Why it’s not a good idea to ‘outsource’ the management of a football club 「外判」球會管理權非上策

Why it’s not a good idea to ‘outsource’ the management of a football club

Until I came to Hong Kong, I was not familiar with the concept of ‘outsourcing’ the management of a football club. By outsourcing I mean delegating the responsibility for all football matters to a third party, a so-called ‘sponsor’. In reality these third party organisations are not ‘sponsors’ in the true sense of the word. A sponsor is a partner that provides funds in return for marketing rights and benefits. What we are dealing with here are individuals or companies that provide money to the ‘parent’ club in return for the opportunity to actually operate and run the football club. 

If a Club owner or Sports Association wants to be involved in football they should want to take responsibility for recruiting players and coaches and for controlling what happens on the pitch. Why be involved if you have no interest in these issues? The Clubs themselves are the ‘Members’ of the Hong Kong FA and have the ultimate responsibility for every aspect of the club and its teams. There is nothing in our Rules at the moment to preclude an ‘outsourcing arrangement’ but if a Club intends to do so, there are some pitfalls to avoid:

• The Club should know who it is outsourcing to – it should do due diligence on the individual or organization and understand exactly who they are dealing with and the motivations of the organization for getting involved. Dare I say it, they should be particularly careful if the people come from outside Hong Kong or if the ‘sponsor’ enters into similar agreements with yet another individual or organization which renders the club even further removed from the day to day operation of the club. It is the clubs’ responsibility to know these things.
• The club should make sure that they are dealing with a bone fide organization and not simply a ‘shell’ company.
• The Club should have a bone fide contract with the individual or organization that clearly sets out the different roles and responsibilities and confirms that the Club has the ultimate responsibility. The contract should not contain provisions that are prohibited under HKFA, AFC or FIFA Regulations e.g. conveying third party rights on transfers to the ‘sponsor’.
• The contract should be properly executed and be specific about; the rights and benefits, where the money is coming from and what it is being used for. 
• The Club should not delegate the recruitment of players or coaches to the ‘sponsor’ or the team selection. At all times the club should be able to control the behaviour of the players both on and off the pitch. This is a fundamental requirement and the minimum expectation of fans, media and in fact everyone involved in football.
• If the sponsor shows any suspicious behaviour such as money laundering, late payment of players, match-fixing etc, the Club has an obligation to report such matters to the appropriate authorities. It should not simply turn a blind eye to these activities.
• The Club should have contingency plans in case the ‘sponsor’ disappears mid-season or in case the money that has been promised fails to materialize. It is the club that has an obligation to the HKFA to be able to demonstrate that it can meet its liabilities including paying the players, not the ‘sponsor’.
• The club should maintain timely and accurate management accounts at all times and records of the due diligence.

The criteria for the new Premier League include provisions that require transparency in governance and management. Under the new League the potential for Clubs to get into difficulty through outsourcing arrangements should be substantially reduced.

Mark Sutcliffe February 2014

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「外判」球會管理權非上策

本人赴港工作之前，一直不熟悉球會管理權容許「外判」之觀念。「外判」一詞，本人將它解作為球會的一切大小事務皆由第三方(被稱為「贊助商」)全權負責。在現實世界中，以「贊助商」作為第三方的定義並不恰當，一般贊助商主要以財政資助的合作方式作為換取市場利益為主導，但這裡所指的是個別人士或公司透過金錢資助予「母」球會，以獲得球會運作及經營權之機會。

倘若球會持有人或體育會想涉足足球事業，那麼他們理應負責教練、球員等招募工作，以及掌管球場上的一切事務。如果對這些事情不感興趣，為何又要從事其中？球會是香港足球總會的「屬會成員」，理應對球會本身以至旗下球隊的各方面負責。目前沒有現行條例阻止有關「外判之安排」，若然球會仍以此方式經營，那麼必須避免墜入以下陷阱：

• 球會應該了解「外判者」的底蘊 — 球會應該慎重調查其個人的身份或公司背景，了解他們跟誰人往來，以及了解他們的參與動機。恕我直言，倘若來自非香港人士或「贊助商」與其他個別人士或公司達成共識而進一步將球會的日常管理權「判上判」的話，球會必須加以提防和有責任了解事情的來龍去脈。
• 球會應當確保與他們合作的是一間實際存在的機構，而非純粹是一間「空殼」公司。
• 球會應當與個別人士或組織簽訂具有法律效力之合約，並清楚列明雙方之責任及所擔任之角色，而球會負有最終責任。該合約之條款不應與香港足球總會、亞洲足協或國際足協之條例相抵觸。如將將第三方之權利轉讓至「贊助商」中。
• 應當正確執行合約內容，並仔細列明當中涉及之權利和利益、財政來源以及開支用途等。 
• 球會應當避免將球員買賣、招聘教練或球隊陣容之重任交託予「贊助商」中，球會應當時刻約束球員在場內場外之操守，這是球迷、傳媒以及每一位從事足球事業的人士對球會的基本要求和期望。
• 倘若贊助商涉嫌從事任何不法行為，諸如洗黑錢、拖延球員薪酬、非法操控賽果等，球會有責任將有關事情向合適機關舉報，而非採取姑息或無視的態度。
• 假若「贊助商」在球季中途突然失蹤或承諾所支付之金額未能兌現，球會應有一套緊急應變方案。同時，球會亦有責任向足總展示他們有能力應付債務問題，包括支付球員薪酬，而非由「贊助商」代勞。
• 球會應當時刻查閱及管理會計帳項，保持準確委當，並仔細審核相關記錄。

