and peninsulas of Hong Kong, island in the southern part of Hong Kong. Known colloquially and on road signs simply as Hong Kong, the island has a population of 1,289,500 and its population density is 16,390/km ...
, in valley of Caroline Hill. Most international
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
matches held in Hong Kong are held at this stadium. It is also the location for the
Hong Kong Sevens
The Hong Kong Sevens () is an rugby sevens tournament held annually in Hong Kong on a weekend in late March or early April. Considered the premier tournament on the World Rugby Sevens Series competition, the Hong Kong Sevens is currently the s ...
rugby sevens tournament. Hong Kong Stadium also hosted the
Rugby World Cup Sevens
Rugby World Cup Sevens (RWCS) is the quadrennial world championship of rugby sevens, a variant of rugby union. Organised by World Rugby, it currently consists of men's and women's tournaments, and is the highest level of competition in the sport ...
twice, in 1997 and 2005.
History
So Kon Po
So Kon Po or Sookunpo () is an area of Hong Kong Island located south of Causeway Bay and Victoria Park in Hong Kong. It neighbours Caroline Hill and Jardine's Lookout.
It contains the Hong Kong Stadium, Olympic House, and the Tung Wah Easte ...
was formerly the burial ground for the 1918 fire at
Happy Valley Racecourse
The Happy Valley Racecourse is one of the two racecourses for horse racing and is a tourist attraction in Hong Kong. It is located in Happy Valley on Hong Kong Island, surrounded by Wong Nai Chung Road and Morrison Hill Road. The capacity ...
. Then the
Hong Kong Government
The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, commonly known as the Hong Kong Government or HKSAR Government, refers to the Executive (government), executive authorities of Hong Kong Special administrative regions of China, ...
moved all the tombs to
Aberdeen
Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...
. The old Government Stadium was a U-shaped constructed by 1953 and had a capacity of 28,000 with partially covered seating.
The old Government Stadium was only partially covered, without sufficient seats or lighting systems. In the 90s, the
Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club
The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) is one of the oldest institutions in Hong Kong, having been founded in 1884. In 1959, it was granted a Royal Charter and renamed The Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club (). The institution reverted to its original name ...
proposed a reconstruction plan so that Hong Kong can have a world class sports stadium.
In 2008, 39,000 people attended the first
Bledisloe Cup
The Bledisloe Cup is an annual rugby union competition originally staged between the national teams of Australia's Wallabies and New Zealand's All Blacks that has been contested since the 1930s. The frequency that the competition is held has va ...
rugby union match between Australia and New Zealand. In 2010, 26,210 people attended the second
Bledisloe Cup
The Bledisloe Cup is an annual rugby union competition originally staged between the national teams of Australia's Wallabies and New Zealand's All Blacks that has been contested since the 1930s. The frequency that the competition is held has va ...
rugby union game at the Hong Kong Stadium.
1994 Re-construction and Wembley International
In the early 1990s, the Government Stadium was reconstructed into a 40,000-seat rectangular stadium. No running track was built due to the restricted land size. This forced the schools to look for alternative venues.
The stadium's management contract was won by Wembley International, a foreign subsidiary of
Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium (branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE for sponsorship reasons) is a football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the Wembley Stadium (1923), original Wembley Stadium, which was demolished from 200 ...
, against strong competition, in March 1994.
From the first day there have been serious problems with the pitch. The owners of the stadium, the
Urban Council
The Urban Council (UrbCo) was a municipal council in Hong Kong responsible for municipal services on Hong Kong Island and in Kowloon (including New Kowloon). These services were provided by the council's executive arm, the Urban Services ...
, were disappointed. It came under fire from local football officials, sports promoters and even
Manchester United
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...
manager
Alex Ferguson
Sir Alexander Chapman Ferguson (born 31 December 1941) is a Scottish former football manager and player, best known for managing Manchester United from 1986 to 2013. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest football managers of all time ...
