Hong Kong Rangers Football Club (), 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.
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.
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. 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.
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.
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 {|class="wikitable" |- !Position !Staff |- |Chairman|| Mok Man Too |- |Director|| Poon Man Tik |- |Head coach|| Szeto Man Chun |- |rowspan=3|Assistant coaches|| Chan Sze Chun |- | Fernando Lopes |- | Wong Chin Hung |- |Goalkeeping coach|| Cheung Wai Hong |- |Fitness coach|| Paulo Conde
Current squad First team
Continental record Season Competition Round Club Home Away Aggregate 1995–96 Asian Cup Winners Cup First round bye Second round Yokohama Flügels1–32–43–72023–24AFC Champions LeaguePreliminary stage Haiphong1–4 (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 FA Cup Champions (2): 1976–77, 1994–95 Hong Kong Senior Shield Champions (4): 1965–66, 1970–71, 1974–75, 1994–95 Hong Kong Sapling Cup Champions (1): 2023–24 Hong Kong Viceroy Cup Champions (2): 1973–74, 1974–75
Season-to-season record Season Tier Division Teams Position Home stadium Attendance/GFA CupSenior ShieldLeague CupSapling Cup2000–011First Division86Quarter-finalsGroup StageNot held2001–021First Division74Semi-finalsRunners-up2002–031First Division83Runners-upSemi-finals2003–041First Division104First RoundSemi-finals2004–051First Division94Quarter-finalsQuarter-finalsSemi-finals2005–061First Division83Quarter-finalsQuarter-finalsGroup Stage2006–071First Division104Semi-finalsFirst RoundGroup Stage2007–081First Division1010Quarter-finalsQuarter-finalsGroup Stage2008–092Second Division106Did not enterDid not enterDid not enter2009–102Second Division94Not held2010–112Second Division127Did not enter2011–122Second Division1212012–131First Division106Sham Shui Po Sports Ground868Quarter-finalsFirst RoundNot held2013–141First Division125472Semi-finalsQuarter-finals2014–151Premier League97Kowloon Bay Park485Quarter-finalsQuarter-finalsKnock-out Stage2015–161Premier League98477Semi-finalsQuarter-finalsSemi-finalsSemi-finals2016–171Premier League117Tsing Yi Sports Ground519Quarter-finalsFirst RoundNot heldQuarter-finals2017–181Premier League1010Sham Shui Po Sports Ground485Quarter-finalsQuarter-finalsGroup Stage2018–192First Division143Did not enterDid not enterDid not enter2019–201Premier League10WithdrewTuen Mun Tang Shiu Kin Sports Ground375First RoundQuarter-finalsGroup Stage2020–211Premier League86Hammer Hill Road Sports Ground613Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemicGroup Stage2021–221Premier League8CancelledSham Shui Po Sports Ground1,076Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemicCancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic2022–231Premier League103Hammer Hill Road Sports Ground466Runners-upSemi-finalsSemi-finals2023–241Premier League116Tsing Yi Sports GroundMong Kok Stadium498Quarter-finalsSemi-finalsChampions2024–251Premier League97Tsing Yi Sports Ground429Runners-upSemi-finalsGroup stage2025–261Premier League109408Semi-finalsRunners-upQuarter-finalsDefunct2026–271Premier League11
Note:
Retired numbers
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 (2024–2025) Poon Man Tik (2025–2026) Szeto Man Chun (2026–present)
See also Fourway Athletics
References
External links
Hong Kong Rangers F.C. official website (archived 21 February 2013)