全新的香港職業聯賽所要求的參賽準則，包括要求各方在管治和管理方面能夠做到更加公開透明。在新聯賽之監管下，球會透過安排外判而遇到困境之機會將會大幅降低。

薜基輔

二○一四年二月

The Phoenix is Rising 鳳凰展翅翱翔

The Phoenix is Rising

The debate about the efficacy of Project Phoenix seems to be ‘hotting up’. In my previous blog I explained why the project is in no way connected with the current match-fixing allegations. If anything, the allegations reinforce the importance of Project Phoenix which is about improving the quality of football and ‘professionalising’ the 1st Division by introducing a new league based on a licence system. The licence criteria will demand transparency in; governance, management and financial arrangements. Ultimately, the Premier League should result in more money coming into the sport through increased gate receipts, sponsorship etc and as this cascades down to player wages, they will hopefully be less susceptible to corruption. So rather than saying ‘the sport is corrupt in Hong Kong and this proves Project Phoenix is not working’, people should be saying ‘football has a world-wide problem with corruption, Hong Kong is no different, but if we are to limit and reduce the problem, Project Phoenix and the new Premier League are essential’.

There are many other misconceptions about Project Phoenix and I hope through this blog to dispel some of them.

 

Please click on the full report for more details.

Mark Sutcliffe, CEO, January 2014

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鳳凰展翅翱翔

有關「鳳凰計劃」的議論，最近似乎變得日趨激烈。在早前的博客中，本人解釋了該計劃與目前所涉及的非法操控球賽指控上毫無關連。相反，如果情況屬實的話，有關指控將會增強了「鳳凰計劃」的重要性。在建基於牌照架構模式下的新聯賽，將會進一步提升球賽水平以及令本地甲組球會邁向「專業化」，而牌照準則將會要求球會在其管治、管理及財務安排上做到公開透明，最終在新職業聯賽的帶動下增加了門票收益和贊助費用，從而將所得款項用於改善球員待遇方面，這樣有助減低他們遭受貪污的影響。與其嚷著「香港的運動事業已受貪污所累，證明『鳳凰計劃』一無是處。」，大家不如說出「貪污罪行是全球性足球運動所共同面對的難題，香港亦無可避免，但我們可以遏止及杜絕惡行，而『鳳凰計劃』和新職業聯賽的出現正好解決當務之急。」

不少人士對於「鳳凰計劃」仍持有不少誤解，因此本人希望透過今次撰文能夠將相關疑慮一掃而空。

如欲瀏覽完整內容，請看這裡。

薜基輔, 行政總裁, 二○一四年一月

註：由於文中涉及大量專有名詞，敬請以英文版本為準！

Now more than ever, Football Stakeholders need to work together 從今開始 足球相關人士必須團結一致

Now more than ever, Football Stakeholders need to work together

As you can imagine, since my return from the UK most of my time has been taken up dealing with the well-publicised match-fixing allegations. I am not going to talk about the cases that are currently being investigated by the ICAC because it is an on-going situation. Suffice to say we have worked closely with the ICAC, not just in relation to the current allegations but on an on-going basis. There is a regular dialogue and sharing of information. This is always on a strict confidential basis. I applaud their diligence and am grateful for their determination to prevent corruption in all its forms.

It is important to note that in relation to these latest allegations, although arrests have been made, no-one has been found guilty of an offence. So my comments below are general remarks and do not relate to any individuals or clubs. However the fact that this has happened disappoints and frustrates me on many levels.

Firstly on a personal level, I detest cheats. Sport has been a constant and dominating force throughout my life. I have been a player, a coach, a manager and more recently an administrator. The majority of the positive things that have happened to me are a direct result of sport whether it is personal achievement, friendships, cultural understanding or the shear pleasure of competition. If you play sport for its intrinsic value you learn to win with humility and to lose graciously. You accept pleasure, pain, anger, elation, humiliation, respect and just about every other human emotion. Therefore I find it totally abominable that some people seek to abuse the purity of competition for personal greed and gain. They destroy the very essence of sport. 

That is why I am glad that this investigation is taking place. It is time to do whatever we can to clean up our sport. The HKFA will cooperate fully with the investigation and adopt a zero-tolerance approach to anyone found guilty. Our resolve to sort this out should not be doubted.

Secondly I am disappointed that some people are using this unfortunate incident to denigrate Project Phoenix. The undeniable fact is that match-fixing is a global sports issue. It is not restricted to football or Hong Kong. There are cheats in every sport and there have been since sport was first created. Cricket, cycling, tennis even snooker to name a few have all had problems recently. It is particularly prevalent and high profile in football because it is a global sport that attracts huge betting and media interest. There have been allegations of match-manipulation investigated in over 60 countries in the last two years. So why should Hong Kong be any different? Since I started work here I have been consistent in saying that corruption is a threat and that there are certain characteristics of the local game that make it more susceptible. It is a fact that players, coaches, referees and club officials are paid relatively badly compared to other countries and professions. Furthermore we are in a part of Asia where this kind of corruption is rife. Betting on local football is not legal within our own territory and is therefore difficult to monitor.

