The Hong Kong Premier League (Chinese: 香港超級聯賽) is a Hong Kong professional football league organised by the Football Association of Hong Kong, China. It is currently sponsored by BOC Life and officially known as BOC Life Hong Kong Premier League (Chinese: 中銀人壽香港超級聯賽). The inaugural season began in September 2014. It is the top-division football league in Hong Kong.
 | |
| Founded | 2014 |
|---|---|
| Country | Hong Kong |
| Confederation | AFC |
| Number of teams | 9 |
| Level on pyramid | 1 |
| Relegation to | Hong Kong First Division |
| Domestic cup(s) | Hong Kong FA Cup Hong Kong Senior Challenge Shield Hong Kong Sapling Cup Hong Kong Premier League Committee Cup |
| International cup(s) | AFC Champions League Two |
| Current champions | Lee Man (1st title) (2023–24) |
| Most championships | Kitchee (6 titles) |
| TV partners | on.cc RTHK |
| Website | hkfa.com |
| Current: 2024–25 Hong Kong Premier League | |
History
editOn 7 February 2013, the Hong Kong Football Association stated that the new Premier League would get under way in Autumn 2014, where it was suggested that the 2013–14 season would be a transition year.[1] As a result, the 2013–14 Hong Kong First Division League was the last season of the First Division to be the top tier of football in the Hong Kong league system.
The clubs already in the top division initially reacted negatively to the perceived increased running costs of competing in a professional league, particularly one where some felt that there was little difference to the old First Division.[2] Five clubs – Citizen, Southern, Sun Hei, Happy Valley and Tuen Mun all eventually decided against joining the new league, which led to fears that the HKFA's plan to start the league with a minimum of 8 teams would not be possible.[3] In the end, however, through public funding and government support, two teams from the Hong Kong Second Division were able to meet the new league licence requirements and were promoted, making a total of 9 teams for the first season.[4]
With the recent completion of 'Project Phoenix' which started in 2011, the league has seen some improvements with further amendments planned for the future. This includes a new five-year funding agreement, a new licensing scheme for league member clubs, prize money for all participating teams and new measures put in place against corruption and match-fixing.[5]
Kitchee were crowned as champions of the inaugural season, after amassing a total of 36 points in the league with only 2 losses. Tai Po finished bottom of the league with only 7 points.
The following season, Eastern won the league with a game to spare, winning their first top flight championship in 20 years. They also created history, as they were the first team in the world to win a top flight men's title whilst being managed by a female coach. Wong Tai Sin were relegated after finishing last in the league.
In the 2016–17 season, Kitchee reclaimed the title on the final day of the season in a showdown with rivals Eastern, a game which they won 4–1. Eastern later won the End-of-Season playoffs and will therefore also compete along with Kitchee in the 2018 AFC Champions League. HKFC finished bottom of the table, and were thus automatically relegated to the First Division.
Kitchee successfully defended their title in the 2017–18 season, becoming the first club to repeat as champions the following year.
In the 2018–19 season, Tai Po won the league, becoming the first district team to win a top flight title since Yuen Long in 1962–63.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021–22 season was curtailed and ultimately cancelled, with the championship withheld: this was the first time a top flight league season had been cancelled since the Second World War.
Since 2022–23 season, the Premier League Committee was established. The committee focuses on promoting the Hong Kong Premier League in the market and seeking commercial sponsorships, and achieving box office revenue sharing.[6]
In the 2023–24 season, the video assistant referee (VAR) review system was introduced.[7] Lee Man won the league with a game to spare, winning their first ever top flight championship.
Format
editThe first season kicked off in September 2014, with 9 teams competing for the championship. It was initially suggested that a relegation system would not apply for the first few seasons, and that teams would continue to be promoted to the top-tier league until there were 12 member clubs.[8] In the end, however, the HKFA decided that one club would be relegated and one club would be promoted from the 2014–15 Hong Kong First Division League.[9]
By 2016–17, the league had expanded to 11 teams. The HKFA promoted Tai Po and HKFC who had finished at the top of the 2015–16 Hong Kong First Division into the league while adding expansion teams Hong Kong Sapling and R&F. Wong Tai Sin were relegated from the previous season and Metro Gallery chose to self relegate due to financial difficulties.
For the 2017–18 season, the league moved down to ten teams after Hong Kong's most successful and longest running top flight club South China chose to relegate themselves to the First Division in a shock move after the departure of their chairman, and them failing to find suitable financial means to keep the club in the Premier League. HKFC were also relegated after finishing bottom of the table.
