Photo credit: Wanchai Spartans Facebook Page
Founded in 1988, Wanchai Spartans FC is one of the biggest amateur football clubs in Hong Kong. Initially created by a close-knit of expatriate friends and footballers, the club has now developed into 8 teams spread across several leagues, including 2 in the first division of the Legal League.
Throughout the years, Wanchai Spartans’ teams have demonstrated that they play a high standard of football.
The Saturday Spartans, for example, have been the Legal League champions a record 5 times. However, for most of their players, success is not their utmost priority - playing for Wanchai Spartans is mainly about having “fun, socialising and getting some exercise while here in Hong Kong”.
Although the club’s generally high footballing ability seems to alienate at first, do not worry, one or two of their teams offer a more social and less competitive brand of football.
Ultimately, Wanchai Spartans are able to cater to any standard of football. They’ve had players “who have never kicked a ball” but also “ex-professionals that have played at the highest level in the sport”.
If you are very keen to breathe in as much football whilst living in Hong Kong, the club offers regular training sessions on Tuesday Nights 9 pm at Kings Park which is “available to all club players”, with no mandatory attendance required.
Photo credits: Wanchai Spartans Facebook Page
Despite having a strong culture of success, arguably, the Wanchai Spartans have an even stronger social aspect to the club. The club has enjoyed Football Tours around Asia which they organise every year. Most impressively, travelling to North Korea on one occasion to face a local side.
Here in Hong Kong, most of their teams are sponsored by bars which are “always attended" by players post-match. The club also organises charity events, most recently hosting a quiz night to raise money towards suicide prevention in the local community.
This strong sense of social cohesiveness that Wanchai Spartans emit is further exemplified when “over 100 current and former Spartans players” cheered on the Sunday Spartans in the Yau Yee Cup final last year.
With regards to finances, each team has there own fee structure which is usually around $1,000 HKD for the entire year. This fee can vary slightly; depending on the team and the player’s financial situation.
Overall, Wanchai Spartans FC ostensibly is one of the most comprehensive clubs that amateur football in Hong Kong has to offer. If you’re a new expat in Hong Kong and would like to get involved in the Saturday/Sunday football scene here, then Wanchai Spartans is definitely a club worth taking a look at.