So no-one should be surprised that these allegations have come to light, (indeed it has happened here before) but to link it to the Government funded project to transform football and to say that that initiative is not working, is both unjust and missing the point.

Project Phoenix is about improving the whole sport including the governance, administration, partnerships, activities and programmes, structures, systems, facilities etc. It is a roots and branches transformation process. Professional football is only one component of the plan. Whilst the Clubs are Members of the Association, they are independent entities and most of what they do currently falls outside the remit of the HKFA.

If anything, these allegations reinforce the need for Project Phoenix. The whole point of the project is to enhance the quality of football being played in Hong Kong through the systematic development of players. Better quality on the pitch should over time make the local game a product that people will want to watch and this will bring back the crowds and commercial income streams. As the money in the sport increases people should be less vulnerable to corruption.

The other important part of Project Phoenix that this incident strengthens the need for, is of course the establishment of a new Premier League. As I have previously stated, the rationale for this initiative is to ‘professionalise’ the top tier of football in Hong Kong. It is to be based on a Licence system and as part of the Licence application process, clubs will need to explain their ownership, governance and management arrangements. They will also have to demonstrate financial transparency and submit audited accounts.

During the establishment of the new League, the HKFA will continue to work with the ICAC and we will be educating players, coaches, referees and officials on match-fixing, corruption, doping and discrimination. We will implement a Fraud Prevention system because we want the league to be as ethically sound as possible because that is the only way that fans and sponsors will want to get involved. We will also introduce a Fraud Detection system to monitor our matches and flag up any suspicious activity.

I understand why some people may want to distance themselves from Hong Kong football right now but I would ask them to bear in mind that this is a global, not a Hong Kong issue and is restricted to a few corrupt individuals over which the HKFA currently has little influence. I would also remind them that we are being proactive in sorting out the problems. Project Phoenix is instrumental in addressing the difficulties and can be the catalyst for a new era. Rather than hiding in the shadows sniping at the HKFA and specifically Project Phoenix, we need all of the football stakeholders in Hong Kong to stand shoulder to shoulder, to maintain the faith in the long term future of football in Hong Kong and to work together to uphold the integrity of the sport.

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從今開始   足球相關人士必須團結一致

自從英國回來後，你可以想像我就一直忙於處理有關賽場上涉嫌非法操控賽事的事件，由於案件正在進入調查階段，因此我未能談及關於香港廉政公署的調查內容，只能透露我們與香港廉政公署一直保持緊密合作，並非純粹就目前指控方面的交流，而是雙方過去一直保持良好的合作關係，相互交流信息，並會堅守對有關資訊採取保密原則， 本人對於廉署堅決執行打擊貪污的工作予以高度讚揚和心存感激。

對於最近有關的指控，縱使有個別人士被捕，但暫時沒有一人被定罪，因此本人以下的見解並非針對任何人士或球會，但事實上我已遭受到不同程度的打擊及感到失望。

首先在個人而言，我痛恨欺騙的行為。運動過去是我人生中一股永恆不變的重要力量，我曾經是一名運動員、一位教練、一名經理甚至成為一位現任的行政人員，大部分在我身上所發生的事情都是正面的，無論是個人成就、友誼、文化知識或比賽所帶來的歡愉，都是源自於運動所帶來的結果。倘若你參與運動並掌握它的真實價值時，你便能夠從中學懂如何謙遜地取得勝利以及如何不失風度地輸掉比賽，你能夠接受喜悅、痛楚、憤怒、 興高采烈、羞辱、尊敬以及任何人類情感。因此，本人非常厭惡某些人以一己之欲或自我利益，試圖褻瀆賽事的純潔，以摧毀運動的核心價值。

這正是本人對於今次採取調查行動欣慰的原因，這時機正好讓我們保持運動上的廉潔，香港足球總會將會對調查工作作出全面配合並對任何犯罪人士採取零容忍的態度，堅決肅清貪污行為是毋庸置疑的。

其次，本人對於某些人士將今次不幸事件以詆毀「鳳凰計劃」而深表失望，毫無疑問非法操控賽事屬於全球運動必須應對的事件，並非局限於香港足球運動。自從運動的出現，任何類型的賽事都會有詐騙情況發生，木球、單車、網球以至桌球比賽的作弊行為亦時有聽聞，在足球賽事上特別受到關注的原因，全因它屬於風行全球的運動，當中吸引龐大的賭注及傳媒興趣，在過去兩年中全球超過六十個國家都出現非法操控賽事的調查，那麼為何香港屬於異類？自從我在這裡任職後，一直反覆強調貪污行為是重大危害 ，容易令部分本土賽事變得較為敏感，事實上，相對其他國家或專業球隊而言，香港球員、教練、裁判員以及球會職員待遇條件較低；再者，我們屬於亞洲地區的一部分，而這類貪污行為亦相對普遍。眾所周知，在香港本土範圍內賭博本地足球賽事屬於非法行為，導致變得難以監管。

因此，這類涉嫌指控的事件曝光是毋須驚訝的(事實上同類事件亦曾經出現)，但將它與香港特區政府資助下的改革本地足球計劃聯繫在一起，認為相關措施不切實際，完全屬於無的放矢及欠缺公允的指控。

「鳳凰計劃」是改善足球運動事業的綜合項目，包括管治、行政、合作模式、活動及計劃、架構、系統和設施等，這是一項全面改革的過程，專業足球在計劃中僅是其中一個單元，當球會成為了本會的屬會會員而變成了獨立的企業後，目前大部分球會所做的事情已經超越香港足球總會的管轄範圍外。

