South China AA

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22°16′32″N 114°11′15″E / 22.275644°N 114.187539°E / 22.275644; 114.187539

South China

Full name	South China Athletic Association
Nickname(s)	少林寺 (Shaolin Temple)
Founded	1904; 120 years ago (1904), as Chinese Football Team 1908; 116 years ago (1908), as South China Football Team
Ground	Tseung Kwan O Sports Ground
Capacity	3,500
Chairman	Wallace Cheung (Football Management Committee)
Head Coach	Casemiro Mior
League	Premier League
2014–15	4th
Website	http://scaaft.com/
Home colours Away colours
Current season

South China Athletic Association (also known as South China, SCAA, Chinese: 南華體育會) is a Hong Kong sports club, best known for its football team which plays in Hong Kong Stadium. The football team plays in the top-level league of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Premier League. It is the football club with most honours in Hong Kong having won a record 40 First Division League titles. They have also won a record 31 Senior Shields, a record 9 FA Cups and 2 League Cups.

Nicknamed "Shaolin Temple" and "Caroliners", South China AA has produced many great Hong Kong footballers over the years. In November 2007 the club entered into a charity partnership with Hong Kong Red Cross. The partnership is a pioneer between a sports association and a humanitarian organisation in Hong Kong.

The Chinese Football Team was founded in 1904 by a group of Chinese students in Hong Kong,^[1][2] including Mok Hing (Chinese: 莫慶)^[3] and Tong Fuk Cheung (Chinese: 唐福祥, the captain of China national football team in the 1910s).^[4] In 1910, the team was renamed as South China Football Club.^[1][2][3]

In the 1917 Far Eastern Games and 1919 Far Eastern Games (also known as the Far East Olympics Tournament), the club represented the Republic of China and won the football championship.^[5] It is the only team in Hong Kong sports history to have accomplished this feat.^[5] China lost in the final to the Philippines in the first to be held, in 1913,^[6] but in the next nine it won every time, right through until the last FECG to be held in 1934. On that occasion China was a joint winner with Japan. Throughout these tournaments, the majority of the China team was composed of SCAA players.

On 1920, South China which began as a club called the South China Athletic Association founded by Mok Hing.^[5]

Around 1920–1922, the club formally adopted the present name of South China Athletic Association and diversified into other sports such as basketball.^[5][7]

Since its foundation, South China had an all-Chinese Policy that only fielded Chinese players. Even their foreign players were overseas Chinese players such as Edmund Wee, Chow Chee Keong, Chan Kwok Leung, etc. Up until the 1980s, the policy was very successful. But when professional football took off in Hong Kong, the club could not cope with the influx of foreign players and performed poorly at the beginning of the 1981–1982 season. On 2 November 1981, the club voted to end its over 60 years old All-Chinese policy.

Although the club was able to avoid relegation that season, it was not incident free. On 6 June 1982, after the club drew an all-important match with Caroline Hill FC, the fans rioted outside the stadium that spread onto Causeway Bay. The riot was the largest civil disorder in Hong Kong since the leftist riot in 1967.

As they failed to beat Citizen in the last game of the 2005–06 season, South China was to be relegated for the first time since 1983.^[8] However, on 14 June 2006, the Hong Kong Football Association approved a request from South China to remain in the first division with the promise of strengthening their squad. Staying true to their word, South China heavily strengthened their squad and coaching staff. As a result, South China successfully regained the First Division League title in the 2006/2007 season, and also winning the Hong Kong FA Cup and the Hong Kong Senior Shield, achieving the famous treble.

The team has gone from strength to strength, while the team has had continued success on the domestic front, winning three consecutive league titles in the process, it has also had success in other international club competitions. The team has reached the semi-finals of the 2009/2010 AFC Cup. South China's success has seen the team climb in world club rankings to their new high of 145th, even surpassing other Mainland Chinese clubs which are widely considered to be of a better standard than clubs in Hong Kong. In recent years the South China has taken part in several pre-season exhibition matches with European clubs, with the most notable being a 2:0 win against the English Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur.

Much of the recent success has been attributed to the former chairman, Steven Lo, and with his shrewd business sense he rebuilt the team as a brand, and played a major role in reigniting interest in the Hong Kong Football League. South China has reinvented their image and have partnered with several organisations and brands. In 2007, South China has enter into a partnership with Hong Kong Red Cross. The partnership is a pioneer between a sports association and a humanitarian organisation in Hong Kong, and South China is the first football team to ever bear the Red Cross emblem on the official kit. The appointment of the fashion brand Giorgio Armani as the official tailor, has allowed South China to join some of the world's elite, with the brand being associated with Chelsea Football Club and the English national team. In celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the establishment of South China Football Team, world-renowned designer Philippe Starck produced a special edition of the "Peninsula Chair", with the faces of the team and the chairman printed on.

Nicky Butt and Mateja Kezman played for South China during the 2010 – 2011 season of the Hong Kong First Division League.

