Hong Kong Premier League

Men's association football league in Hong Kong

Football league

Hong Kong Premier League

Founded| 2014; 11 years ago (2014)
Country| Hong Kong
Confederation| AFC
Number of clubs| 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
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

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.

## History

[edit]

On 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

[edit]

The 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

[edit]

Each 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 Hong Kong Premier League trophy.

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

[edit]

As of the 2024–25 season, a total of 9 teams currently participate in the Hong Kong Premier League.

Eastern
Kitchee

HKFC

Kowloon City

Lee Man

North District

Rangers

Southern

Tai Po

class=notpageimage|

Locations of the 2024–25 Hong Kong Premier League clubs

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

[edit]

Primary 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
|  |  |

## Champions

[edit]

See also: List of Hong Kong football champions

| No.  | Season  | Champion  | Runner-ups  | No. of teams  | No. of rounds

|
|
|
|
|

1 | 2014–15 | Kitchee | Eastern | 9 | 18
2 | 2015–16 | Eastern | Kitchee | 9 | 18
3 | 2016–17 | Kitchee | Eastern | 11 | 22
4 | 2017–18 | Kitchee | Tai Po | 10 | 18
5 | 2018–19 | Tai Po |  R&F | 10 | 18
6 | 2019–20 | Kitchee | Eastern | 10 | 18
7 | 2020–21 | Kitchee | Eastern | 8 | 17
8 | 2021–22 | Abandoned due to
COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong | 8 | 17
9 | 2022–23 | Kitchee | Lee Man | 10 | 18
10 | 2023–24 | Lee Man | Tai Po | 11 | 22
11 | 2024–25 |  |  | 9 | 27

### Titles by clubs

[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

[edit]

### Most 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.

## Attendance record

[edit]

Season  | No. of matches  | Total  | Average  | Highest  | Lowest

|
|
|
|
|

2014–15 | 72  | 75,431  | 1,048  | Kitchee 2–2 South China | 3,523  | Rangers 2–0 Yuen Long | 209
2015–16 | 72  | 73,334  | 1,019  | Eastern 3–1 South China | 4,130  | Rangers 5–0 Southern | 271
2016–17 | 110  | 101,222  | 920  | Eastern 1–4 Kitchee | 6,413  | R&F 5–3 Rangers | 100
2017–18 | 90  | 86,074  | 956  | Eastern 1–8 Kitchee | 5,415  | Rangers 1–1 Dreams FC | 233
2018–19 | 90  | 84,265  | 936  | Kitchee 1–1 Eastern | 3,489  | R&F 3–0 Hoi King | 99
2019–20 | 60  | 34,903  | 793  | Kitchee 5–0 Happy Valley | 2,772  | Rangers 1–7 R&F | 240
2020–21 | 68  | 72,560  | 1,067  | Kitchee 2–0 Eastern | 7,802  | Southern 4–1 Resources Capital | 308
2021–22 | 15  | 13,498  | 900  | Kitchee 1–0 Eastern | 3,163  | HK U23 2–2 HKFC | 260
2022–23 | 90  | 67,454  | 749  | Kitchee 2–2 Lee Man | 6,489  | HK U23 1–1 HKFC | 135
2023–24 | 110  | 63,490  | 577  | Kitchee 2–3 Lee Man | 2,310  | HKFC 5–0 Sham Shui Po | 79
2024–25 | 108  |  |  |  |  |  |

## Media coverage

[edit]

Live 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

[edit]

### Domestic tournaments

[edit]

* Senior Shield (1896–present)
* FA Cup (1975–present)
* Sapling Cup (2015–present)
* Reserve Division League / U22 League (1956–present)
* League Cup (2000–2009, 2010–2012, 2014–2016)
* Community Cup (2014–2018)
* HKPLC Cup (2023–24)

### Continental tournaments

[edit]

* AFC Champions League Two (2004–2016, 2019–2022, 2024–present)
* AFC Champions League Elite (2002–2003, 2014–2024)

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "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.
2. ^ 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.
3. ^ 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.
4. ^ "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.
5. ^ "Project Phoenix comes to an end". marksutcliffe.blogspot.com. 8 November 2014. Archived from the original on 25 March 2016. Retrieved 18 March 2016.
6. ^ 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.
7. ^ "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.
8. ^ 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
9. ^ (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.
10. ^ "【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.
11. ^ "The Hong Kong Football Podcast". Soundcloud. Archived from the original on 12 August 2020. Retrieved 24 June 2019.