總而言之，有關指控增強了「鳳凰計劃」的需要。計劃中的整個重心是透過系統化培育球員，以提高香港足球賽事的水平。賽事質素經過年月的改進變得愈來愈高，增加了賽事的觀賞性，因而吸引了更多球迷入場，商業贊助亦會增多。隨著透過比賽的收入不斷增加，球場人士自然減少受賄的意欲。

「鳳凰計劃」的另一個重要部分是今次事件提高了成立香港職業聯賽的需要性。如本人早前所述，這項措施方案的理念是將香港足球賽事的最高級別定向為「專業化」，並以牌照制度為依歸，在牌照申請的過程中，球會必須對其擁有、管治和管理上的安排等作出解釋，同時亦能展示球會的財政透明度及需要呈交已審核的會計帳目。

在新聯賽成立期間，香港足球總會將與香港廉政公署繼續合作，教育球員、教練、裁判員及其他相關人士有關非法操控賽事、貪污、濫用藥物及歧視行為的嚴重性。此外，本會將會實施防止舞弊機制，因為我們希望新聯賽變得更加廉潔，因為這是吸引球迷及贊助商的唯一途徑。本會同時亦會引入偵測舞弊機制，以監管所有賽事及舉報任何涉嫌的活動。

本人明白部分人士捨棄及遠離香港足球的原因，但本人希望他們牢記一點，這是一項全球性而非單一性的香港事例，並局限於為數不多的受賄人士，因此香港足球總會所能改變的能力有限。本人亦希望他們明白我們必須主動解決當前問題，「鳳凰計劃」是解決香港足球事業困局的唯一良方並能成為開創新紀元的催化劑。與其隱藏於背後狙擊本會以及「鳳凰計劃」，我們更需要全港與足球相關的人士攜手並肩，一起維繫對香港足球長遠未來的信心，並萬眾一心維護運動的正直廉潔。

Season’s Greetings 節日祝福

Season’s Greetings

I have received a lot of support this year from readers of this Blog. I would like to thank everybody that has read my observations and all of the people who have contributed to the debate by placing comments. Your remarks are always well-received whether you agree with my statements or not. I started the Blog in January as a means of communicating with the football ‘fraternity’ of Hong Kong. I have enjoyed writing the Blog and I hope you have enjoyed reading what I have to say. Dialogue and discussion is important.

I am going back to England for Christmas and New Year. It is a year since I saw most of my family and friends and I am looking forward to seeing them. I will be back to Hong Kong in January refreshed and even more determined to help the development of football. 2014 promises to be another critical and challenging year.

So all that remains is for me to say, “Happy Christmas”. I hope you have a great festive season.

Warm Regards

Mark Sutcliffe

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節日祝福

我在最近一年時間內收到來自不少博客讀者的支持，本人由衷感謝每一位拜讀拙作的朋友，以及所有曾在博客中參與不少留言討論的有識之士，無論您同意本人的觀點與否，您的一言一語，我都會銘記於心。今年一月開始撰寫博客內容，作為與香港的「志同道合者」一種相互交流意見的渠道，真的非常享受在博客中記下我的所看所想與所言，亦希望大家喜歡我的看法，並積極參與留言與討論！

聖誕及新年期間，我將會返回英國。離開家鄉一年後的我，終於可以再次與我的大部分家人和朋友重聚。新年伊始，我將重投香港的懷抱中，繼續堅定信念去幫助發展香港足球事業。本人深信，二○一四年將會是另一個關鍵和充滿挑戰的一年。

最後，藉此機會我向大家說聲：「聖誕快樂」，並敬祝大家擁有一個圓滿的聖誕佳節！

敬請台安

薜基輔

Project Phoenix Progress Report 「鳳凰計劃」成效報告

Project Phoenix Progress Report

Introduction

There has been some debate recently on various media about the progress of Project Phoenix and whether or not it is being successful in bringing about the transformation of football in Hong Kong. Some of this debate has been objective and informed, some has been mere opinion and speculation and some has been plain wrong. I am perhaps uniquely qualified to comment on Project Phoenix because I led the consultant team that wrote the report and now I am responsible for its implementation. I have lived and breathed Project Phoenix for the last few years and my honest appraisal of it is set out below.

Was Project Phoenix the right Strategy for Football in Hong Kong and is it still relevant?

Having been ‘inside’ the organization for a while now and having seen football in Hong Kong in some detail, I am convinced that if I was to write the Project Phoenix report again with the benefit of hindsight, it would contain exactly the same narrative and recommendations. I hope I am not being immodest when I say that I think it is an excellent blueprint for change. It identifies all of the problem areas and sets out the actions required to overcome them.

There are only a few things I would change if I could re-write the document. On reflection, some of the targets were a bit optimistic. It is not that they are unattainable; it is just that it might take longer to achieve them. Most people would agree that nothing happens quickly in Hong Kong and that is especially true in a sport like football that is fragmented and where there are so many vested interests. A few people are using the fact that some targets have been missed to invalidate the entire strategy. That is a ridiculous and naïve view. In some cases these are the very same people that are deliberately slowing down the process of change because it is their interest to do so (or so they think).

The other thing I would amend in hindsight is the budget. Again the report was too optimistic about how quickly commercial interest would be generated. Additional revenue is proving elusive and that remains one of the key challenges.