, who said, before the exhibition match between Manchester United and
South China AA
South China Athletic Association (known simply as South China, SCAA, ) is a Hong Kong professional football club that competes in the Hong Kong First Division, the second-tier league in Hong Kong football league system. The club is histori ...
on 20 July 1997, "The pitch is cutting up. The surface is just sand-based and the turf doesn't hold well. Injuries can occur."
The government had hoped that the stadium could be used as a music concert venue in order to bring in more rental income. But nearby citizens complained endlessly about '
noise levels', leading to restrictions on noise levels that effectively rendered the stadium unsuitable for concerts. This reduced greatly the income levels of the stadium and the management company,
Wembley
Wembley () is a large suburbIn British English, "suburb" often refers to the secondary urban centres of a city. Wembley is not a suburb in the American sense, i.e. a single-family residential area outside of the city itself. in north-west Londo ...
, ran into financial troubles.
1998 Hong Kong government takeover
Wembley's management tenure at the stadium was abruptly terminated by the Provisional Urban Council (PUC) on 26 May 1998. PUC also asked Urban Services Department (USD) to assume temporary management of the Hong Kong Stadium and has also agreed to USD's proposals to returf the entire pitch of the Hong Kong Stadium. The fundamental issue between the parties was the care and maintenance of the stadium pitch, but also a complaint about an unauthorized
bungy jump
Bungee jumping (), also spelled bungy jumping, is an activity that involves a person jumping from a great height while connected to a large bungee cord, elastic cord. The launching pad is usually erected on a tall structure such as a building ...
by Canadian Paul G. Boyle.
In the end, the Hong Kong government was judged to have wrongfully terminated the management agreement and had to pay over HK$20million in damages to Wembley Plc.
Hong Kong Stadium is now managed by the
Leisure and Cultural Services Department
The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD), is a department in the Government of Hong Kong. It reports to the Culture, Sports & Tourism Bureau, headed by the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism. It provides leisure and cultural ...
of Hong Kong, after the
Urban Council
The Urban Council (UrbCo) was a municipal council in Hong Kong responsible for municipal services on Hong Kong Island and in Kowloon (including New Kowloon). These services were provided by the council's executive arm, the Urban Services ...
was disbanded.
Football
Hong Kong First Division League
South China
South China () is a geographical and cultural region that covers the southernmost part of China. Its precise meaning varies with context. A notable feature of South China in comparison to the rest of China is that most of its citizens are not n ...
and
Kitchee
Kitchee Sports Club (; ; ) is a Hong Kong professional football club based in Kowloon. It was founded in 1931 and currently competes in the Hong Kong Premier League.
The club has won championships in Hong Kong 11 times, including 6 Hong Kong ...
had used the sports ground as the home stadium in
2009–10 season.
Starting from
2010–11 season, only
South China
South China () is a geographical and cultural region that covers the southernmost part of China. Its precise meaning varies with context. A notable feature of South China in comparison to the rest of China is that most of its citizens are not n ...
use the Hong Kong Stadium as their home stadium.
Lunar New Year Cup
The ground has hosted matches of the
Lunar New Year Cup
The Lunar New Year Cup, previously known as the Carlsberg Challenge or the Carlsberg Cup, is an annual invitational football tournament organised in Hong Kong by the Hong Kong Football Association (HKFA) since 1908. It is usually held on the firs ...
.
Full house
The first full house official football match (i.e. non-exhibition match) at the Hong Kong Stadium was the
2009 AFC Cup semi-final second leg between
South China AA
South China Athletic Association (known simply as South China, SCAA, ) is a Hong Kong professional football club that competes in the Hong Kong First Division, the second-tier league in Hong Kong football league system. The club is histori ...
and
Kuwait SC
Kuwait Sporting Club ( ar, نادي الكويت الرياضي) is a Kuwaiti professional association football, football club based in Kuwait City. The football team has won Kuwaiti Premier League 17 times. Kuwait SC also has over 50 trophies ...
