Australian-born Kitchee super fan John Philips pay

It is nothing new to hear Hong Kong football fans travelling to countries like England and Japan to watch their favorite football teams in action from close-quarters. However, it is also quite true that you do not often hear overseas fans heading all the way to Hong Kong to pay pilgrimage to his or her favorite football club. Australian-born Kitchee super fan John Philips earlier received a surprise 30th birthday-present from his wife, daughters and son that he would not soon forget, as his family sorted out his plane tickets and accommodation for a Hong Kong trip, arranged time-off from work with his employer without his notice, then communicated with Kitchee officials to arrange for all the training ground access, allowing Philips a unique, once-in-a-life-time birthday trip in town drenched with non-stop Kitchee football. While the March trip was actually Philips’ fourth time in Hong Kong, however, the Australian had only ever watched Kitchee live in action once. To make matters more challenging, Philips’ trip coincided with the recent international football break, thus preventing the Kitchee die-hard from watching his beloved Blues in live action once again. However, none of that managed to stop the Kitchee fanatic from enjoying his birthday trip. “Some of the Club officials were kind enough to give me a tour of the Jockey Club Kitchee Centre, then made arrangements for me to watch the first team training, as well as the friendly game against Malaysian side Pahang. I feel that the Kitchee facility is quite similar to what we have in the A-League back home, as everything needed is available to all the players, as well as a nicely maintained synthetic pitch for the players to train on,” Philips observed. “However, what stands out with Kitchee is that the Club does rent out its training pitch to the public when it is not in used, giving the Blues a more grass-root feeling than its A-League counterparts. You also cannot help but feel like there is a closer connection between the Club and the community.” Besides cheering for Kitchee, Philips is also a Western Sydney Wanderers supporter who also happens to root for Crystal Palace in the English Premier League. Philips maintains the unique environment of Hong Kong football has allowed him to fully enjoy his experience as a fan. “I enjoy the fact that as a Kitchee supporter, I can have easy access to the team that I support, giving me a close, personal relationship with the Club. Hong Kong football might not be as big as the A-League but after all, Hong Kong is merely a city while the A-League has the support of the whole country. However, while Hong Kong football might be smaller in scale, it nevertheless allows fans to have a much closer connection with the teams that they support, thus making the whole experience all the more unique.” Philips, who regularly relies on Kitchee’s official web site and social media platforms to stay updated with all the happenings surrounding the Club, sheds light on how he first fell in love with the Blues. “I first started following Hong Kong football several years ago when former Western Sydney Wanderers goalkeeper Jerrad Tyson first came to Hong Kong and played for one of the local clubs. I started communicating with Jerrad and he was kind enough to send me a kit of his, making me all the more interested with the football over here. Back then, I was still not a fan of any particular team in town but after carefully observing from afar, I started to feel a certain connection with Kitchee on how the Club presented itself, eventually becoming a fan of the side. Of course, it is also great that Kitchee’s club news are published in both Chinese and English, as it makes it easier for me to follow all the latest developments of the team and its players,” Philips acknowledged. Philips proudly names fellow countryman Jared Lum as his favorite Kitchee player but insists that rather than focusing on any individual, he is more impressed by the famous Kitchee fighting spirit. “It is always a proud moment to see one of your countrymen, such as Jared (Lum) playing abroad and earning their stripes. At the same time, it certainly makes it even more sweet when he happens to play for one of the clubs that you support,” Philips revealed. “Yet I follow Kitchee not because of how strong the team is or what it has won in the past. I like the Blues because of its spirited display on the pitch no matter winning or losing. This really gets me going. Kitchee plays every game like it is its last game, always going for the next goal no matter leading or trailing. Even at times when things are looking bleak, the team will always try hard to come back. That certainly does not happen to every side out there,” Philips explained. Time always seems to fly by quickly without much noticing, especially when one is enjoying himself. Before wrapping up his latest stay in Hong Kong, Philips managed to stuff his suitcase with a whole lot of Kitchee memorabilia brought from the Club shop and spoke about his favorite Kitchee moment over the past few days spent in Shek Mun. “It was a truly special experience to be able to spend time here and to talk to the Kitchee players. This might sound like a small thing to the others but it is a massive big deal for me. I cannot express how important this seemingly boundary-less connection is to a fan like myself because without fans, there will simply be no football. Or allow me to coin a phrase, “Football without fans is nothing”,” Philips concluded. Everyone associated with Kitchee is glad to be able to assist John and his family on his trip to visit the Blues in Hong Kong because we fully understand, “Football without fans is nothing”. Kitchee fans, thanks for being with us.