In my opinion, the key issues and strategic recommendations of Project Phoenix remain valid, relevant and important.

What Progress has be made?

Firstly, we must acknowledge that Project Phoenix got off to a stuttering start for a number of reasons including the early departure of the first CEO and Head Coach. That is history now and all we can do is try and make up the ground that was lost in the early days. That won’t be easy considering the fact that it is only a three-year funding programme. Nevertheless, the slow start is a material fact that should be taken into account when reviewing progress. It’s like going one nil down in the first 15 minutes of a match – it’s a blow but not a fatal one.

Project Phoenix was sub-titled ‘Develop- Deliver’ because it was recognized that before it could transform football by ‘delivering’ new activities and programmes, the HKFA had to transform and ‘develop’ itself. Therefore many of the 33 recommendations were focused on the transformation of the HKFA in terms of governance, management and operation. By their very nature these changes are ‘internal’ to the organisation and not immediately visible to the general public.

Organisational change is time-consuming and resource intensive however, and the HKFA has been working very hard on developing itself into a well-run Governing Body of Sport. I would like to share with you some of the things we have been doing which are ‘behind the scenes’.

• New Constitution and Board: A new set of constitutional documents were agreed at the outset and more independent Directors are now in place.

• Strong Executive (creation and filling of 24 new positions): Project Phoenix identified that the HKFA was under-staffed particularly in technical and operational positions. The organisation has recruited, inducted and now manages 24 new positions funded through Project Phoenix including some critical management positions such as Financial Controller, HR Manager, Head of Corporate Governance, Head of Marketing and Communications. All of these positions are vital in an organization of the scale and complexity of the HKFA.

• Holistic Corporate Governance Review completed: In any organisation there are literally hundreds of policies, procedures, working practices etc covering financial management, HR, marketing, procurement and so on. We have reviewed all of these and streamlined them to create a more efficient workplace. This has been a big but necessary undertaking. Continuous improvement is fundamental in any organisation.

• Review of Financial Management Systems underway: The HKFA invited FIFA in to carry out a review of management arrangements under its ‘Performance’ programme. We have now obtained funding from them to install an integrated financial management system. This work is underway.

• Enhancement of HR / admin / IT policies & procedures: The new HR Manager has done an excellent job in reviewing and amending our human resource capability including harmonizing remuneration, salary benchmarking, staff handbook etc.

• Cultural Change Programme: In the last two years the HKFA has gone through significant change and growth. As anyone involved in business will testify this is a challenging time. At the same time the ‘day job’ of planning and administering football in Hong Kong must go on. For us this has been made more difficult in practical terms because our office is being refurbished to accommodate the new staff (again funded by FIFA).

I am proud of the staff of the HKFA both pre and post Project Phoenix. They are passionate about football and diligent in their work. All of the above changes have strengthened the organisation and put the HKFA on a firm footing when it comes to delivering the other more visible and externally focused recommendations of Project Phoenix.

We have made significant progress in these (what I call ‘on the pitch’) areas too including:

• More Professional Representative Team (improved FIFA ranking): Most people recognise that Coach KIM, his coaches and players have improved significantly and punched above their weight in the Asian Cup qualifiers. Our FIFA ranking is 144 (November 2013) up from 172.

• Development of HKFA Youth Academy: Our youth teams have made good progress too culminating in the historic qualification for the AFC finals of the U16 team.

• Fully staffed Technical Department: We have appointed a Technical Director and Managers for Women’s Football, Refereeing, Coach Education, Futsal, Grassroots Football. Some people have been critical of us for spending money on people but that is what the money was earmarked for and without these resources there would be no one here to manage the programmes. 

•  Revised Football Development Plan: The team of experts has reviewed current football development activities and programmes and has prepared a plan to enhance, expand and improve the work we do in football development. This plan has been endorsed by the HKFA Technical Committee and is being ‘rolled out’ as we speak.

• National Curriculum: The Technical Department has written a ‘syllabus’ for how football should be taught from the grassroots up to the high performance level. This includes a consistent style and system of play.    

• Preparation of Five-year Strategy: A five-year plan was one of the recommendations of Project Phoenix. This has been prepared and endorsed by the HKFA Board and the Government’s Football Task Force.

• Premier League criteria agreed: The new Premier League will start in 2014. The criteria have been written and shared with the Clubs. They are based on AFC standards.

• Club Development: – Two of our Clubs have been assessed by the AFC and granted AFC Champions League Licences. South China AA will be participating in the 2014 AFC Champions League; the first time Hong Kong has been represented at this level.

• Improvements in Youth Development:

                •       Introduction of new Age-Group in Henderson League
                •    8,000 participants in summer youth programme in 2011, now 10,000+

•  Integration of Women’s Football:

               •       New Women’s league, U20 league starting in Dec 2013
               •       Regional competitions and Training squads for U13/U15 and U18

• Redesigned Coach Education Programme and Syllabus:

               •       Over 20 courses run in 2013, (487 new coaches in 2011, 600 in 2013)
               •       23% increase in registered coaches

• Referee Development: (162 in 2011, now 221)

• Futsal: – Primary Schools initiative and Intra-district competition

All of the examples above illustrate that Project Phoenix is having an impact on the pitch as well as off it. We have laid the foundations for future development.