. This was added to in the same year by the
2009 East Asian Games )
, Host city = Hong Kong
, Teams participating = 9
, Athletes participating = 2,377
, Events = 262 events in 22 sports
, Opening ceremony = December 5, 2009
, Closing ceremony = December 13, 2009
, Officially opened by = State Councilor L ...
football final between
Hong Kong U23 and
Japan U23. Although there were empty seats in the stadium, all tickets were sold or distributed.
Kitchee vs Manchester City
On 24 July 2019, the Hong Kong Stadium held a club friendly match between
Premier League
The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...
champions
Manchester City
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The tw ...
and
Hong Kong Premier League
The Hong Kong Premier League () is a Hong Kong professional football league organised by the Hong Kong Football Association. It is currently sponsored by BOC Life and officially known as BOC Life Hong Kong Premier League (). The inaugural seaso ...
club
Kitchee
Kitchee Sports Club (; ; ) is a Hong Kong professional football club based in Kowloon. It was founded in 1931 and currently competes in the Hong Kong Premier League.
The club has won championships in Hong Kong 11 times, including 6 Hong Kong ...
. where Manchester City won 6–1.
Rugby
On 1 November 2008, the ground became the first stadium outside of Australia or New Zealand to host a match of the
Bledisloe Cup
The Bledisloe Cup is an annual rugby union competition originally staged between the national teams of Australia's Wallabies and New Zealand's All Blacks that has been contested since the 1930s. The frequency that the competition is held has va ...
, a rugby competition between Australia and New Zealand. New Zealand won the match, 19–14.
On 1 June 2013, the
British and Irish Lions
The British & Irish Lions is a rugby union team selected from players eligible for the national teams of England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. The Lions are a test side and most often select players who have already played for their national ...
and
Barbarian F.C.
The Barbarian Football Club, known as the Barbarians is a British-based invitational rugby union club. The Barbarians play in black and white hoops, though players wear socks from their own club strip. Membership is by invitation. As of 2011, p ...
played a rugby union match at the Hong Kong Stadium.
Hong Kong International Cricket Sixes
The ground has hosted matches of the
Hong Kong International Cricket Sixes
The Hong Kong Cricket Sixes is a Six-a-side international cricket tournament held at the Kowloon Cricket Club comprising between eight and twelve teams. Organised by Cricket Hong Kong, it is sanctioned by the International Cricket Council. The ...
since 1996 to 1997.
2009 East Asian Games
The stadium was used as the final venue for both the Rugby 7s and Football tournaments of the
2009 East Asian Games )
, Host city = Hong Kong
, Teams participating = 9
, Athletes participating = 2,377
, Events = 262 events in 22 sports
, Opening ceremony = December 5, 2009
, Closing ceremony = December 13, 2009
, Officially opened by = State Councilor L ...
. Hong Kong's rugby 7s team and football team both made the final against Japan. The rugby 7s team finished second to Japan. While the football team defeated them in front of over 31,000 spectators, including
Donald Tsang
Sir Donald Tsang Yam-kuen (; born 7 October 1944) is a former Hong Kong civil servant who served as the second Chief Executive of Hong Kong from 2005 to 2012.
Tsang joined the colonial civil service as an Executive Officer in 1967, occupyi ...
, winning the Hong Kong football team's first ever international title.
2013 muddy turf fiasco
In 2013, during the
Barclays Asia Trophy,
Sunderland
Sunderland () is a port city in Tyne and Wear, England. It is the City of Sunderland's administrative centre and in the Historic counties of England, historic county of County of Durham, Durham. The city is from Newcastle-upon-Tyne and is on t ...
manager
Paolo Di Canio
Paolo Di Canio (born 9 July 1968) is an Italian former professional footballer and manager. During his playing career he made over 500 league appearances and scored over one hundred goals as a forward. He primarily played as a deep-lying forward ...
described the pitch as "a killer", while
Manchester City
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The tw ...
centre-back
Matija Nastasić
Matija Nastasić ( sr-cyr, Матија Настасић; born 28 March 1993) is a Serbian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Spanish La Liga club Mallorca and the Serbia national team.
