Decline of Men's Professional Football in Hong Kong: Global and Local Factors. Issue 1 (2nd January 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lee, Chun Wing
• Is Part Of: Asian journal of sport history & culture. Volume 1:Issue 1(2022)
• Page Start: 59
• Page End: 79
• Publication Date: 2022-01-02
• Subjects: Hong Kong -- football -- globalisation -- cultural homogenisation -- reflexive modernisation; Sports -- Asia -- History -- Periodicals; Sports -- Social aspects -- Asia -- Periodicals; Sports -- Political aspects -- Asia -- Periodicals; Sports and state -- Asia -- Periodicals; 796.095
• DOI: 10.1080/27690148.2022.2048184
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2769-0148

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Once probably the top men's football league in Asia, Hong Kong's domestic football has experienced considerable decline in public interest in recent decades. This paper is the first scholarly attempt to explain the decline in the popularity of Hong Kong's men's professional football. Through online surveys and in-depth interviews, this research contends that globalisation, in the form of increased exposure to European football in Hong Kong, is a major factor that led to the rapid decline of interest in Hong Kong football from the latter half of the 1990s onwards. However, some Hong Kong-specific factors like the instability of professional clubs and the change in parenting style may also be important. The findings of this paper also contribute to theoretical debates on the impact of globalisation including the reflexive modernisation thesis and different arguments regarding cultural globalisation.