Summary

So with just under a year to go of the three-year funded Project Phoenix, 15 of the 33 recommendations have been implemented in full. All of the others are either partially completed or on-going. There have been some notable successes both on and off the pitch. We cannot be accused of inactivity but I would accept that we could do better at publicising the changes we have made and the successes we have had.

Off the pitch, the HKFA is unrecognizable now as an organization from what it was two years ago. We have put the people and management systems in place to deliver change. We have an organization that is ‘fit for purpose’ and we have the strategic plan in place to radically improve football in Hong Kong. The organisational development and the strategic planning have taken time and naturally most of this has been internal and therefore gone largely unnoticed by the public. I would contend that the ‘develop’ phase of Project Phoenix has been completed successfully.

In terms of ‘delivery’ ‘on the pitch’ we have made significant progress too. The Representative Teams have shown real signs of improvement reflected by an improved FIFA ranking despite having insufficient resources. Our U16 team has qualified for the AFC finals for the first time ever. We have secured a Club place in the AFC Champions League for the first time ever. We have integrated Women’s football and started a new league. We have more coaches trained, more referee development and established Futsal in the schools.  We have a new grassroots programme planned and more young people are now playing football through the expansion of the District training programme. These are all positive indicators that show that progress is being made. Each on their own is a small achievement but collectively it is evidence of a fundamental shift in the fortunes of football in Hong Kong.

We are not satisfied with the speed of change however and we know that there is much more that needs to be done. Some of the other fundamental Project Phoenix recommendations remain ‘work in progress’ but over the next few months many of these will come to fruition too like the Hong Kong Premier League that will ‘kick off’ in 2014.

The development of the much needed Tseung Kwan O Football Training Centre is slower than we hoped but is now picking up pace again. The HKFA is working in conjunction with the HKJC and Government on plans for the centre and we hope to make some positive announcements early in 2014*(see footnote).

Looking ahead beyond the current three year funding cycle, we will need more resources to implement all of the strategic plan recommendations but we are working on that too. If we don’t get as much as we would like, we will have to make difficult choices and prioritise our work. Over the next few months we must continue to move forward and we will be working with our partners to deliver the other changes identified in Project Phoenix. The three year funding finishes at the end of October 2014. We must demonstrate that the project has been worthwhile to persuade the Government and other partners including the commercial sector to invest in football long term.  We hope all of the football stakeholders in Hong Kong will join forces to demonstrate the positive progress that is being made and to support the call for the future long term funding of football in Hong Kong. We have reached a critical point in time.

I would like to correct an error that was transmitted in a recent RTHK programme on Project Phoenix. It was incorrectly stated that the HKFA had only requested HK$25m of the total HK$60m of the Government’s Project Phoenix funding. In actual fact, HK$58m (97%) has been requested, committed and agreed. As you would expect at this stage of the project not all of it has been claimed because the expenditure has yet to be incurred. It is a cash flow issue. Indeed we also have an agreement in principle with the Government to spend the unallocated HK$2m on Project Phoenix related items. I don’t know how the programme got their facts so wrong but we will use all of the funding available, why wouldn’t we?

Conclusion

For me, there is no doubt that Project Phoenix remains the right plan for the HKFA and for football. We are making good progress on its implementation and there have been some real results. Given the slow start and given how difficult it is to implement change, I am generally satisfied with progress, but certainly not complacent. I also know that there is a lot of work still to be done. I am not worried about the detractors, there will always be those that resist change; that is human nature. Effective leadership is about having a clear vision and the resilience to see things through. I remain committed to improving football in Hong Kong for the benefit of the sport and the countless thousands of people who understand why things MUST change.

Mark Sutcliffe, CEO, December 2013

*Footnote: The proposed Football Training Centre at Tseung Kwan O is to be built on a former landfill site. As such it is not suitable for housing development.  

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「鳳凰計劃」成效報告

簡介

最近不少媒體討論有關「鳳凰計劃」的成效，是否能夠為香港足球事業帶來革命性的成功。某些屬客觀及資料性的報道，某些較多主觀論點及揣測，某些則偏離事實真相。我或許較有資格對「鳳凰計劃」發表自己的見解，畢竟我曾率領顧問團隊撰寫該份報告，而現時我又負責將其付諸實行。過去數年間我一直與「鳳凰計劃」為伴，因此以下是本人忠誠的評審意見。

對於香港足球發展，「鳳凰計劃」是一項正確的策略嗎？現時仍持之有效？

身處在足總「內部」已有一段日子，亦見證香港足球事業發展的變遷。我深信一點，如果可以再次撰寫「鳳凰計劃」，縱使「事後孔明」，但現時的我仍會如當初一樣，撰寫相同的內容及建議。若從我口中講出這是一份優秀的改革藍圖，我希望自己不會成為傲慢的人，它確實指出全部問題所在，並設定相關的解決方案。

如果可以重新撰寫報告，其中數項我想會作出修訂。事實上，部分目標可能設定得過於樂觀，但不代表它們無法達成；而是可能需要更長時間才能達標。大部分人同意香港狀況不會馬上改變，特別是發生在支離零碎的足球運動身上，當中涉及不少特權利益。一小撮人引用事實，認為數項目標無法達成而導致整個計劃失效，可謂荒謬及天真的見解。在某些案例中，總有志同道合者故意拖慢改變的進程，皆因涉及他們的利益所在（或他們所想）。

另一項「預算」亦是我想要作出修改的內容，再次重申一點，報告提及有關能夠盡快獲得商業利益的判斷似乎過於樂觀，額外的收入證明難以掌握，並成為其中一項重要挑戰。.

