Hong Kong Rangers Football Club (Chinese: 香港流浪足球會), often abbreviated to Rangers, currently known as Biu Chun Rangers due to sponsorship reasons, is a Hong Kong professional football club which currently competes in the Hong Kong Premier League. They have won the Hong Kong First Division once, the Senior Shield four times, the Hong Kong FA Cup twice and the Sapling Cup once.

Rangers
Full nameHong Kong Rangers Football Club
Founded1958; 66 years ago (1958) (as Rangers Football Team)
GroundTsing Yi Sports Ground
Capacity1,500
PresidentPeter Mok
Head coachWong Chin Hung
LeagueHong Kong Premier League
2023–246th
Websitehttps://www.facebook.com/hkrangers/

History

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Formation to 2000

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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. Winner of the Ballon d’Or at 22, European champion and dubbed “El Beatle” - George Best came just a year before he finally retired from the game and played once for Hong Kong Rangers in 1982.

2000–2018

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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–present

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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]

In 2019–20, Rangers were one of four teams that withdrew from the Premier League season due to the 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Hong Kong.

In the 2022–23 season, Rangers finished 3rd within the Hong Kong Premier League in which they secured one of the two qualification play-off spots where they will make their AFC Champions League debut.[4]

In the 2023–24 season, Rangers became the champions of the Hong Kong Sapling Cup for the first time, which was also their first title in 29 years.

Name history

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  • 1958–1995: Rangers (香港流浪)
  • 1995–1997: UHLSPORT Rangers (UHLSPORT流浪)
  • 1997–1999: Rangers (香港流浪)
  • 1999: Rangers (奇利寶流浪)
  • 1999–2001: Rangers (香港流浪)
  • 2001–2006: Buler Rangers (澎馬流浪)
  • 2006–2007: Rangers (香港流浪)
  • 2007–2008: Bulova Rangers (寶路華流浪)
  • 2008–2009: Rangers (香港流浪)
  • 2009–2010: Ongood (安華)
  • 2010–2011: Biu Chun (標準錶針)
  • 2011–2012: Kam Fung (金鋒科技)
  • 2012–2016: Biu Chun Rangers (標準流浪)
  • 2016–2017: Lee Man Rangers (理文流浪)
  • 2017–: Biu Chun Rangers (標準流浪)

Team staff

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Position Staff
General Secretary   Philip Lee
Manager   Wong Chin Hung
Assistant coach   Lam Ka Wai
Assistant coach   Lo Kwan Yee
Assistant coach   Fernando Lopes
Goalkeeping coach   Cheung Wai Hong
Physiotherapist   Kevin Leung
Technical and Administrative director   Fung Wing Shing

Source: [citation needed]

Current squad

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First team

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As of 25 November 2024

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK   HKG Lo Siu Kei
4 DF   HKG Leung Wai Fung
5 DF   JPN Ryota Hayashi FP
7 FW   HKG Lau Chi Lok (captain)
9 FW   HKG Wong To Lam
11 MF   ISR Barak Braunshtain LP
12 MF   HKG Lee Ching
13 DF   JPN Shunya Suganuma FP
14 FW   HKG Ma Yung Sang
17 DF   HKG Loong Tsz Hin
18 MF   KOR Kim Do-hyun FP
19 DF   HKG Yiu Ho Ming
20 MF   USA Sebastian Nicot FP
21 MF   HKG Cheung Ching Wan
22 MF   HKG Chan Yiu Cho
No. Pos. Nation Player
23 DF   JPN Makoto Rindo FP
25 MF   HKG Leung Hoi Chun
26 MF   JPN Akito Okamoto FP
30 GK   UKR Oleksii Shliakotin FP
32 MF   HKG Li Wing Ho
33 DF   BRA Fernando Lopes FP
37 FW   HKG Chang Kwong Yin
56 MF   HKG Lau Yin Hong
58 DF   HKG Milos Wong
59 FW   HKG Chow Yee Hin
77 FW   BRA Luizinho FP
93 DF   HKG Daniel Yen
99 GK   HKG Chan Kun Sun

Remarks:
LP These players are considered as local players in Hong Kong domestic football competitions.
FP These players are registered as foreign players.

