A "row has erupted" in Hong Kong over the upcoming World Cup qualifier against China, according to Mark Baber of INSIDE WORLD FOOTBALL. In the first leg Hong Kong fans booed the national anthem. For the second leg the match has been switched to the Mong Kok Stadium (capacity 6,679) in place of the Hong Kong stadium (capacity 40,000). The "official reason for the use of the smaller venue is that the Hong Kong Stadium is having its pitch relaid," and is then playing host to a rugby sevens tournament, so it will "not be ready in time for the game." This explanation has not been accepted by Hong Kong FA CEO Mark Sutcliffe, who, writing on his personal blog, pointed out the decision will cost the HKFA HK$3M ($390,000)-HK$4M ($520,000) in lost ticket sales, saying, "The Government has apparently relied on its own 'experts' in making this decision. Clearly and to some extent understandably, these experts have erred on the side of caution." Since the handover of Hong Kong to Chinese rule in '97, the current version of the Chinese national anthem, "March of the Volunteers," was adopted in Hong Kong's Basic Law as the Hong Kong anthem. Stripped of its "earlier references to the Communist Party and Chairman Mao," the anthem is "regarded by many in China as an important tool for encouraging Hong Kong residents to feel patriotic about the motherland" (INSIDE WORLD FOOTBALL, 11/2).
