The Hong Kong Senior Challenge Shield (Chinese: 香港高級組銀牌), known commonly as the Senior Shield, is the football knockout inter-club competition held in Hong Kong and the fourth oldest football tournament in Asia. Traditionally, only teams that play in the Hong Kong Premier League take part in the competition. However, sometimes teams in the lower divisions, usually the champions of the Junior Shield, are invited in order to increase the number of participating teams.
 | |
| Founded | 1895 (as Hong Kong Football Cup) 1896 (as Hong Kong Challenge Shield) |
|---|---|
| Region |  Hong Kong |
| Number of teams | 9 |
| Current champions | Kitchee (9th title) |
| Most successful club(s) | South China (31 titles) |
 2024–25 Hong Kong Senior Shield | |
The current Senior Shield holders are Kitchee.
History
editHong Kong Football Cup was a knockout cup competition which was established in 1895.[1] It had been renamed to Hong Kong Challenge Shield due to the changes of the trophy. It had been divided in Senior Shield and Junior Shield since 1922–23 season. The knockout format has been used except in 1982–83 and 1996–97 seasons.[2] In 1982–83, group matches format was used. In 1996-1997, a double knock-out system were used.[3] Before 1978, a re-match would be played after a draw. After 1978, extra time and penalty kicks were used. Penalty shoot-out has been used for 3 times in the final in history (1988, 1994, 1995). But starting from 2011, Hong Kong Challenge Shield is a two-legged home-and-away ties competition.
Lee Kin Wo is the player who has won the most number of Senior Shield. He won it for 10 times between 1987 and 2005. (Eastern: 1987, 1993, 1994; South China: 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003; Sun Hei: 2005). Ho Ying Fan and Wu Kwok Hung have won the competition for 9 times.
There are 3 teams after World War II which won Senior Shield immediately after their promotions to First Division League. They are Rangers (1966), Jardine (1969) and Seiko (1973).
In 1987–1988, it was the first time to have external sponsor for the competition. Camel Paints sponsored the competition for 6 consecutive years. In 1993–1994, the sponsor was Emperor Financial Services Group. In 2003–2004 and 2004–2005, Sunray Cave was the sponsor and the most recent sponsor is Choi Fung Hong.
One of the most unexpected results in the competition history is a 6–5 win by Army against Happy Valley in 1965. At the time, Army was at the bottom of the First Division League and had to relegate to the Second Division next season while Happy Valley was the league Champion.
Trivia
editIn 1981–82, Eastern invited English football legend Bobby Moore to play in the final. The 40-year-old famous player played for 12 minutes only in the match, which Eastern beat Rangers by 4–0.
Finals
editKey
edit| (R) | Replay |
| (1) | First leg |
| (2) | Second leg |
| * | Match went to extra time |
| ^ | Match went to extra time with golden goal |
| † | Match decided by a penalty shootout after extra time |
Results
editNotes
edit- ^ Match was played behind closed doors due to the 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Hong Kong.[4]
Results by team
editTeams shown in italics are no longer in existence in Hong Kong football league system.
| Club | Winners | Last Final Won | Runners-up | Last Final Lost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South China | 31 | 2013–14 | 16 | 2011–12 |
| Eastern | 11 | 2019–20 | 6 | 2023–24 |
| Kitchee | 9 | 2023–24 | 6 | 2014–15 |
| Seiko | 8 | 1984–85 | 2 | 1982–83 |
| Sing Tao | 6 | 1991–92 | 2 | 1998–99 |
| Happy Valley | 5 | 2003–04 | 10 | 2005–06 |
| HKFC | 5 | 1921–22 | 4 | 1931–32 |
| Kowloon | 5 | 1927–28 | 4 | 1928–29 |
| Rangers | 4 | 1994–95 | 2 | 1981–82 |
| R.G.A. | 3 | 1913–14 | 1 | 1921–22 |
| Sun Hei | 2 | 2011–12 | 5 | 2008–09 |
| Royal Welch Fus. | 2 | 1901–02 | 2 | 1900–01 |
| South Wales Borderers | 2 | 1933–34 | 2 | 1932–33 |
| Royal Engineers | 2 | 1914–15 | 1 | 1915–16 |
| Yuen Long | 2 | 2017–18 | 1 | 1964–65 |
| Police | 1 | 1919–20 | 8 | 1968–69 |
| KMB | 1 | 1950–51 | 4 | 1963–64 |
| HMS Glory | 1 | 1902–03 | 2 | 1904–05 |
| Naval Yard | 1 | 1910–11 | 2 | 1911–12 |
| Royal Navy | 1 | 1945–46 | 2 | 1940–41 |
| HMS Centurion | 1 | 1896–97 | 1 | 1895–96 |
| HMS Bedford | 1 | 1908–09 | 1 | 1907–08 |
| Buffs | 1 | 1909–10 | 1 | 1908–09 |
| K.O.Y.L.I. | 1 | 1911–12 | 1 | 1910–11 |
| East Surrey Regiment | 1 | 1923–24 | 1 | 1925–26 |
| Bulova | 1 | 1983–84 | 1 | 1979–80 |
| Citizen | 1 | 2010–11 | 1 | 2012–13 |
| Pegasus | 1 | 2008–09 | 1 | 2013–14 |
| Tai Po | 1 | 2012–13 | 1 | 2018–19 |
| "G" Coy., King's Own Regiment | 1 | 1897–98 | – | – |
| HMS Albion | 1 | 1903–04 | – | – |
| Royal West Kent Regt. | 1 | 1904–05 | – | – |
| HMS Diadem | 1 | 1905–06 | – | – |
| HMS Titania | 1 | 1920–21 | – | – |
| The King's Own Borderers | 1 | 1926–27 | – | – |
| Somerset Light Infantry | 1 | 1929–30 | – | – |
| Kwong Wah | 1 | 1962–63 | – | – |
| Jardine | 1 | 1968–69 | – | – |
| Yee Hope | 1 | 2000–01 | – | – |
| Instant-Dict | – | – | 4 | 2000–01 |
| Tung Wah | – | – | 3 | 1960–61 |
| St. Joseph's | – | – | 2 | 1949–50 |
| Tung Sing | – | – | 2 | 1972–73 |
| Sea Bee | – | – | 2 | 1985–86 |
| Tsuen Wan | – | – | 2 | 1988–89 |
| 25th Coy. S.D., R.A. | – | – | 1 | 1897–98 |
| 38th Coy. S.D., R.A. | – | – | 1 | 1898–99 |
| Argonauts | – | – | 1 | 1902–03 |
| HMS Cressy | – | – | 1 | 1903–04 |
| D.C.L.I. | – | – | 1 | 1912–13 |
| HMS Hampshire | – | – | 1 | 1913–14 |
| The King's Liverpool Regiment | – | – | 1 | 1922–23 |
| Wiltshire Regiment | – | – | 1 | 1936–37 |
| No. 1 Commando | – | – | 1 | 1945–46 |
| Army | – | – | 1 | 1954–55 |
| Fire Services | – | – | 1 | 1969–70 |
| Urban Services | – | – | 1 | 1974–75 |
| Lai Sun | – | – | 1 | 1990–91 |
| Southern | – | – | 1 | 2015–16 |
| Lee Man | – | – | 1 | 2019–20 |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "高級組銀牌賽回顧(三)".
- ^ "高級組銀牌賽回顧(二)".
- ^ "高級組銀牌賽回顧(一)".
- ^ Chan, Kin-wa. "No showers for players with Tseung Kwan O Sports Ground to host domestic games again behind closed doors". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 2 March 2020.