Hong Kong Premier League
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| Country |  Hong Kong |
|---|---|
| Confederation | AFC |
| Founded | 2014 |
| Number of teams | 9 |
| Level on pyramid | 1 |
| Relegation to | Hong Kong First Division League |
| Domestic cup(s) | Hong Kong Senior Shield Hong Kong FA Cup Hong Kong League Cup Hong Kong Sapling Cup |
| International cup(s) | AFC Champions League AFC Cup |
| Current champions | Eastern (2015–16) |
| Most championships | South China AA (41 titles) |
| TV partners | ontv |
| Website | http://www.hkfa.com/ |
 2015–16 Hong Kong Premier League |
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Hong Kong Premier League (Chinese: 香港超級聯賽) is a Hong Kong professional league for men's association football clubs organised by the Hong Kong Football Association. It is currently sponsored by BOCG Life and officially known as BOCG Life Hong Kong Premier League (Chinese: 中銀集團人壽香港超級聯賽). The inaugural season began in September 2014, and was won by Kitchee SC.
Contents
History
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 license 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.
Format
The first season kicked of 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.[6] 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.[7]
The winners of the league are entered into the second qualifying round of the AFC Champions League, while the Hong Kong FA Cup winners and teams finishing in 2nd, 3rd and 4th compete in a playoff for a place in the AFC Cup. If the FA Cup winners finish in the top four, then the extra playoff spot goes to the 5th place team.
Prize money
The structure of the prize money for the inaugural season is as below.[7]
| Final placing | Prize money (HK$) |
|---|---|
| Champion | 480,000 |
| Second | 216,000 |
| Third | 144,000 |
| Fourth | 108,000 |
| Fifth | 84,000 |
| Sixth | 60,000 |
| Seventh | 48,000 |
| Eighth | 36,000 |
| Ninth | 24,000 |
Current Season
A total of 9 teams will contest the 2015–16 season, including eight of the original nine sides from the 2014–15 Hong Kong Premier League as well as Southern FC who were promoted from the 2014–15 Hong Kong First Division League. Tai Po FC finished bottom of the table and are relegated to the Hong Kong First Division. Hong Kong First Division champions Sun Source FC declined promotion due to financial difficulties.
| Club | Year Founded | Home Stadium | Shirt Sponsor | Position Last Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kitchee | 1931 | Mong Kok Stadium | Jockey Club Kitchee Centre | 1st |
| Eastern | 1932 | Mong Kok Stadium | Dreams Foundation | 2nd |
| Pegasus | 2008 | Hong Kong Stadium | N/A | 3rd (as Sun Pegasus) |
| South China | 1909 | Tseung Kwan O Sports Ground | Panasonic | 4th |
| Dreams Metro Gallery | 2012 | Sham Shui Po Sports Ground | Fu Ho Restaurant | 5th (as YFCMD) |
| Yuen Long | 1958 | Yuen Long Stadium | Itacho Sushi | 6th |
| Hong Kong Rangers | 1960 | Kowloon Bay Park | Kunne | 7th |
| Wong Tai Sin | 1971 | Hammer Hill Sports Ground | N/A | 8th |
| Southern | 2002 | Aberdeen Sports Ground | Kwoon Chung Motors ISUZU |
3rd (Promoted) |
- Pink background denotes a club promoted from the 2014-15 Hong Kong First Division
Stadiums
Primary venues used in the Hong Kong Premier League:
| Kitchee & Eastern | Pegasus | South China | Dreams Metro Gallery |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mong Kok Stadium | Hong Kong Stadium | Tseung Kwan O Sports Ground | Sham Shui Po Sports Ground |
| Capacity: 6,664 | Capacity: 40,000 | Capacity: 3,500 | Capacity: 2,194 |
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| Yuen Long | Hong Kong Rangers | Wong Tai Sin | Southern |
| Yuen Long Stadium | Kowloon Bay Park | Hammer Hill Sports Ground | Aberdeen Sports Ground |
| Capacity: 5,000 | Capacity: 1,500 | Capacity: 2,200 | Capacity: 4,000 |
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Media coverage
Live matches and highlights shows are provided free of charge through online website on.cc in Cantonese.
With regards to English coverage, the official Hong Kong Football Association website, and to a lesser extent the South China Morning Post, provide match reports, player interviews, club information and league data.
Offside.hk[8] is also an excellent source of information on football in Hong Kong for English speakers.
Other tournaments
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- Domestic Tournaments
- Hong Kong First Division League
- Hong Kong FA Cup (1975–present)
- Hong Kong League Cup (2000–present)
- Hong Kong Senior Challenge Shield (1896–present)
- International Tournaments
References
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- ↑ 改革港足長遠擬增博彩 鳳凰計劃拍板 in Chinese, from Apple Daily
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