Hong Kong Rangers FC

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 name	Hong Kong Rangers Football Club
Founded	1958; 67 years ago (1958) (as Rangers Football Team)
Ground	Tsing Yi Sports Ground
Capacity	1,500
President	Peter Mok
Head coach	Wong Chin Hung
League	Hong Kong Premier League
2023–24	Hong Kong Premier League, 6th of 11
Website	https://www.facebook.com/hkrangers/
Home colours Away colours

History

Formation to 2000

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

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

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

• 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

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

First team

As of 19 March 2025

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 14 FW  HKG Ma Yung Sang 16 DF  HKG Yuen Hei Kan 19 DF  HKG Yiu Ho Ming 20 MF  USA Sebastian Nicot FP 21 MF  HKG Cheung Ching Wan 22 MF  HKG Chan Yiu Cho 23 DF  JPN Makoto Rindo FP 25 MF  HKG Leung Hoi Chun 30 GK  UKR Oleksii Shliakotin FP

No. Pos. Nation Player 32 MF  HKG Li Wing Ho 33 DF  BRA Fernando Lopes FP 37 FW  HKG Chang Kwong Yin 40 FW  GHA Nassam Ibrahim FP 45 DF  GHA Maxwell Ansah FP 56 MF  HKG Lau Yin Hong 58 DF  HKG Milos Wong 59 FW  HKG Chow Yee Hin 70 MF  BRA Guilherme Biteco FP (on loan from Tai Po) 77 FW  BRA Luizinho FP 93 DF  HKG Daniel Yen 97 FW  KOR Lim Hyoung-jun FP 98 MF  KOR Kang Hyun FP 99 GK  HKG Chan Kun Sun — MF  HKG Chiu Ching Yu

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

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 3 Sing) — MF  KOR Kim Do-hyun (on loan at 3 Sing)

Continental record

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

League

• Hong Kong First Division
  • Champions (1): 1970–71
• Hong Kong Second Division
  • Champions (2): 1964–65, 2011–12
• Hong Kong Third 'A' Division
  • Champions (1): 1991–92

Cup competitions

• Hong Kong Senior Challenge Shield
  • Champions (4): 1965–66, 1970–71, 1974–75, 1994–95
  • Runners-up (2): 1975–76, 1981–82
• Hong Kong FA Cup
  • Champions (2): 1976–77, 1994–95
  • Runners-up (4): 1974–75, 1982–83, 2002–03, 2022–23
• Hong Kong Sapling Cup
  • Champions (1): 2023–24
• Hong Kong League Cup
  • Runners-up (1): 2001–02
• Hong Kong Viceroy Cup
  • Champions (2): 1973–74, 1974–75

Season-to-season record

Season	Tier	Division	Teams	Position	Home Stadium	Attendance/G	FA Cup	Senior Shield	Sapling Cup	League Cup
2000–01	1	First Division	8	6			Quarter-finals		Not held	Group Stage
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	Quarter-finals	Defunct
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	Group stage

Note:

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

Retired numbers

Main article: Retired numbers in association football

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

• Li Ping Hung (2001–2002)
• Kim Pan-gon (2002–2004)
• Anílton (2004)
• Qiu Jing-wei (2004–2006)
• Tim Bredbury (2006)
• Lim Fung Kee (2006–2007)
• Tim Bredbury (2007–2008)
• Goran Paulić (2012)
• Chan Hung Ping (2012–2013)
• José Ricardo Rambo (2013–2014)
• Cheung Po Chun (2014–2015)
• Yan Lik Kin (2015)
• José Ricardo Rambo (2015–2016)
• Yan Lik Kin (2016)
• Fung Hoi Man (2016–2017)
• Lam Hing Lun (2017)
• Dejan Antonić (2017)
• Gerard Ambassa Guy (2017–2018)
• Fung Wing Sing, Su Yang (2018)
• Wong Chin Hung (2018–2019)
• Chiu Chung Man, Wong Chin Hung, Lai Ka Fai (2019–2023)
• Chiu Chung Man, Wong Chin Hung, Lai Ka Fai, Poon Man Chun (2023)
• Vom Ca-nhum (2023–2024)
• Tim Bredbury (2024)
• Wong Chin Hung (2024–)

See also

• Fourway Athletics