Hong Kong FC

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This article is about the multi-sport club. For the association football section, see Hong Kong FC (football).

Hong Kong Football Club
Founded12 February 1886; 135 years ago (1886-02-12)
FounderSir James Haldane Lockhart
Headquarters3 Sports Road, Happy Valley Hong Kong,
Hong Kong
ServicesFacilitate the development and participation of recognized sporting activities
Websitehttps://www.hkfc.com

Hong Kong Football Club (HKFC; Chinese: 香港足球會), established in 1886, is one of the foremost private members' clubs based in Hong Kong. The name reflects the origin as a club for playing association football and rugby. It boasts superb facilities across a broad spectrum of competitive and recreational sports, as well as hosts top international sports events and touring sides.

The club is situated in Happy Valley, with the sports pitches being inside the Happy Valley Racecourse. The 2,750-capacity Hong Kong Football Club Stadium is where all the club's rugby and soccer matches are played and it is also the home pitch for most, if not all, of the Hong Kong Rugby Union's international matches. It is also the venue for the HKFC International Rugby Tens and HKFC International Soccer Sevens tournaments. The club is committed to facilitating the development and participation of numerous sports in Hong Kong through close collaboration with National Sports Associations and organising sports activities for members and non-members.

History[]

The HKFC main entrance

Hong Kong Football Club was founded in 1886 by Sir James Haldane Lockhart, following a meeting that was held at the Victoria Recreation Gymnasium on 12 February 1886.[1][2] The names derives from its establishment as a club for playing Association and Rugby Football (now known as rugby union) – not just as an association football (soccer) club as many think today.[3]


The first sport the club played was in fact rugby union, on 16 February 1886, four days after the club formed. The first soccer match of the club was played on 16 March 1886, against the Royal Engineers.[1]

The now famous Hong Kong International Rugby Sevens was founded by and first played at the Club in 1976. Sports Road continued to be the venue until it outgrew its home and was moved to the Hong Kong Government Stadium (now the Hong Kong Stadium) in 1982. [3]

The clubhouse and pitches were situated adjacent to the racecourse. But in 1995, as part of a redevelopment of the racecourse, the club into a brand new, 64,000 square metre, purpose-built home, with the main building being outside the race track with the main pitch, all weather hockey pitch, bowling green and sports bar being inside the racetrack.[1]

In 2011, HKFC celebrated their 125th anniversary as a club.[4]

Present day[]

HKFC and other private sports clubs have always worked to enable the development of numerous sports in Hong Kong and have, in many circumstances, helped take the sports to the international sporting stage. Sports including rugby, soccer, squash, tennis, hockey, lawn bowls, netball, golf, sailing and rowing are supported by an array of dedicated private sports clubs.

HKFC promotes a total of 11 sports, including rugby, soccer, squash, tennis, hockey, lawn bowls, netball, crickets, golf, sailing and rowing. It works closely with the Hong Kong Rugby Union,Hong Kong Football Association, Hong Kong Squash Association, Hong Kong Hockey Association, Hong Kong Lawn Bowls Association, Hong Kong Netball Association and Hong Kong Tennis Association. [5]

Leadership[]

Post-War Presidents[]

  1. Col. W.M. Thompson (unofficial; 1946)
  2. Sir Arthur Morse (1946–1953)
  3. Sir Michael Turner (1953–1959)
  4. D. Black (1959–1961)
  5. Col. H.B.L. Dowbiggin (1961–1966)
  6. Sir John Saunders (1966–1968)
  7. V.O. Roberts (1968–1978)
  8. H.M.G Forsgate (1978–2001)
  9. D. Agnew (2002–2018)
  10. N. Hunsworth (2018–)

Post-War Chairmen[]

  1. J. Redman (unofficial; 1946)
  2. J. Skinner (1946–1948)
  3. D. Black (1948–1949)
  4. J. Skinner (1949–1953); second term
  5. J. R. Henderson (1953–1955)
  6. K. W. Forrow (1955–1958)
  7. B. I. Bickford (1958–1959)
  8. K. W. Forrow (1959–1961); second term
  9. H. H. Holgate (1961–1962)
  10. T. V. C. Reynolds (1962–1963)
  11. B. C. Penman (1963–1966)
  12. E. M. Laishley (1966–1967)
  13. H. Van Echten (1967–1970)
  14. E. M. Laishley (1970–1972); second term
  15. R. Gaff (1972–1977)
  16. J. C. Cartner (1977–1979)
  17. A. A. Lister (1979–1982)
  18. J. A. B. Duncan (1982–1985)
  19. K. J. Marshall (1985–1988)
  20. A. T. Robertson (1988–1990)
  21. M. J. Moir (1990–1995)
  22. N. C. Bennett (1995–1997)
  23. A. Macleod (1997–1999)
  24. R. Neish (1999–2003)
  25. J. Collins-Taylor (2003–2006)
  26. A. J. C. Brown (2006–2008)
  27. A. C. Fook (2008–2012)
  28. J. J. Shanahan (2012–2018)
  29. M. J. Wood (2018–)

Sports[]

Football[]

Main article: Hong Kong FC (football)

Honours[]

Rugby[]

Rugby was the first sport to be played by the Club, with a game held on 16th February. 1886 between civilians and the British Army garrison, then stationed in Hong Kong. That game was played on a pitch within the Happy Valley racetrack on Hong Kong Island where the Club is still located today. Since these simple beginnings, Hong Kong Football Club has always played a role in the playing and organisation of rugby in Hong Kong, with many of Hong Kong's leading professionals and business people having played for the Club.

The Rugby Section of Hong Kong Football Club currently has over 500 members and fields sevens men's and two women's teams in Hong Kong's domestic leagues. The Section provides a comprehensive programme of youth, colts and mini rugby programmes for almost 900 players of all ages.

Lawn Bowls[]

With around 200 members, the Lawn Bowls Section participates in the HKLBA leagues and National competitions as well as organising internal competitions in all forms of the game on both Outdoor green and Indoor carpet.HKFC is the only private sports club in Hong Kong to offer both indoor and outdoor lawn bowls rinks.

Hockey[]

The Hockey Section has over 300 members who are registered with the Hong Kong Hockey Association. From this membership the Section fields a total of 16 teams, including eight Men’s teams and eight Ladies’ teams which compete in the Hong Kong League system and a number of knock-out cup competitions.

Squash[]

The Squash Section has over 250 members representing the Club widely in the HK Squash leagues. They have a total of around 24 teams competing in the Divisions, Men's One to Fourteen, Ladies One to Four and in all Masters' (over 40's) Divisions.

Netball DSA[]

HKFC is the only club in Hong Kong to have two full-sized international standard netball courts. The HKFC holds the HKNA League games every Monday night, run training, umpiring and coaching courses.

References[]

  1. ^ a b c Twydell, Dave (1994). The Little Red Book of Chinese Football. . ISBN 1-874427-80-1.
  2. ^ The China Mail, 1886-02-13, page 3
  3. ^ a b Denis, Way (2011). Along the Sports Road. The Hong Kong Football Club, its environs and personalities. ISBN 978-988-19772-1-2.
  4. ^ "Hong Kong Football Club Magazine" (PDF). HKFC. December 2011.
  5. ^ "Report on Public Consultation on "Review on Policy of Private Recreational Leases" (PDF). Home Affairs Bureau. 2018.

External links[]

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