Hong Kong Stadium is the main sports venue ofHong Kong. Redeveloped from the originalGovernment Stadium, it reopened as Hong Kong Stadium in March 1994. It has a maximumseating capacity 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 old Government Stadium was only partially covered, without sufficient seats or lighting systems. In the 90s, theRoyal Hong Kong Jockey Club proposed a reconstruction plan so that Hong Kong can have a world class sports stadium.[citation needed]
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 ofWembley Stadium, against strong competition, in March 1994.
From the first day there have been serious problems with the pitch. The owners of the stadium, theUrban Council, were disappointed.[4] It came under fire from local football officials, sports promoters and evenManchester United managerAlex Ferguson, who said, before the exhibition match between Manchester United andSouth China AA 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."[5]
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, ran into financial troubles.
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 return the entire pitch of the Hong Kong Stadium.[6] The fundamental issue between the parties was the care and maintenance of the stadium pitch, but also a complaint about an unauthorizedbungy jump 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$20 million in damages to Wembley Plc.[7]
The first full house official football match (i.e. non-exhibition match) at the Hong Kong Stadium was the2009 AFC Cup semi-final second leg betweenSouth China AA andKuwait SC.[8] This was added to in the same year by the2009 East Asian Games football final betweenHong Kong U23 andJapan U23. Although there were empty seats in the stadium, all tickets were sold or distributed.[9]
Luis Figo scored the first goal for Real Madrid from the penalty spot afterRoberto Carlos was brought down in the area during the pre-season friendly match against Hong Kong select XI at the Hong Kong Stadium on 8 August 2003. Real Madrid won the match 4–2.[16]
From 1982 to 2024, the annualHong Kong Sevens tournament was hosted at Hong Kong Stadium. The stadium has also hosted theRugby World Cup Sevens twice, in 1997 and 2005.
The stadium was used as the final venue for both the Rugby 7s and Football tournaments of the2009 East Asian Games. 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, includingDonald Tsang, winning the Hong Kong football team's first ever international medal.
In 2013, during theBarclays Asia Trophy,Sunderland managerPaolo Di Canio described the pitch as "a killer", whileManchester City centre-backMatija Nastasić is injured on the mudheap pitch, although Nastasić's injury was caused by a kick to the ankle according to City managerManuel Pellegrini, who refused to blame the muddy pitch.Tottenham Hotspur managerAndré Villas-Boas was also critical of the pitch afterJan Vertonghen, 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 againstSouth China AA.[67]Manchester United 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 withKitchee SC on 29 July.[68]
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 chairmanSteven Lo said in an official blog that recent matches have exposed a serious management problem. Chief ExecutiveLeung Chun-ying said he has asked theHome Affairs Bureau and the Leisure and Cultural Services Department for short, medium and long-term remedies.[69]
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.[70]
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.[72]
The stadium was supposed to be amulti purpose entertainment and sports venue, due to its much greater capacity compared to the other popular and over usedHong Kong Coliseum, 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.
