Long before King's Park Sports Ground became the top class facility it is now, it was known more commonly as BMH (British Military Hospital) and was managed by the British Forces in Hong Kong. The site consisted of a football pitch (Pitch 3), hockey pitch (Pitch 2), which also served as the helicopter landing pad for emergency evacuations, and rugby pitch (pitch 1). Before the handover of Hong Kong to China, pitch 3 saw several teams playing home games among them Squadron, USRC and for the longest period, the mighty Dynamo, a team formed in 1986 by Civil Servants in Hong Kong with a passion for football. Among the founders of the team was Chris Williams. Chris served on the league committee for many years in various roles and was a key driver, using his influence within government, in ensuring the facility was not rezoned as housing. The Government Property Agency agreed to keep the site for sport and the King's Park Sports Association (KPSA) was formed to oversee the management (which initially included volunteers cutting the grass and marking pitches) of the pitches and the venue was subsequently leased to the HKRFU who have funded the development of the 3 pitches, changing rooms, clubhouse and floodlights. King's Park now hosts the vast majority of YYL matches and allows league teams to train once a week throughout the season. Chris' influence and hard work in ensuring King's Park remained a sport ground (and not another housing complex) and that historical users (like the YYL) maintained, and increased, their usage, is the stuff of legends. Thank you Chris from all past, present and future YYL members.
All In The YYL |
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Chris Williams - Yau Yee League Legend
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