Vietnam cheer their football team in SEA games final

It is the South East Asia Games under 23 football final and the whole of Vietnam has turned out to watch. Every television, bar and hotel is filled with supporters. If they win; “tonight the streets will be full of speeding motorcycles, tomorrow the hospitals!” to quote one taxi driver. The women’s team yesterday won a gold medal in their football final so the pressure is on the young men!

STOP PRESS……… They lost to Malaysia 1-0 AiyeeeeeeH!

With 3000 plus software engineers employed by Harvey Nash in Vietnam and having worked in the country for over 9 years I have learned the quickest way to make friends and get talking in Vietnam is to mention football. The English Premier league is followed avidly and most Vietnamese are keen to discuss every game. A poll of our Software development team shows a pretty even split of support between Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool so you can imagine the banter in the office. This is not a male domain; more than 50% of our team are female who are just as passionate about football.

A couple of years ago Arsenal FC announced a deal with Vietnamese club Hoang Anh Gia Lai to capitalise on the potential 86million supporter. As the 13th most populous country on the planet the potential consumer market is just remarkable.

Not that I am an Arsenal support but I mentioned Portsmouth FC and the changed the subject rapidly! I have met a Fulham support and Lord Digby Jones, when he visited our Software Development Centre in Hanoi didn’t manage to find a single Aston Villa supporter although they must exist?

December 17, 2009 12:36 PM | Permalink