Hong Kong Rangers FC
Hong Kong Rangers Football Club (Chinese: 流浪足球會), often abbreviated to Rangers, currently known as Biu Chun Rangers due to sponsorship reasons, is a Hong Kong football club which currently competes in the Hong Kong Premier League. They have won the Hong Kong First Division once, the Senior Shield 4 times, and the Hong Kong FA Cup twice.
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| Full name | Hong Kong Rangers Football Club | ||
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| Founded | 1958, as Rangers Football Team 1960, as Hong Kong Rangers FC | ||
| Ground | Tuen Mun Tang Shiu Kin Sports Ground | ||
| Capacity | 2,200 | ||
| President | Peter Mok | ||
| Director of Football | Philip Lee | ||
| Co-Head coaches | Chiu Chung Man Wong Chin Hung | ||
| League | Hong Kong Premier League | ||
| 2019–20 | Withdrew | ||
| Website | Club website | ||
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History
Formation to 2000
The club was founded in 1958 by a Scottish expatriate from Glasgow named Ian Petrie. He named his club after Rangers. It was the first Asian football club with a modern football club managing system. In the early days, the club could not compete with the bigger clubs financially so Petrie relied on young players and the team was known as a breeding ground for young players. Kwok Ka Ming was the best known players discovered by Petrie in the 1960s. In 1970, the club brought three Scottish professional players to Hong Kong. They were the first European professional players to play in the Hong Kong League, opening a new chapter in Hong Kong's football history. Great players such as Ian Taylor, Joe Brennan, Jimmy Liddell, and Derek Currie were a few to name. More were to follow in the 1980s such as Steve Paterson, Jimmy Bone and Tommy Nolan.
2000–2018
Since 12 October 2001, the club had been named after its sponsor, Buler, resulting in the name Buler Rangers up until Summer 2006. On 15 September 2007, the club announced that it has secured a large sponsorship from Bulova, a watch brand which used to fund a famous Hong Kong football team decades ago, and used Bulova Rangers as the team name.
In 2011, the team changed their name as Kam Fung. They were the champions of the 2011–12 Hong Kong Second Division and were promoted to the Hong Kong First Division. The club has since renamed itself as Biu Chun Rangers due to being sponsorship by Biu Chun Watch Hands (except for the 2016–17 season when the club was renamed as Lee Man Rangers due to sponsorship reasons).
In the early part of the 2000s, Rangers' investment in youth player produced various Hong Kong internationals including Chan Wai Ho, Man Pei Tak, Lam Ka Wai and Lo Kwan Yee. However, this investment dried up in the later part of the 2010s resulting in lower budgets and declining performances of the club.[1]
2018–
Following a last place finish in the 2017–18 Hong Kong Premier League, Rangers were relegated back the First Division after a six-year stay in the top flight.[2] Former Hong Kong international Wong Chin Hung was hired as the club's head coach.
Despite a third place finish in the 2018–19 season, Rangers were promoted back into the Hong Kong Premier League on 15 July 2019 following Dreams FC's decision to self-relegate.[3] However, in April 2020, Rangers announced that they would withdraw from the league due to the 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Hong Kong.
Team staff
| Position | Staff |
|---|---|
| Director of football |  |
| Co-head coaches | |
| Assistant coach | |
| Assistant coach | |
| Goalkeeping coach | |
| Technical director | |
| Team manager | |
Source:
Current squad
First Team
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Remarks:
LP These players are registered as local players in Hong Kong domestic football competitions.
FP These players are registered as foreign players.
Reserve team squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Continental record
| Season | Competition | Round | Club | Home | Away | Aggregate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995–96 | Asian Cup Winners Cup | First round | bye | |||
| Second round |  |
1–3 | 4–2 | 3–7 |
Honours
Major trophies are listed below.
Cup competitions
- Hong Kong Senior Shield
- Champions (4): 1965–66, 1970–71, 1974–75, 1994–95
- Runners-up (2): 1975–76, 1981–82
- Hong Kong Viceroy Cup
- Champions (2): 1973–74, 1974–75
Seasons
| Season | Team name | League | Pos. | Pl. | W | D | L | GS | GA | P | Senior Shield |
FA Cup | League Cup | Junior Shield |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005–06 | Buler Rangers | D1 | 3 | 14 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 24 | 19 | 24 | First round | First round | Group stage | — | Hong Kong–Shanghai Championship – Runners-up Cite du Louvre Cup – 3rd |
| 2006–07 | Rangers | D1 | 4 | 18 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 23 | 19 | 28 | First round | Semi-finals | Group stage | — | |
| 2007–08 | Bulova Rangers | D1 | 10 | 18 | 2 | 9 | 7 | 19 | 35 | 15 | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Group stage | — | Relegated to D2 |
| 2008–09 | Rangers | D2 | 6 | 18 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 32 | 32 | 23 | — | — | — | First round | |
| 2009–10 | Ongood | D2 | 4 | 16 | 10 | 1 | 5 | 49 | 31 | 31 | — | — | — | — | |
| 2010–11 | Biu Chun | D2 | 7 | 22 | 9 | 4 | 9 | 37 | 38 | 31 | — | — | — | Third round | |
| 2011–12 | Kam Fung | D2 | 1 | 22 | 16 | 2 | 4 | 69 | 24 | 50 | — | — | — | Second round | Promoted to First Division League |
Remarks:
FP These players are registered as foreign players.
Retired numbers
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Managers
See also
- Fourway Athletics
References
- Chan, Sun Jiu; So, Chi Yeung. "亞洲首支職業隊 本地波「兵工廠」造星無數". HK01. Retrieved 22 April 2018. (in Chinese)
- "流浪主場不敵富力 提早兩輪篤定包尾 降班或獲挽留仍是未知數". Ming Pao. Retrieved 22 April 2018. (in Chinese)
- Yuen, Chi Ho. "足總通過夢想退賽申請 港甲季軍標準流浪獲邀升班". HK01. Retrieved 15 July 2019. (in Chinese)