Photo credit: Shui Wei FC
Recently founded in 2015, Shui Wei FC is best known for being the only amateur football team from across the border (China) to play their trade in Hong Kong’s Legal League.
What initially consisted of mostly members from the staff of a local international curriculum school, has now grown into an eclectic mix of expatriate, Chinese and Hong Kong communities.
Earlier this month, I was fortunate enough to watch one of their matches against one of the best teams in the Legal League’s second division - Revolution. Despite losing 2-1, it was an extremely tight game. Regardless, their grit and determination were ubiquitous, and when you come to think about it, that should not be a surprise.
As most of their players reside in Shenzhen, many have to travel long hours just to play 90 minutes of football, if that. Speaking to a member of their squad, he informed that he has to travel “2-3 hours” every weekend for their matches.
Consequently, you’d be hard-pressed to find any other club that has a more passionate and devoted squad than at Shui Wei FC.
Photo credit: Shui Wei FC
Despite being considered a “competitive pub team” that previously had a “relaxed mentality”, from what I saw, Shui Wei has been making a real push to increase their quality of football.
They have now started to “train once a week”, but more importantly, I witnessed a genuine attempt to understand and demonstrate the tactics they learnt beforehand. Something you would not typically expect at a ‘Sunday League’ club.
Given that many of Shui Wei’s players live in different areas, further divided by the Hong Kong - Shenzhen border, the club has a difficult task of organising social events. As a result, I personally felt they lacked a social cohesiveness in comparison to other clubs.
If you are interested in joining, their fees are $1450 HKD, which includes the cost of your kit.
Overall, Shui Wei FC is by far the best club for you if you are based in Shenzhen and looking to participate in Hong Kong’s football scene. Truthfully, if you are a new expat to Hong Kong, then there are probably better alternatives.
Nonetheless, the devotion and passion Shui Wei have towards the ‘beautiful game’ is commendable, and a memorable reminder as to why football is such a loved sport around the world