Out on loan

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Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
MF   CHN Yang Bailin (on loan at   Tuen Mun)
MF   HKG Chiu Ching Yu (on loan at   BFB Pattaya City)

Continental record

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Season Competition Round Club Home Away Aggregate
1995–96 Asian Cup Winners Cup First round bye
Second round   Yokohama Flügels 1–3 2–4 3–7
2023–24 AFC Champions League Preliminary stage   Haiphong 1–4 (aet)

Honours

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League

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Cup competitions

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Season-to-season record

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Season Tier Division Teams Position Home Stadium Attendance/G FA Cup Senior Shield League Cup Sapling Cup
2000–01 1 First Division 8 6 Quarter-finals Group Stage Not held
2001–02 1 First Division 7 4 Semi-finals Runners-up
2002–03 1 First Division 8 3 Runners-up Semi-finals
2003–04 1 First Division 10 4 First Round Semi-finals
2004–05 1 First Division 9 4 Quarter-finals Quarter-finals Semi-finals
2005–06 1 First Division 8 3 Quarter-finals Quarter-finals Group Stage
2006–07 1 First Division 10 4 Semi-finals First Round Group Stage
2007–08 1 First Division 10 10 Quarter-finals Quarter-finals Group Stage
2008–09 2 Second Division 10 6 Did not enter Did not enter Did not enter
2009–10 2 Second Division 9 4 Not held
2010–11 2 Second Division 12 7 Did not enter
2011–12 2 Second Division 12 1
2012–13 1 First Division 10 6 Sham Shui Po Sports Ground 868 Quarter-finals First Round Not held
2013–14 1 First Division 12 5 Sham Shui Po Sports Ground 472 Semi-finals Quarter-finals
2014–15 1 Premier League 9 7 Kowloon Bay Park 485 Quarter-finals Quarter-finals Knock-out Stage
2015–16 1 Premier League 9 8 Kowloon Bay Park 477 Semi-finals Quarter-finals Semi-finals Semi-finals
2016–17 1 Premier League 11 7 Tsing Yi Sports Ground 519 Quarter-finals First Round Defunct Quarter-finals
2017–18 1 Premier League 10 10 Sham Shui Po Sports Ground 485 Quarter-finals Quarter-finals Group Stage
2018–19 2 First Division 14 3 Did not enter Did not enter Did not enter
2019–20 1 Premier League 10 Withdrew Tuen Mun Tang Shiu Kin Sports Ground 375 First Round Quarter-finals Group Stage
2020–21 1 Premier League 8 6 Hammer Hill Road Sports Ground 613 Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic Group Stage
2021–22 1 Premier League 8 Cancelled Sham Shui Po Sports Ground 1,076 Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
2022–23 1 Premier League 10 3 Hammer Hill Road Sports Ground 466 Runners-up Semi-finals Semi-finals
2023–24 1 Premier League 11 6 Tsing Yi Sports Ground
Mong Kok Stadium
498 Quarter-finals Semi-finals Champions
2024–25 1 Premier League 9 Tsing Yi Sports Ground Semi-finals

Note:

  1st or Champions   2nd or Runners-up   3rd place   Promotion   Relegation

Retired numbers

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Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
15 DF   HKG Cheung Yiu Lun (posthumous)

Head coaches

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ Chan, Sun Jiu; So, Chi Yeung (22 April 2018). "亞洲首支職業隊 本地波「兵工廠」造星無數". HK01. Archived from the original on 10 December 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2018. (in Chinese)
  2. ^ "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. Archived from the original on 15 September 2018. Retrieved 22 April 2018. (in Chinese)
  3. ^ Yuen, Chi Ho (15 July 2019). "足總通過夢想退賽申請 港甲季軍標準流浪獲邀升班". HK01. Archived from the original on 15 July 2019. Retrieved 15 July 2019. (in Chinese)
  4. ^ "BC Rangers aiming to repair bruised pride in AFC Champions League debut". South China Morning Post. 15 August 2023. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
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