He began his career at Partizan, a ...
is injured on the mudheap pitch, although Nastasić's injury was caused by a kick to the ankle according to City manager
Manuel Pellegrini
Manuel Lúis Pellegrini Ripamonti (; ; born 16 September 1953) is a Chilean professional football manager and former player who is the manager of Real Betis. As a coach, he has managed teams in Spain, England, Argentina, Chile, China and Ecuador. ...
, who refused to blame the muddy pitch.
Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, commonly referred to as Tottenham () or Spurs, is a professional association football, football club based in Tottenham, London, England. It competes in the Premier League, the top flight of English footba ...
manager
André Villas-Boas
Luís André de Pina Cabral e Villas-Boas (; born 17 October 1977) is a Portuguese football manager, who most recently was the manager of Ligue 1 club Marseille. He is one of a growing number of top-level managers who have never played football ...
was also critical of the pitch after
Jan Vertonghen
Jan Bert Lieve Vertonghen (born 24 April 1987) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays for Belgian club Anderlecht and the Belgium national team. Mainly a central defender, he can also play as a left-back.
Vertonghen began his senior car ...
, a first-choice Spurs defender, incurred an ankle injury playing on the surface. "If I can be sincere, I would prefer not to play, but this is the reality that we have to face," said the Portuguese on the eve of his side's friendly against
South China AA
South China Athletic Association (known simply as South China, SCAA, ) is a Hong Kong professional football club that competes in the Hong Kong First Division, the second-tier league in Hong Kong football league system. The club is histori ...
.
Manchester United
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...
then cancelled their public training session at the stadium on Sunday amid concerns over the playing surface, did not want to further damage the playing surface or risk any injuries to their players, ahead of their exhibition match with
Kitchee SC
Kitchee Sports Club (; ; ) is a Hong Kong professional Association football, football club based in Kowloon. It was founded in 1931 and currently competes in the Hong Kong Premier League.
The club has won championships in Hong Kong 11 times, in ...
on 29 July.
On 30 July, the director of leisure and cultural services, Betty Fung Ching Suk-yee said returfing the much-criticised Hong Kong Stadium pitch is being considered, after football fans worldwide slammed the sodden, muddy surface during Barclays Asia Trophy matches on 24 and 27 July. South China FC chairman
Steven Lo
Steven Lo Kit-Sing (, born 8 June 1959) is a Hong Kong and Macanese businessman, investor, filmmaker, and philanthropist.
Born in Hong Kong, Steven Lo had his upbringing and education in Macau. After graduation from high school, he worked in ...
said in an official blog that recent matches have exposed a serious management problem. Chief Executive
Leung Chun-ying
Leung Chun-ying (; born 12 August 1954), also known as CY Leung, is a Hong Kong politician and chartered surveyor, who has served as vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference since Mar ...
said he has asked the
Home Affairs Bureau
The Home and Youth Affairs Bureau () is one of the policy bureaux of the Hong Kong Government.
One of the important roles of the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau is to enhance liaison and communication with all sectors of the community inclu ...
and the Leisure and Cultural Services Department for short, medium and long-term remedies.
In 2015, with support from the Jockey Club, the pitch was completely returfed. The existing turf and soil was removed, the irrigation and drainage systems replaced, and new turf laid.
Non-sports events
Jean-Michel Jarre
Jean-Michel André Jarre (; born 24 August 1948) is a French composer, performer and record producer. He is a pioneer in the electronic, ambient and new-age genres, and is known for organising outdoor spectacles featuring his music, accompanie ...
held a concert at the Hong Kong Stadium on 11 March 1994. It was the first event after the re-construction of the Hong Kong Stadium.
Alan Tam
Alan Tam Wing-lun MH (; born 23 August 1950) is a Hong Kong singer and actor. He played a major role in developing the Cantopop scene in the 1980s as he was known for singing romantic ballads with modern arrangements. From 1983 to 1987, Alan Tam ...
held a concert at the Hong Kong Stadium from 22 to 24 April 1994. It was the first local artist held here.