Traditionally the most popular club in the city, SCAA is also the most successful football club in Hong Kong, winning the Hong Kong League 38 times (All-time ranking 1st), the Senior Shield 28 times (All-time ranking 1st), the now-defunct Viceroy Cup 8 times, the FA Cup 9 times (All-time ranking 1st) and the League Cup twice. The team had captured all the 4 main trophies in seasons 1987–88 and 1990–91. In November 2001, the team was awarded the AFC Team of the Month by the Asian Football Confederation.

• Hong Kong First Division League

Winners (41): 1923–24, 1930–31, 1932–33, 1934–35, 1935–36, 1937–38, 1938–39, 1939–40, 1940–41, 1948–49, 1950–51, 1951–52, 1952–53, 1954–55, 1956–57, 1957–58, 1958–59, 1959–60, 1960–61, 1961–62, 1965–66, 1967–68, 1968–69, 1971–72, 1973–74, 1975–76, 1976–77, 1977–78, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1989–90, 1990–91, 1991–92, 1996–97, 1999–2000, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2012–13

Runners-up (16): 1928–29, 1946–47, 1953–54, 1955–56, 1964–65, 1966–67, 1972–73, 1980–81, 1984–85, 1988–89, 1992–93, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1997–98, 1998–99, 2010–11

• Hong Kong Second Division League

Winners (5): 1917–18, 1925–26, 1933–34, 1951–52, 1952–53

Runners-up (?):

• Hong Kong Senior Challenge Shield

Winners (31): 1928–29, 1930–31, 1932–33, 1934–35, 1935–36, 1936–37, 1937–38, 1938–39, 1940–41, 1948–49, 1954–55, 1956–57, 1957–58, 1958–59, 1960–61, 1961–62, 1964–65, 1971–72, 1985–86, 1987–88, 1988–89, 1990–91, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2006–07, 2009–10, 2013–14

Runners-up (?):

• Hong Kong Viceroy Cup

Winners (8): 1971–72, 1979–80, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1990–91, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1997–98

Runners-up (7): 1973–74, 1974–75, 1984–85, 1985–86, 1989–90, 1991–92, 1995–96

• Hong Kong FA Cup

Winners (10): 1984–85, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1989–90, 1990–91, 1995–96, 1998–99, 2001–02, 2006–07, 2010–11

Runners-up (4): 1975–76, 1985–86, 1997–98, 2000–01

• Hong Kong League Cup

Winners (3): 2001–02, 2007–08, 2010–11

• Hong Kong Junior Challenge Shield

Winners (9): 1947–48, 1950–51, 1952–53, 1953–54, 1954–55, 1956–57, 1957–58, 1958–59, 1966–67

Runners-up (?):

• Hong Kong Community Shield

Runners-up (1): 2009

• Hong Kong Jockey Club Community Cup

Winners (2): 2014, 2015

• Asian Club Championship : 7 appearances

2nd Round ( Group C ) : 1986

Qualifying Round ( lost to Yomiuri FC 0–3 on Argegat ) : 1987

Qualifying Round ( Group 6 ) : 1988–89

2nd Round – East Asia ( lost to Yomiuri FC 2–3 on Argegat )  : 1991

2nd Round – East Asia ( lost to Dalian Wanda 1–6 on Argegat ): 1997–1998

2nd Round – East Asia ( lost to Jubilo Iwata 2–6 on Argegat ): 2000–2001

3rd Round – Qualifying Zon East Asia ( lost to Shimizu S-Pulse 3–8 on Argegat ): 2002–2003

• Asian Cup Winners Cup : 1 appearances

Runners-up (1): 1993–94

• AFC Cup : 6 appearances

Group Stage ( Group D ): 2008

Semi Final ( lost to Kuwait SC 1–3 on Argegat ): 2009

Round of 16 ( lost to Bahrain Riffa Club 1–3 on Argegat ): 2010

Group Stage ( Group H ): 2011

Group Stage ( Group G ): 2014

As of 28 December 2015.

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

No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK  HKG Leung Hing Kit 4 DF  IRL Sean Tse 5 DF  HKG Chak Ting Fung 6 DF  ENG Andy Russell 7 FW  HKG Chan Siu Ki 8 FW  CMR Mahama AwalFP 9 FW  BRA Lucas SilvaFP 10 MF  BRA Luiz CarlosFP 12 GK  ECU Cristian MoraFP 13 DF  HKG Cheung Kin Fung 15 DF  HKG Chan Wai Ho (captain) 16 MF  HKG Chan Siu Kwan 17 MF  HKG Leung Chun Pong

No. Pos. Nation Player 20 MF  HKG Lau Cheuk Hin 21 MF  HKG Law Hiu Chung 22 DF  SRB Bojan MališićFP 23 DF  HKG Che Runqiu 25 GK  HKG Tin Man Ho 26 DF  HKG Moses 27 MF  HKG Lai Yiu Cheong 28 MF  HKG Liang Zicheng 76 DF  HKG Cheung Chi Yung 90 FW  HKG Lam Hok Hei – FW  ECU Félix BorjaFP – FW  AUS Ryan GriffithsFP

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

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

No. Pos. Nation Player

• Updated 14 May 2015.