The current champions of the league and the champions of the Hong Kong FA Cup qualify for the group stage of the AFC Champions League Two. Previously the FA Cup winners and the teams finishing in 2nd, 3rd and 4th competed in an end of season playoff for the final spot in the AFC Champions League, but this format was abolished after the 2016–17 season.
Reserve League
editEach Hong Kong Premier League team form their own reserve team which competes in the Hong Kong Reserve Division League (Chinese: 香港預備組聯賽).
Prize money
edit
The structure of the prize money is as below.[10]
| Final placing | Prize money (HK$) |
|---|---|
| Champion | 720,000 |
| Second | 324,000 |
| Third | 216,000 |
| Fourth | 162,000 |
| Fifth | 126,000 |
| Sixth | 90,000 |
| Seventh | 72,000 |
| Eighth | 54,000 |
| Ninth | 36,000 |
Clubs
editAs of the 2024–25 season, a total of 9 teams currently participate in the Hong Kong Premier League.
| 2024–25 Club | 2023–24 Position | Founded | Home Stadium | First season | Total seasons | First season of current spell | No. of season of current spell | No. of titles |
Most recent titles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern | 3rd | 1932 | Mong Kok Stadium | 2014–15 | 11 | 2014–15 | 11 | 1 | 2015–16 |
| HKFC | 7th | 1886 | HKFC Stadium | 2016–17 | 5 | 2021–22 | 4 | 0 | – |
| Kitchee | 4th | 1931 | Mong Kok Stadium | 2014–15 | 11 | 2014–15 | 11 | 6 | 2022–23 |
| Kowloon City | 1st in First Division | 2002 | Sham Shui Po Sports Ground | 2024–25 | 1 | 2024–25 | 1 | 0 | – |
| Lee Man | 1st | 2017 | Tseung Kwan O Sports Ground | 2017–18 | 8 | 2017–18 | 8 | 1 | 2023–24 |
| North District | 8th | 2002 | North District Sports Ground | 2023–24 | 2 | 2023–24 | 2 | 0 | – |
| Rangers | 6th | 1958 | Tsing Yi Sports Ground | 2014–15 | 10 | 2019–20 | 6 | 0 | – |
| Southern | 5th | 2002 | Aberdeen Sports Ground | 2015–16 | 10 | 2015–16 | 10 | 0 | – |
| Tai Po | 2nd | 2002 | Tai Po Sports Ground | 2014–15 | 8 | 2022–23 | 3 | 1 | 2018–19 |
- Yellow denotes a newly promoted club entering the league this year.
| Defunct / Relegated teams | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Founded | First season | Last season | Total seasons | 2024–25 season status | |
| Wong Tai Sin | 1979 | 2014–15 | 2015–16 | 2 | First Division | |
| YFCMD / Dreams Metro Gallery | 2008 | 2014–15 | 2015–16 | 2 | First Division | |
| South China | 1910 | 2014–15 | 2016–17 | 3 | First Division | |
| Biu Chun Glory Sky / Dreams FC | 2011 | 2016–17 | 2018–19 | 3 | Defunct | |
| Hoi King | 2015 | 2018–19 | 2018–19 | 1 | First Division | |
| R&F | 2016 | 2016–17 | 2019–20 | 4 | Defunct | |
| Yuen Long | 1958 | 2014–15 | 2019–20 | 6 | First Division | |
| Happy Valley | 1950 | 2019–20 | 2020–21 | 2 | Defunct | |
| Pegasus | 2008 | 2014–15 | 2020–21 | 7 | Third Division | |
| Resources Capital | 1982 | 2020–21 | 2023–24 | 4 | First Division | |
| HK U23 | 2021 | 2021–22 | 2023–24 | 3 | Defunct | |
| Sham Shui Po | 2002 | 2022–23 | 2023–24 | 2 | First Division | |
Timeline
edit
Current members Former members
Stadia and locations
editPrimary venues used in the Hong Kong Premier League:
| Eastern Kitchee |
HKFC | Kowloon City | Lee Man |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mong Kok Stadium | HKFC Stadium | Sham Shui Po Sports Ground | Tseung Kwan O Sports Ground |
| Capacity: 6,664 | Capacity: 2,750 | Capacity: 2,194 | Capacity: 3,500 |
|
|
|
|
| North District | Rangers | Southern | Tai Po |
| North District Sports Ground | Tsing Yi Sports Ground | Aberdeen Sports Ground | Tai Po Sports Ground |
| Capacity: 2,500 | Capacity: 1,500 | Capacity: 9,000 | Capacity: 3,200 |
|
|
|
|
List of seasons
edit
|
Wins by club
edit| Club | Wins | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Kitchee | 6 | 2014–15, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2022–23 |
| Eastern | 1 | 2015–16 |
| Tai Po | 1 | 2018–19 |
| Lee Man | 1 | 2023–24 |
Players record
editMost appearances
edit- As of the end of the 2023–24 season
| Rank | Player | Apps |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Yapp Hung Fai
|
153 |
| 2 | Fernando
|
136 |
| Lo Kwan Yee
| ||
| 4 | Leung Chun Pong
|
134 |
| 5 | Leung Kwun Chung
|
131 |
| 6 | Lee Ka Yiu
|
130 |
| 7 | Cheng Siu Kwan
|
127 |
| Roberto Júnior
| ||
| Wong Chun Ho
| ||
| 10 | Wong Wai
|
123 |
| Everton Camargo
|
Bolded players still playing in Hong Kong Premier League.