The only time the venue is used for live events is the
Extravaganza of China Olympic Gold Medallists celebration show for the
Chinese gold medallists.
Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi is an American Rock music, rock band formed in 1983 in Sayreville, New Jersey. It consists of singer Jon Bon Jovi, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, guitarist Phil X, and bassist Hugh McDonald (American musician), Hugh McD ...
played a concert at the stadium on 25 September 1993 during
I'll Sleep When I'm Dead Tour I'll may refer to
* "I'll", meaning "I will" or "I shall", a contraction (grammar)
* ''I'll'' (manga)
* "I'll", a song by Band-Maid from '' Unleash''
* "I'll", a song by Dir En Grey
Dir En Grey (stylized as DIR EN GREY and previously as Dir e ...
. It was their first concert in
Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
.
Canadian Paul G. Boyle illegally bungy jumped from the roof of the Hong Kong Stadium on the morning of Friday 24 May 1996. He was not arrested but was given a lifetime ban from all Urban Council facilities.
Future
At the 2013 Policy Address, Chief Executive
Leung Chun-ying
Leung Chun-ying (; born 12 August 1954), also known as CY Leung, is a Hong Kong politician and chartered surveyor, who has served as vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference since Mar ...
said once the
Kai Tak Stadium is operational in 2019, the Hong Kong Stadium will be turned into a 10,000 capacity district sports arena.
Facilities
Hong Kong Stadium can accommodate 40,000. The spread is as below:
* 18,256 at Main level
* 18,507 at Upper levels
* 3,153 at Executive levels
* 57 wheelchair spaces
In addition, there are many refreshment kiosks inside the stadium.
Other use
The stadium was supposed to be a
multi purpose entertainment and sports venue, due to its much greater capacity compared to the other popular and over used
Hong Kong Coliseum
Hong Kong Coliseum, commonly known as the Hung Hom Coliseum, is a multi-purpose indoor arena, in Hung Hom Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong near Hung Hom station. It is in Yau Tsim Mong District.
It was built by the Urban Council and inaugurated on 27 ...
, where nearly all uses are now strictly for popular entertainment. However, its open-air nature has led to noise complaints from residents in tower blocks surrounding the stadium. It has not been allowed to host entertainment events since 1999.
Gallery
Image: HongKongStadium_RoofSupport.jpg, Steel frame that supports the canopy
Image: HongKongStadium_EastPlatform2.jpg, East Grandstand
Image: HongKongStadium_Platform.jpg, Walkway at the Grandstand
Image:HK Happy Valley HK Stadium.jpg, Memorial plaque
Image:Hk-stadium.jpg, lawn
Image:Hong Kong Sevens Parade.jpg, ceremony
Image:WIKINEWS 2009 10 002 001.JPG, 2009
Image:07BarclaysAsiaTrophy02.jpg, 2007
File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...
, Barclays Asia Trophy
Image:HongKongStadium WestPlatform.jpg, 2006
See also
*
Hong Kong Premier League
The Hong Kong Premier League () is a Hong Kong professional football league organised by the Hong Kong Football Association. It is currently sponsored by BOC Life and officially known as BOC Life Hong Kong Premier League (). The inaugural seaso ...
*
List of national stadiums
Many countries have a national sport stadium, which typically serves as the primary or exclusive home for one or more of a country's national representative sports teams. The term is most often used in reference to an association football stadiu ...
References
External links
Official homepagePicture of old Government Stadium and Hong Kong Stadium
{{Sports venues in Hong Kong
Football venues in Hong Kong
Music venues in Hong Kong
Rugby union stadiums in Hong Kong
So Kon Po
National stadiums
AFC Asian Cup stadiums
Multi-purpose stadiums in Hong Kong
1953 establishments in Hong Kong
Sports venues completed in 1953
South China Tigers
World Rugby Sevens Series venues