在我看來，「鳳凰計劃」的重心議題及策略建議仍然是有效、關聯及重要的。.

計劃取得任何成效嗎？

首先，我們必須承認「鳳凰計劃」的推出初期不算理想，或受首任行政總裁及主教練離任等諸多因素所影響，但一切已成為歷史，現在我們需要奮勇直追，嘗試追回以前失去的時間。不能否定事實是，這是一項為期三年的資助計劃。無可否認，起步較慢是一個基本事實，在審視進度時必須將其考慮在內，正如球賽一樣，賽事開始僅十五分鐘已落後0：1，雖然帶來一記悶棍，但並非造成致命一擊。

「鳳凰計劃」的副標題是「發展—發放」，原因是足球改革前必須先「發放」新活動及項目，其後香港足球總會才會落實改革方案並加以「發展」。因此，三十三項中建議方案的大部分內容都聚焦在香港足球總會的革新上，例如管治、管理及營運工作等，這是一項「內部」架構的改變工程，並非普羅大眾能夠即時察覺。

組織架構上的改變涉及耗時長及大量資源，然而香港足球總會已經積極朝著成為有效管治的體育團體的方向發展，我願意和大家共同分享一些「幕後」不為人知的事情。.

• 新憲法及董事局：一套全新的憲法文件經已落實執行，同時更多的獨立董事亦已就任。

• 強大的行政團隊（創造24個新職位）：「鳳凰計劃」表明香港足球總會面對人手不足問題，尤以技術及操作職位為甚，因此足總透過「鳳凰計劃」的資助下，進行一連串招聘及委任工作，而二十四位新同事亦先後到任，其中包括一些較重要的管理層職位，例如財務總監、人力資源經理、公司管治總監、市場推廣及傳訊部總監等。上述所有職位都屬於足總的核心所在，令組織架構得以更加完整。

• 完成審查全盤的公司管治政策： 在任何一間機構中，都會存在數以百計的政策、程序、工作守則等，全面涵蓋財務管理部、人力資源部、市場部、採購部等。足總對所有相關政策作出檢討及加以簡化，從而建立一個具效率的工作環境。雖然工程浩大，但必須落實執行，持續改變是任何一間機構的基本事情。

• 檢討進行中的財政管理制度：香港足球總會邀請國際足協，在其「效能」計劃下，共同執行管理安排的審查工作。這項工作正在進行中，我們從國際足協獲得資助，安裝一套整合的財政管理系統。

• 強化人力資源 / 行政 / 資訊科技政策及程序：新委任的人力資源經理在工作崗位作出重大貢獻，全面檢討及修訂人力資源相關的政策，包括協調報酬制度、薪酬基準、員工手冊等。

• 改變文化項目：過去兩年，香港足球總會銳意改變及成長，任何人涉及其中，都會證明這是一段充滿挑戰的時刻。與此同時，同事依舊為籌劃及落實香港足球發展而需要「每天工作」。由於需要容納更多新同事的加入，因此足總辦事處正在進行翻新工程（由國際足協資助），對於我們而言，箇中辛勞可想而知！

本人對任職於香港足球總會、無論是「鳳凰計劃」前期或後期加入的同事都感到無比驕傲，他們對足球充滿熱誠以及勤奮辦事。上述所有改革已令組織架構進一步加強，這對發放「鳳凰計劃」其他可見及對外為主的推薦方案，將有助足總穩固基礎。

我們已在以下範圍（我稱作為「賽場上」）取得顯著成效，當中包括：

• 香港代表隊大躍進（提升國際足協排名）：大部分獲悉在金判坤主教練及其團隊的帶領下，香港代表隊已在亞洲盃外圍賽中取得明顯進步，國際足協排名已從172位躍升至144位（2013年11月）。

• 香港足球總會青年軍發展：我們的青年代表隊取得美滿成績，U16代表隊歷史性取得亞洲足協決賽週的入場門券。

• 技術部門  全部人才到位：我們經已委任技術總監及女子足球經理、裁判經理、教練培訓經理、五人足球經理、草根足球經理等。某些批評聲音認為我們大灑金錢在人事招聘上，但當初預算的支出正正是用於這方面。假如這些資源欠奉，相信沒有人願意管理這些不同範疇的項目。

• 已修訂的足球發展計劃：專家團隊已檢討目前的足球發展計劃，並已計劃作出如何強化、擴展及改善該項目，該計劃已獲得香港足球總會技術委員會審批及正式「出爐」。

• 香港課程：技術部已編制「課程大綱」，著重講解如何由草根足球晉升至高效能程度上，大綱包含了持續模式及比賽制度。    

• 五年策略計劃的籌備工作：五年計劃是「鳳凰計劃」其中一項建議方案，該計劃書已籌備妥當並獲得香港足球總會董事局及香港特區政府足球專責小組的簽署。

• 職業聯賽已同意的準則：全新的職業聯賽將會於二○一四年展開，相關準則已編寫完成並與各球會分享，所有準則都建基於亞洲足協標準。

• 球會發展: 本地兩間甲組球會已經獲得亞洲足協評審並成功取得亞洲足協亞洲盃的牌照。南華體育會將參加二○一四年的亞冠盃賽事，這是香港首次成功派出代表參加這項亞洲頂級球會賽事。