Top scorers
edit- As of the end of the 2023–24 season
| Rank | Player | Goals | Apps | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sandro |
62 | 96 | 0.66 |
| Giovane |
62 | 103 | 0.6 | |
| Everton Camargo |
62 | 122 | 0.51 | |
| 4 | Stefan Pereira |
58 | 110 | 0.53 |
| 5 |  Lucas Silva |
56 | 82 | 0.68 |
| 6 | Manolo Bleda |
48 | 74 | 0.65 |
| 7 | Wellingsson |
38 | 111 | 0.34 |
| 8 |  Dejan Damjanović |
36 | 31 | 1.16 |
 Travis Major |
36 | 57 | 0.63 | |
| Fernando |
36 | 136 | 0.26 |
Bold denotes players still playing in the Hong Kong Premier League.
Media coverage
editLive matches and highlights shows are provided through ontv and RTHK TV in Cantonese.
With regards to English coverage, the official HKFA website, and to a lesser extent the South China Morning Post, provide match reports, player interviews, club information and league data. The Hong Kong Football Podcast also covers the HKPL on a fortnightly basis.[11]
Other tournaments
editDomestic tournaments
edit- Senior Shield (1896–present)
- FA Cup (1975–present)
- Sapling Cup (2015–present)
- Reserve Division League / U22 League (1956–present)
- HKPLC Cup (2023–present)
- League Cup (2000–2009, 2010–2012, 2014–2016)
- Community Cup (2014–2018)
Continental tournaments
edit- AFC Champions League Two (2004–2016, 2019–2022, 2024–present)
- AFC Champions League Elite (2002–2003, 2014–2024)
References
edit- ^ "Hong Kong soccer body seeks HK$20m in sponsorship for new Premier League". South China Morning Post. 7 February 2013. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 2 April 2013.
- ^ Chan, Kin-Wa (9 July 2014). "New Hong Kong Premier League no different to First Division: Peter Leung". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on 12 April 2016. Retrieved 18 March 2016.
- ^ Chan, Kin-Wa (26 May 2014). "Premier League's viability in doubt as HKFA deadline looms". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on 11 January 2018. Retrieved 18 March 2016.
- ^ "Cash-Strapped District Clubs Thrown 'Lifeline' To Take Part In Hong Kong Premier League". Sports Business Daily. Archived from the original on 11 January 2018. Retrieved 18 March 2016.
- ^ "Project Phoenix comes to an end". marksutcliffe.blogspot.com. 8 November 2014. Archived from the original on 25 March 2016. Retrieved 18 March 2016.
- ^ 高詩琦 (20 August 2022). "港超聯賽會試辦三年推票房共享 伍健：傑志球迷可為東方南區打氣". 香港01 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Retrieved 1 September 2024.
- ^ "Hong Kong Football Association to invest HK$10 million in VAR system". South China Morning Post. 22 June 2022. Archived from the original on 30 June 2023. Retrieved 30 June 2023.
- ^ 改革港足長遠擬增博彩 鳳凰計劃拍板 Archived 2 January 2017 at the Wayback Machine in Chinese, from Apple Daily
- ^ (in Chinese)"港超聯搵埋贊助玩大佢". Oriental Daily. 22 August 2014. Archived from the original on 26 August 2014. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
- ^ "【港超聯】球會建議成立新港超賽會：開源節流望長遠自負盈虧". Yahoo Sports (in Chinese). 29 June 2022. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
- ^ "The Hong Kong Football Podcast". Soundcloud. Archived from the original on 12 August 2020. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
External links
edit
- Hong Kong Premier League on Facebook
- Hong Kong Premier League on Instagram
- Hong Kong Premier League at Soccerway