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October 1999

Leung Shou Chi -
The Engine Behind South China Soccer

By Sophia Wong

Another article from this beat:
Breakthrough - Dr. Choi Yuen Wan

In the Mong Kok Stadium, the South China Football Team is having a soccer match.

When the players run and sweat on the field, there's someone on the coach's bench who is subjected to the same amount of pressure and intensity.

His job, which is different from that of the coach, seems very interesting to people who like football.

A football manager is the one who tries to do everything, or even most of the things that need to be done on the team, except the coach's job.

As a consultant to the South China Football Team since he hung up his boots, Mr. Peter Leung Shou Chi said that what he does is just the work of the manager of the football team.

"I need to do everything with the South China Football Team except train the team," Mr. Leung said.

According to Mr. Leung, a football manager is usually responsible for the administrative matters.

The work of a manager is 70 percent administrative. The other 30 percent is technical consultation, which is mostly done by the coach.

Said Mr. Leung: "I need to deal with nearly all the administrative work of the team, such as handling the money, the uniforms and the paperwork.

"Communicating with field schedulers, referees, tournament organisers and players is also part of my job."

He also needs to listen to all complaints, excuses and tales of woe from the coach and the first team players and even the reserve team members.

"It is my responsibility to keep the players' mental states healthy and keep them in good player form too, especially on the match day," Mr. Leung said.

He does all the things which make sure the team is "up and running like a well-oiled machine".

"I need to say and do something first to life their morale, which is one the keys winning a football match."

Mr. Leung's work includes buying and selling players, hiring and firing staff, developing young players, selecting squads and choosing team and player tactics.

Also, he is responsible for handling club the finances, finding sponsors, enlarging the stadium and negotiating contracts, he said.

Mr. Leung also coordinates tournament transportation, arranges hotel accommodations, attends meetings and escorts people to and from matches, meals and tourist attractions.

He also needs to deal with press relations, as the manager is also the one who makes sure the local media know how the team is doing and who is doing what.

In a nutshell, a manager is supposed to - and is expected to - handle a thousand tasks, to be ready for an even greater number of emergencies, to never screw up, to do everything with a smile and not to utter any complaints.

Mr. Leung's efforts are rewarded when he gains the trust and confidence of his players.

"Good, nice and friendly," said Ricardo Rambo of his manager. Ricardo is No. 19 of the South China Football Team. He came from Brazil and knows very little English.

The manager is the president of a football team, especially in some foreign countries like England, Italy and Spain.

The managers of these football clubs are just like kings of their teams, they have so much power in controlling their squads and business matters.

However, it is not the same situation in Hong Kong, as the coach also plays an important role in running a football team.

Said Mr. Chan Kwok Hung, the assistant coach of the South China Football team: "Here, the coach co-operates with the manager.

"However, if you were a football manager in Britain or in England, you could make all the decisions without informing the coach," he said.

"In England and other countries, it is just the manager's decision to buy, to sell or to transfer a player.

"In Hong Kong, the manager always asks our opinion before buying or selling a player."

Other tasks such as adjusting players' positioning and tactics, coping with the problem of injuries, suspensions, fluctuating player fitness and confidence are all done by a foreign football manager, while the coach shares the burden in Hong Kong.

People always wonder why the power of the manager in Hong Kong is so different from other foreign countries.

Mr. Leung said, "Actually, we cannot compare the situation of Hong Kong with other countries, like England or China, as the background is so different."

Apart from the power of football managers, the popularity of football between Hong Kong and countries like England and Italy is different.

Mr. Leung said, "The main reason of the unpopularity of local football is the lack of the sense of belonging. This also weakens the power of local manager," Mr. Leung continued.

"In England, for example, people will support the team of their city as they think the team represents themselves. People who live in Liverpool will support the Liverpool Football Team, no matter whether the squad plays well or not.

"In Hong Kong, we don't have teams that represent Tuen Mun, Sha in and so on," he added. "The lack of basic fans makes the local football not as popular as the English or Italian football. I hope the situation will be remedied soon."

According to Mr. Leung, the manager's work will become more and more demanding in the years ahead.

"I need to face pressures from the club and fans.

"The greatest pressure is from myself because being a manager of a football team is really a challenging job.

"When your team wins a match, it is okay. But if it loses, I need to be patient and accept the scolding from fans and the club," he said.

This night, South China won the match. Probably fans and the club were satisfied with his job this time.

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