Tai Po backers deny they’ll pull plug on team, say Hong Kong champions have full support

The family who bankroll Hong Kong Premier League side Tai Po say they are fully committed to the reigning champions, but any decision over the club’s future beyond this season belongs to president Peter Lam Yick-kuen.

Sources previously told the South China Morning Post that Francis and Catherine Yip were ending their involvement, and after being beaten by Southern last weekend, head coach Lee Chi-kin said he did not know how much cash the Yips planned to invest next season.

But Francis Yip, who said he and his wife’s attachment to Tai Po stemmed from their friendship with Lam, the chairman of Tai Po Rural Committee, underlined the pair’s desire to help the club establish itself as a force in local and continental football.

“Ultimately, the decision over the direction of Tai Po is for the president, not for us, and everything will be clearer at the end of this month,” Yip said. “We’re not the owners, we’re the financial supporters and we became involved because of our friendship with Peter.

“We don’t live in Tai Po, but we saw an opportunity to help the club, to help the players and their families and also to give chances to youngsters in the district to play football. It’s been a fabulous period in our lives and we want it to carry on.

“We can never guarantee success on the pitch, nobody can, but we want to give the club every chance of bringing more joy to the district.”