Client News
Walker pleased with his shining Stars
Hong Kong, 14 May 2010 - Former England defender Des Walker was a happy man after seeing his team of ex-Premier League professionals win their opening match at the HKFC IP Global International Soccer Sevens on Friday.
The IP Global All Stars edged home 1-0 in a tough encounter with Hong Kong team Yau Yee Select Veterans, former Watford striker Tommy Mooney grabbing the only goal in the second half.
“It’s good to get off to a winning start, that’s the main thing,” said skipper Walker after the Pool C clash at Hong Kong Football Club.
“You forget how hard it is, playing in this heat, and we were a bit rusty. Once we got the goal, we kept the ball and eased ourselves into the tournament. Hopefully we can kick on tomorrow and play a little bit better.”
While the IP Global All Stars could reflect on a well-earned victory, other former Premier League players found the going more difficult.
The Andy Cole Jura All Stars went down to a surprise 1-0 defeat to Singapore Cricket Club Tigers in Pool D – former Singaporean international Nahar bin Daud grabbing the only goal in the first half.
Manchester United legend Cole stayed on the bench until four minutes from time, when he came on to loud cheers from the crowd, but was unable to rescue his team.
SCC Tigers manager Tony Moore was delighted with the result. “We didn’t play well here last year so to come out and get a win like that was great,” he said.
“Obviously when you’re drawn against the ex-pros you’re happy, although you know it’s going to be tough. But even though they had a lot of possession, I thought we played quite well. We’ve got some decent players.”
Bexton FC, who included ex-Manchester City brothers David and Ian Brightwell in their ranks, lost out 1-0 to Tai Po Veterans from Hong Kong in the other Pool D match.
Nottingham Forest Mobsters, with Nigel Jemson and Peter Davenport in their line-up, were another team who found the Soccer Sevens a struggle, losing 2-1 to Bangkok Airways FC in Pool B.
HKFC Veterans flew the flag for the hosts when they defeated Southampton Lloyds TSB All Stars 1-0 in Pool A.
But there were no such problems for the Gallic All Stars in the second Pool A match. They turned on the style against local side Kowloon Cricket Club, with former Moroccan international Mustapha Hadji on the scoresheet in a 3-1 victory.
The HKFC IP Global International Soccer Sevens continues all weekend through to the finals on Sunday evening. A total of 32 teams are taking part – 16 in the Main competition and 16 in the Masters.
The Main competition – which gets underway on Saturday – has become famous for unearthing the “stars of tomorrow” while the Masters section features former elite players from Europe’s top leagues.
The Main competition has a strong English Premier League presence with four-time Soccer Sevens champions Aston Villa, West Ham United, Birmingham City and debutants Sunderland.
Dutch giants Ajax are making their first appearance in the tournament and are joined by defending champions Glasgow Celtic and the team they defeated in last year’s final, city rivals Rangers.
A weekend pass (Saturday and Sunday) for the Soccer Sevens costs HK$200 per adult while a day pass (Saturday or Sunday) is HK$120 per adult. Admission on Friday evening is free for all spectators while children under the age of 16 are admitted free throughout the tournament.
Details of how to purchase tickets, plus a wealth of other information about the tournament, can be found at the official website, www.hksoccersevens.com.
Results – Masters
Pool A: Southampton Lloyds TSB All Stars 0 HKFC Veterans 1, Gallic All Stars 3 Kowloon Cricket Club 1.
Pool B: Art Gallery 1 HKFC Chairman’s Select 0, Nottingham Forest Mobsters 1 Bangkok Airways FC 2.
Pool C: Team Bondi 1 KFC Tokyo 1, IP Global All Stars 1 Yau Yee Select Veterans 0.
Pool D: Bexton FC 0 Tai Po Veterans 1, Andy Cole Jura All Stars 0 SCC Tigers 1.
About IP Global
IP Global (formerly Intellectual Property) sources property investments in emerging and recovering markets. The company has a unique approach; assisting clients in constructing a property investment portfolio tailored to their specific investment strategy and budget. IP Global focuses not only on where to invest but also removes the difficulties that independent investors face when buying property.
IP Global educates investors with the market knowledge required for potential and future investments. The extensive due diligence service provided gives clients the assurance to invest in remote markets which otherwise would not be accessible.
IP Global was launched in Hong Kong in September 2005 and now has offices in Singapore and Dubai to support a rapidly expanding client base and global ambitions. Since inception, IP Global has transacted a total of over US$700 million in property on behalf of its clients.
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Released on behalf of the HKFC IP Global International Soccer Sevens by Two Up Front – Asia’s sports PR specialists.