• 改善青少年發展計劃：

           •       在恒基青少年聯賽中引入新年齡組別
           •       二○一一年大約有八千名參加者加入暑期青少年計劃，目前已超過一萬名

• 整合女子足球：

           •       全新的女子足球聯賽、女子U20足球聯賽於二○一三年十二月展開
           •       女子U13/U15和U18球隊的地區比賽和訓練

• 重新設計教練培訓課程及教學大綱：

           •       二○一三年開辦超過二十項課程（2011年有487名新教練，2013年有600名）
           •       註冊教練的人數激增23%

• 裁判培訓：(2011年162， 現階段221)

• 五人足球：倡議在全港小學推廣及舉行全港區際比賽

上述例子說明「鳳凰計劃」已在賽場內外取得成效，我們以此為基石作為日後的發展方向。

結論

為期三年的「鳳凰計劃」，目前只餘下一年的時間，三十三項建議方案中的十五項已經圓滿實施，其餘的則處於部分完成或進行中。事實上，我們在賽場內外已取得一定成功，因此不能控訴我們「毫無動靜」，不過本人同意足總可以在公共推廣上做得更好，將任何已完成的改革或成功案例公諸於世。

至於「比賽場外」，與兩年前比較，香港足球總會可謂今非昔比，我們在人事及管理上作出重大改變。我們是一個「符合目的」的組織，已有合適到位的策略計劃去改變香港足球狀況。無論在組織架構 以至方案策劃都需要時間執行，自然地大部分轉變都成為了「份內事」，公眾未必容易獲悉。我認為「鳳凰計劃」的「發展」階段已經大功告成。

關於「發放」及「比賽場上」，我們同樣取得顯著成效。香港代表隊在缺乏足夠的資源下，已取得標誌性的進步，從國際足協排名中獲得改善已可見一斑；香港U16代表隊已成功晉身亞洲足協決賽週，屬香港首次；我們成功取得球會牌照，得以參加亞冠盃賽事，亦屬香港首次；我們整合了女子足球及展開全新聯賽；我們擁有更多符合資格的教練、更多裁判培訓及在學校建立五人足球；我們有全新的草根足球計劃，以及透過規模不斷擴大的地區訓練計劃，讓更多青年人參與足球運動中。凡此種種，引證著所有目標都朝著正面發展，正所謂「聚沙成塔，集腋成裘」，引領香港足球事業邁向改變。

我們不能對目前改革的速度表示滿意，然而我們明白仍有更多事情有待完成。「鳳凰計劃」中部分基本建議仍舊「正在進行中」，但未來數月將有更多事項進入收成期，如二○一四年正式揭幕的香港職業聯賽。

有關重中之重的將軍澳足球發展中心，雖然其發展進度較我們預期落後，但現時已加緊步伐進行。香港足球總會已與香港賽馬會和特區政府共同籌劃中心工程，並希望能在二○一四年*早期發表更多實質性的消息（請參閱註腳）。

對於三年資助期後的展望，我們將需要投入更多資源來執行所有策略建議方案，但我們仍舊努力完成目標。倘若我們無法獲得所想的資源時，我們將會於選擇上出現困難，並會決定執行工作時的優先次序。未來數月，我們必須繼續前進，並與合作夥伴攜手為「鳳凰計劃」訂下的目標而努力。三年資助期將於二○一四年十月完結，我們必須展示該計劃值得繼續執行，並會游說政府及包含商業性質的合作夥伴以長遠方式繼續注資。我們由衷希望本港球圈的業界人士共同合力展示已取得的正面成果，以及支持香港足球事業應以長遠投資的方案為依歸，因為我們正身處在關鍵時刻中。

最近，香港電台電視部節目《鏗鏘集》播出有關「鳳凰計劃」的報道，本人藉此機會澄清一些失實的資料。據報道，在「鳳凰計劃」港幣六千萬元的撥款總額中，香港足球總會僅向政府申請了港幣二千五百萬元。事實上，足總申請並獲審批的金額為港幣五千八百萬元(百分之九十七)，必須明白足總在現階段並非所有項目的費用都已向政府報銷，因此某些支出所引起的費用才剛剛入帳，這屬於正常的現金流情況。事實上，足總亦和特區政府原則上達成協議，該計劃餘下的未獲分配金額(港幣二百萬元)亦會用於計劃之內。我們不知道該節目如何獲得相關失實數據，惟足總承諾所有撥款將會用得其所。

總結

就本人而言，對於香港足球總會和本地足球發展，毫無疑問「鳳凰計劃」依舊是一項合適的計劃，自計劃實施後，我們已取得進步和實際成果。縱使起步較慢及在改革上遇到不少阻力，我仍然滿意目前所取得的成果，但肯定不能自滿。我深明仍有大量工作必須完成，但我從不擔心任何惡意批評者的言論，因為改革總會遇上阻力，這是人之常情。有效的領導能力即指擁有清晰的視野及凡事都能看透的能力，我依舊承諾為香港體育事業的利益以及那些明白必須改變的廣大市民著想，繼續踏上香港足球的改革之路！

二○一三年十二月  行政總裁薜基輔   

*註腳：建議中的將軍澳足球發展中心將會興建在初期的山坡上，因此該地段不適合作為住宅發展用途。

上述內容以英文版本為準