I was wondering, how much do footballers in the 1st div. make. What are some fitness standards? Is 5'11/180 lbs good enough (physically) for a keeper? Do players do any weight training? What skills would a keeper need to be proficient in, to achieve success (is the league a lot of long balls?)
1) A few years ago, you can make about HKD30,000 per month if you are a star player on the HKNT. Ricky Cheng made HKD 1 million per year about 5 years ago, but that was exceptional. Right now, the top five local players probably made about HKD10000 to 25000 per month. Most made less than that. My guess is about 6000 for average players. I heard some players made as little as HKD3000 per month. basically, the total budget for a mid-table team is about 5 million HK dollars or less per year. The big clubs used to spend about 10 million, but not anymore. 2) fittness standard???? Smoke less than 5 packs of cigarette per day. You will be okay. 3) Chung Ho Yin -- the starting keeper for South China -- is smaller than your size. I would say that is a okay size for a keeper. 4) weight training???? I think some does.... certainly alot of them does not look that way. 5) Skills???? Nothing specific.
So do a lot of the players work a second job? I'm wondering if I should pursue this in 4 years once I get a University degree, or look into it now? I was thinking maybe go to HK during Dec and see if I can get some training sessions in...
Yes, most players have second jobs. The economy is extremely bad right now. The interest in the game is very low. I don't think you can make a decent living playing soccer in HK. I don't think any player have college degrees. If I were you, I will find a regular job in HK and try out for the HK Football Club. They are a private country club, but run several teams in the HK league. If you are a good player, they will give you a free membership which is considered a minor status symbol in HK. Their A team is usually too weak for 1st divison.... but destroyed everyone in the lower divisons. Most of their players have some professional experiences.
come to the j-league!! and once you became famous there tell people that you have been inspired by hamatachi and when you move to europe don't forget to pay me 1/10 of your transfer fee!! send me tons of your autographs and appreciation!! make me famous!!
hahahahahaha!!! If I was in fact that good, I wouldn't set Hong Kong as my goal lol. I'll buy you an MD Player if I make it in the J-League hahaha
hey beckham, forget being a footballer in HK. Even if you make it to the 1st division, no-one's going to watch you play. I heard the lowest attendance this past year is 23! Yes, 23 frigging people! And 6000 bucks a month is just insane. With a U degree you can get better-paid jobs. Also remember that the life of a football career is very short. You've got to be really crazy about football to be playing in HK. No wonder HK players suck so bad. Those who have 2nd jobs probably don't have enough time or energy to train and prepare for matches. It's a vicious cycle - the players suck, therefore nobody turns up to see them play, revenue drops and player salary drops, making football a less attractive career options for people. Even those who are talented will shy away from making football a career, and so the cycle continues... Just my 2 cents
Ya I'd say I'd be pretty crazy to play football in HK...but that's how much I love it. I would love to play everyday. This isn't a decision I'm gonna rush, just looking for some background info.
If every players brought their girlfriend, that's 22 fans. The 23rd fan is the real football fan. I have not attended a single match since the last Carlsburg Cup a year ago. I used to go to every single final, national team and foreign visiting team. I even went to see HK-vs-Cambodia. Beck7> Go tryout for HK Football Club. Yanks Aboard over here mentioned that one player came from the A-League.
Flirting With the Malaysian League That's admirable how you'd consider pursuit of football. I went to Kota Kinabalu, Sabah (a state in East Malaysia) to visit family for a month's time. Besides enjoying much lower costs of living - food, clothes, nights out on the town - there was the need for me to inquire about the local team, aka the Sabah Rhinos. They went from winning the second division M-league title in 2001 to placing a respectable third in promotion to first division in 2002. Their last and only league title in the Malaysian top flight was 1996, but teams hardly remain consistent in this league. I met the team's leading scorer and most famous import, Josiah Seton (Liberia), at the outdoor markets in Donggonong, a five minute walk from the Penampang training grounds. He was actually the only import when I saw him in November, since Malaysia is still recovering from their "ban-foreigners" period about two years ago. He said local talent was quite good, but the team could use a bit more physical presence on defense. At 6'2", I could be the tower in the back of a defensive group that maxes at 6' (with exception to the David Seaman look-alike goalie at 6'3"), possibly playing a wing back with my speed. He told me to come to try-outs for the team, as only 20-30 participants strive for the extra 2-3 spots they open each year. I told him I'd have considered it had my stay been longer. We left the conversation at that. During my last week in Sabah, I played a derby game with one of the local kampung teams, about the equivalent of a upper-tier third division Malaysian squad. I had one of my better games defensively and on the counter-attack, even scoring on a forty-yard free kick. Though I felt luck played its part, I got the attention of the manager. He said if I could make the Sabah Rhinos squad, my pay would be a minimum 50,000 ringgit as an import. For the American, that's the mere equivalent of $12,500 US. In Sabah, that amount is not so mere, considering that professional positions, such as engineers, doctors, et cetera, make 30,000 ringgit ~ $7,500 US. Not bad for local living - you can live quite comfortably in a three-bedroom condo and still have cash to blow - and for playing football. I was impressed by the potential profit, but being able to play in front of my family (mother's side) was a more inviting prospect. But my mind was already set. I came back to California in December and got a job in research/city development in the Little Tokyo sector of Los Angeles. I kept a few phone numbers in case I change my mind, even if I do make their team but only want to "gain experience" for a few months. I am considering a move back to Sabah, perhaps for just a year, even if it happens to be 2-3 years time from now. In the meantime, football-wise, I'll stick to routine pick-up games in the Southbay and being a spectator of EPL and MLS games on the tele. If you decide to "taste" a football career Becks7, then I'll wish you the best of luck!
Upon request, foreign players are provided living quarters, but you're something special if given your own space. There are team meals provided, but the costs of eating are low enough for satisfying one's self.
Re: Re: Hong Kong 1st Div. questions... To translate this quantitatively, one US dollar will provide you with a complete meal and a drink.
uh where do you eat in Hong Kong. It was never that cheap when I went. your talking about roughly 7.5 HKD
Not that I know of..... I remembered one Brazilian did sign with a J-League club, but I think he was loan out to somebody. I don't know anything about food or living arrangement. If you are a local player, the answer is probably nothing. Hong Kong is third or second most expensive cities in the world behind Tokyo and Paris. I was in Japan five times last year.... I hate to tell you.... soccer players' social status in HK is very low. A group of my female friends met the HK national team in Indonesia or Malaysia. As soon as they knew that they are soccer players, they thought that they must be all "losers".
Naturally if you are the top player of a NT in any given soccer-crazy country, you are a chick magnet. In HK, you are a loser.
That's not too good to hear about the current state of soccer in HK. It sounds as if soccer is the alternative to being a bum on the streets. Is there one particular soccer club that has the slightest amount of respect in HK, if at least for their past accomplishments?