Position	Name
	English	Trad. Chinese
Chairman / Team Manager	Wallace Cheung	張廣勇
Technical
Head Coach	Casemiro Mior	米路
Assistant Coach	José Ricardo Rambo	列卡度
Assistant Coach	Ku Kam Fai	顧錦輝
Assistant Coach	Li Ho Yin	李浩賢
Goalkeeper Trainer	Chu Kwok Kuen	朱國權
Physical Trainer	Michael Cheng	鄭世洺
Technical – Youth
Head Coach – Youth	Leslie Santos	山度士
U18 Coach	Poon Yiu Cheuk	潘耀焯
U16 Coach	Shum Kwok Pui	岑國培
U15 Coach	Leung Shing Kit	梁承傑
U14 Coach	Luk Koon Pong	陸冠邦
U13 Coach	Poon Man Tik	潘文廸
Management
Deputy General Manager	Annabella Lam	林婉芬
Deputy Team Manager	Chan Ping On	陳炳安
Administrative Assistant	Yip Chi Shun	葉志舜
Development & Marketing
Promotion & Development Manager	Goldbert Chi Chiu	高志超
Marketing Executive	Frank Chiu	趙嘉俊

As of 30 May 2014. Only competitive matches are counted. Wins, losses and draws are results at the final whistle; the results of penalty shoot-outs are not counted.

Name		Nat	From	To	Record							Honours
English	Chinese				P	W	D	L	F	A	%W
Chu Kwok Lun	朱國倫		1954	1970	?
Kwok Shek	郭石		1970	1977	?
Ng Wai Man	吳偉文		1977	1981	?
Halla	漢拿		1981	1982	?
Kwok Kam Hung	郭錦洪		1982	1982	?
Peter Wong	黃興桂		1982	1983	?
Alex Miller	米勒		1983	1983	?
Ng Wai Man	吳偉文		1983	1984	?
Casemiro Mior	米路		1998	2002	?
Wong Man Wai	黃文偉		2002	2006	?
Chan Kwok Hung	陳國雄
Ku Kam Fai	顧錦輝
Jorge Amaral	阿曼龍		2006	Nov 24, 2006	10	6	2	2	20	13	60
Ku Kam Fai* & Chan Kwok Hung*	顧錦輝 & 陳國雄		Nov 25, 2006	Nov 27, 2006	1	1	0	0	5	2	100
Casemiro Mior	米路		Nov 28, 2006	2007	20	15	3	2	49	15	75	1 First Division title, 1 Senior Shield, 1 FA Cup title
José Luís	路爾斯		2007	2008	34	19	4	11	79	41	55.9	1 First Division title, 1 League Cup title
Tsang Wai Chung	曾偉忠		July 1, 2008	Sept 17, 2008	1	0	1	0	1	1	0
Liu Chun Fai*	廖俊輝		Sept 17, 2008	Dec 7, 2008	11	9	1	1	30	7	81.8
Kim Pan-Gon	金判坤		Dec 8, 2008	Dec 11, 2010	27	19	4	4	72	16	70.4	2 First Division titles, 1 Senior Shield title
Chan Ho Yin*	陳浩然		Dec 11, 2010	June 28, 2011	28	17	3	8	59	34	60.7	1 League Cup title, 1 FA Cup title
Ján Kocian	高世安		June 28, 2011	July 9, 2012	26	13	9	4	61	30	50.0
Liu Chun Fai	廖俊輝		July 9, 2012	June 30, 2013	28	16	6	6	63	28	57.1	1 First Division title
Cheung Po Chun	張寶春		July 1, 2013	February 17, 2014								1 Senior Shield title
Yeung Ching Kwong	楊正光		February 17, 2014	December 15, 2014								1 Community Cup title
Mario Gómez	馬里奧		December 15, 2014	April 30, 2015	18	10	4	4	33	18	55.6
Ricardo Rambo*	列卡度		May 1, 2015	May 14, 2015	3	2	0	1	6	1	66.7
Casemiro Mior	米路		May 14, 2015		3	2	1	0	5	1	66.7

Key

* Served as caretaker coach.

On 3 November 2009, South China and Tottenham Hotspur jointly announced a club partnership in Hong Kong. South China became the first club partner of Spurs in Asia. The partnership is for 2 years with an option to extend further. Besides planning in sharing of best practice in any areas of the technical and business sides of football, Tottenham Hotspur has the first option on South China players at all age levels. Tottenham Hotspur will support South China's coaching development through the exchange of scientific data, coaching materials and visits of coaching staffs to and from both teams. The two clubs will explore the possibility of a joint youth Academy and training centre in Hong Kong or in mainland China.^[9]

• 1) 南華歌

A new official cheering song for SCAA. It was introduced in the first home match in 06–07 season against HKFC. The demo version of the song can be accessed on www.bma.com.hk.

• 2) 擁南躉之歌^[10]

This is not the official song of South China, and neither was the original official fans' song. It was sung by Albert Cheung 張武孝(also known as: 大Al/Big Al), and became very well known after being released in 1977, especially during late 70's and the 80's; during that period South China was a perennial challenger for the top spots in the league, and the song describes how strong and famous the team was.

• South China AA Official Website
• South China AA Official Facebook Page

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