Fukien Athletic Club () are a Hong Kong professional
multi-sports club
A sports club or sporting club, sometimes an athletics club or sports society or sports association, is a group of people formed for the purpose of playing sports.
Sports clubs range from organisations whose members play together, unpaid, and ...
, best known for its
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
team. Its football club currently plays in the
Hong Kong Third Division Hong may refer to:
Places
*Høng, a town in Denmark
*Hong Kong, a city and a special administrative region in China
*Hong, Nigeria
*Hong River in China and Vietnam
*Lake Hong in China
Surnames
*Hong (Chinese name)
*Hong (Korean name)
Organiz ...
.
History
Fukien Athletic Club was founded in 1925. At the early period, the club was funded by Chinese businessman and philanthropist
Tan Kah Kee
Tan Kah Kee (; 21 October 1874 – 12 August 1961) was a Chinese businessman, investor, and philanthropist active in Singapore and the Chinese cities of Hong Kong, Shanghai, Xiamen, and Guangzhou.
A prominent figure in the overseas Chinese c ...
, who heralded from
Fujian
Fujian (; alternately romanized as Fukien or Hokkien) is a province on the southeastern coast of China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its capi ...
, as well as by group of Fujian immigrants. The club entered the
Hong Kong football league system
Football (soccer) is the most popular sport in Hong Kong, followed by rugby union. The Hong Kong Football Association (HKFA) is the governing body for football in Hong Kong.
History
The first football club of Hong Kong is Hong Kong Football C ...
in 1930.
In 1990, Fukien won their first trophy, capturing the
Junior Shield. The club won their first league title nine years later, winning the
Hong Kong Third A Division for 1998–99.
Three years later, Fukien won the 2001–02
Hong Kong Second Division title and were promoted into the
top flight
Top Flight (April 15, 1929 – 1949) was an American U.S. Hall of Fame Thoroughbred racehorse. She was the leading American filly of her generation at two and three years of age.
Background
Bred in Kentucky by the very prominent horseman Harry ...
for the first time. Despite having a lower budget than most of their peers, Fukien pulled off several upsets in the
Hong Kong First Division
The Hong Kong First Division League () is the second-highest division in the Hong Kong football league system. Established in 1908, it is the third oldest in Asia. The league was formerly the highest division in Hong Kong until the formation o ...
including a 2–1 victory of
Happy Valley in 2004. During this period, the club were managed by future Kitchee head coach
Chu Chi Kwong
Alex Chu Chi Kwong (; born 29 August 1960) is a Hong Kong people, Hong Kong association football, football manager and former player. He is currently the head coach of Hong Kong Premier League club Kitchee SC, Kitchee.
Chu holds an Asian Footbal ...
and featured players such as
Chiu Chun Kit
Chiu Chun Kit (, born 4 October 1983) is a former Hong Kong professional footballer who played as a centre-back.
International career
Chiu made his international debut for Hong Kong on 14 November 2012 against Malaysia. He replaced Cheng Siu ...
,
Wong Chin Hung
Wong Chin Hung (; born 2 March 1982 in Hong Kong) is a former Hong Kong professional football player who is currently the head coach of Hong Kong Premier League club Rangers.
He mostly played as a left back.
Club career
Instant-Dict
Wong Ch ...
and Chu Wai Lam.
Following a second from the bottom finish in
2004–05, Fukien were relegated to the Second Division. In 2009–10, the club fell to the Third Division after a second last place finish.
During the
2016–17 season, Fukien finished fourth in the table and were promoted to the Second Division. The following season, in
2017–18 season, the club finished at the bottom of the table and were promptly relegated back to the Third Division.
Honours
League
*
Hong Kong Second Division
**Champions (1): 2001–02
*
Hong Kong Third A Division
**Champions (1): 1998–99
Cup competitions
*
Hong Kong Junior Shield
Hong Kong Junior Shield () was a football competition in Hong Kong established in 1922. All teams in the Second Division and the Third Division were included in the competition.
South China was the most successful club, winning 9 titles.
Hist ...
**Champions (3): 1989–90, 2000–01, 2006–07
References
External links
Fukienat HKFA
{{Hong Kong Third Division League teamlist
Basketball teams in Hong Kong
Football clubs in Hong Kong
Hong Kong Third Division League
Association football clubs established in 1925
1925 establishments in Hong Kong