## External links

[edit]

Portals:

* Hong Kong
* Association football

* Hong Kong Premier League on Facebook
* Hong Kong Premier League on Instagram
* Hong Kong Premier League at Soccerway

* v
* t
* e

Football in Hong Kong

The Hong Kong Football Association

National teams|

* Men's (Records, Results)
* Women's
* U-23
* U-20
* U-17
* Men's futsal
* Women's futsal

League system|

| Men|

* Premier League
* U22 Premier League
* Premier Youth League (U14, U16, U18)
* First Division
* Second Division
* Third Division

|

Women|

* Women League

Domestic cups|

* Senior Shield
* FA Cup
* Junior Division
* Sapling Cup

Interport competitions|

* Guangdong–Hong Kong Cup
* Women's Guangdong–Hong Kong Cup

Others|

* Lunar New Year Cup

Defunct competitions|

* Viceroy Cup
* HKFA Chairman's Cup
* League Cup
* Season play-offs
* Community Cup
* HKPLC Cup
* Hong Kong–Shanghai Inter Club Championship
* Junior Shield
* Third A Division
* Third District Division
* Fourth Division
* Elite Youth League
* Hong Kong–Macau Interport
* The Cross Straits, Hong Kong & Macau Football Competition for the Youth

Rivalries|

* China–Hong Kong (May 19 Incident)
* Pegasus–South China

Awards|

* Hong Kong Top Footballer Awards
* List of Hong Kong Top Footballers

Lists|

* List of men's clubs
* List of women's clubs
* List of champions
* List of seasons
* List of transfers
* List of venues

* Hong Kong League XI
* Players
* Foreign players (Top Division)
* Foreign players (First Division)
* Expatriate players
* Naturalised players
* Managers
* Referees

* v
* t
* e

Hong Kong Premier League

Seasons|

* 2014–15
* 2015–16
* 2016–17
* 2017–18
* 2018–19
* 2019–20
* 2020–21
* 2021–22
* 2022–23
* 2023–24
* 2024–25

Clubs|

| 2024–25|

* Eastern
* HKFC
* Kitchee
* Kowloon City
* Lee Man
* North District
* Rangers
* Southern
* Tai Po

|

Former|

* Dreams FC
* Happy Valley
* HK U23
* Hoi King
* Metro Gallery
* Pegasus
* Resources Capital
* R&F
* Sham Shui Po
* South China
* Wong Tai Sin
* Yuen Long

Lists and statistics|

* Champions
* Hat-tricks
* Seasons
* Transfers
* Venues

Associated competitions|

* FA Cup
* Senior Shield
* Sapling Cup
* U22 League
* AFC Champions League Two

* v
* t
* e

Top-level football leagues of Asia (AFC)

Current|

* Afghanistan
* Australia
* Bahrain
* Bangladesh
* Bhutan
* Brunei
* Cambodia
* China
* East Timor
* Guam
* Hong Kong
* India
* Indonesia
* Iran
* Iraq
* Japan
* Jordan
* Kuwait
* Kyrgyzstan
* Laos
* Lebanon
* Macau
* Malaysia
* Maldives
* Mongolia
* Myanmar
* Nepal
* North Korea
* Northern Mariana Islands†
* Oman
* Pakistan
* Palestine
* Gaza Strip
* West Bank
* Philippines
* Qatar
* Saudi Arabia
* Singapore
* South Korea
* Sri Lanka
* Syria
* Taiwan
* Tajikistan
* Thailand
* Turkmenistan
* United Arab Emirates
* Uzbekistan
* Vietnam
* Yemen

Defunct|

* North Vietnam
* South Vietnam
* South Yemen

* † Associated members

*[Apps]: Appearances
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