Hong Kong Premier League newcomers Supreme Sha Tin unveil squad, appoint COLLAR members as ambassadors
SingTao · 1 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Supreme Sha Tin, newly promoted to the Hong Kong Premier League for the 2024-25 season, held a pre-season press conference at the Sha Tin Rural Committee on August 8 to unveil their squad composition and future direction . The club has appointed popular girl group COLLAR members Wong Ka-ching (Candy) and Sum Ching-kiu (Gao) as "team ambassadors," with the stated goal of becoming Hong Kong's first football club to combine entertainment, online traffic and football . The club's total budget for the season is approximately HK$9 million .
Key Points
- The club retained existing foreign players Marcio and Marvin, while signing several new imports including 27-year-old Scottish forward James Scott, who previously played for Motherwell and Hull City and represented Scotland's U21 national team .
- Other new foreign signings include 27-year-old Brazilian centre-back Joao Vitor Mariano, 27-year-old Ghanaian midfielder Jude Arthur, and 27-year-old Japanese forward Hugo Kametani from Singapore's league .
- Seven young players dubbed the "Seven Little Fortunes" (Lau Wai-hon, Leung Lap-tin, So Tsz-yin, Lee Chak-shun, Tong Wan-hei, Lau Hing-yau and Chiu Ching-yu) form the club's first youth training squad .
- Head coach Kwok Ka-nok highlighted Tong Wan-hei as "the next Ng Yee-hei," and praised Chiu Ching-yu and Leung Lap-tin as having potential to play for the Hong Kong national team .
- The club promises to double players' salaries upon Hong Kong national team selection, and will launch a four-tier membership scheme ranging from HK$180 youth membership to HK$5,880 premium membership .
Why It Matters
Supreme Sha Tin's entertainment-focused approach represents a notable departure from traditional Hong Kong football club operations, potentially attracting younger demographics to domestic matches through celebrity partnerships and enhanced matchday experiences . The club's commitment to youth development, combined with competitive salary incentives for national team representation, could strengthen the pipeline of local talent for Hong Kong football if successfully implemented .
Supreme Sha Tin's entertainment-focused approach represents a notable departure from traditional Hong Kong football club operations, potentially attracting younger demographics to domestic matches through celebrity partnerships and enhanced matchday experiences . The club's commitment to youth development, combined with competitive salary incentives for national team representation, could strengthen the pipeline of local talent for Hong Kong football if successfully implemented .