The 2013–14 Hong Kong First Division League, officially named 2013–14 HKFA RedMR Hong Kong First Division League due to sponsorship reasons, is the 102nd season of the First Division League since its establishment. It will be a transition season before the new Premier League gets under way in autumn 2014. Therefore, this is also the last ever First Division that is the top division in the Hong Kong football league system.
South China are the defending champions, having won the First Division title in the previous season.
The season will start on 30 August 2013. League fixtures were announced on 14 August 2013.
On 11 February 2014, the Hong Kong Football Association concluded that Tuen Mun and Happy Valley failed to provide evidence to demonstrate that they are viable football clubs in terms of governance arrangements and financial sustainability. All of their remaining matches are suspended for the remainder of the season. Two days later, the HKFA announced that the results of all of the matches played by the two clubs this season will not be included in the league table. Goals scored in the matches will not be counted. However, where the matches have involved disciplinary sanctions, i.e. yellow cards and red cards, etc., these will remain on record. Furthermore, HKFA has confirmed that none of the remaining 10 teams playing matches in the 1st Division will be relegated at the end of the 2013/14 season in the same report.
On 5 April 2014, Kitchee secured their sixth First Division title after they beat Sunray Cave JC Sun Hei and South China failed to take a win from Royal Southern.
Teams A total of 12 teams will contest the league, including nine sides from the 2012–13 season and three promoted from the 2012–13 Hong Kong Second Division League.
Stadia and locations Note: Table lists in alphabetical order.
TeamStadiumLocationCapacityRangersSham Shui Po Sports GroundSham Shui Po2,194CitizenTsing Yi Sports GroundTsing Yi1,500EasternShing Mun Valley Sports GroundTsuen Wan5,000Happy ValleySiu Sai Wan Sports GroundTai Po Sports Ground1Siu Sai WanTai Po12,0003,000Yuen LongYuen Long StadiumYuen Long4,932KitcheeMong Kok StadiumMong Kok6,680SouthernAberdeen Sports GroundAberdeen4,0002South ChinaHong Kong StadiumCauseway Bay40,000Sun HeiTsing Yi Sports GroundTsing Yi1,500Sun PegasusMong Kok StadiumMong Kok6,680Tuen MunTuen Mun Tang Shiu Kin Sports GroundTuen Mun2,200Yokohama FC (HK)Tseung Kwan O Sports GroundTseung Kwan O3,5003
Remarks : 1 As Siu Sai Wan Sports Ground will undergo renovation during the season, it will not be used for football matches within the construction period. Home matches of Happy Valley during the period will be played at Tai Po Sports Ground. 2 The capacity of Aberdeen Sports Ground is 9,000, but only the 4,000-seater main stand is opened for football matches. 3 The capacity of Tseung Kwan O Sports Ground is 3,500, but it can be expended to 5,000 if the temporary stand is opened.
Personnel and kits Team Chairman Head coach Captain Kitmaker Shirt sponsorRangersMok Yiu KeungJosé Ricardo RamboLeung Hing KitXtepLee & Man PaperCitizenPui Kwan KayChu Kwok KuenFestus BaiseJakoRasonicEasternLam Kin MingCristiano CordeiroWong Chun YueAdidasECSAFHappy ValleyKwong Hiu MingPaul FosterLi Chun YipUCANCANSHOWYuen LongWong Wai ShunChan Ho YinFábio LopesNikeWong & Poon SolicitorsKitcheeKen NgCheng Siu ChungChu Chi KwongChu Siu KeiNikeTBCSouthernWong Ling SunFung Hoi ManRubén LópezNikeRoyal Sauna SpaSouth ChinaSteven LoYeung Ching KwongChan Wai HoAdidasPanasonicSun HeiChow Man LeungChan Fat ChiRobertoAdidasSunray CaveSun PegasusCheng Ting KongChan Chi HongJaimes McKeeAdidasYahooTuen MunLau Wong FatYan Lik KinLing CongKappaHong Kong Motor InspectionYokohama FC (HK)Hiroshi OnoderaLee Chi KinTsuyoshi YoshitakeNikeLEOC
Managerial changes TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyPosition in tableIncoming managerDate of appointment Kitchee Josep Gombau Signed by Adelaide United 30 April 2013 Pre-season Àlex Gómez 21 May 2013 South China Liu Chun Fai End of contract 20 June 2013 Cheung Po Chun 1 July 2013 Rangers Chan Hung Ping Returned as assistant coach 30 June 2013 José Ricardo Rambo 6 July 2013 Happy Valley Sergio Timoner Promoted as Technical Director 8 October 2013 12th Paul Foster 8 October 2013 Eastern Lee Kin Wo Promoted as Vice Director 10 October 2013 5th Cristiano Cordeiro 10 October 2013 Kitchee Àlex Gómez Resigned 14 November 2013 1st Cheng Siu ChungChu Chi Kwong 14 November 2013 South China Cheung Po Chun Mutual Consent 17 February 2014 2nd Yeung Ching Kwong 17 February 2014
Foreign players The number of foreign players is restricted to seven (including an Asian player) per team, with no more than five on pitch during matches.
Club Player 1 Player 2 Player 3 Player 4 Player 5 Player 6 Asian Player Rangers Luciano Silva Tomas Maronesi Tales Schütz Miroslav Saric Joel Iván Zarandona Citizen Fernando Paulinho Piracicaba Hélio Marko Krasić Stefan Pereira Tino Lagator Yuto Nakamura Eastern Paulo César Diego Eli Clayton Afonso Itaparica Beto Fronza Giovane Silva Dylan Macallister Yuen Long Fábio Lopes Gustavo Silva Sandro Čedomir Mijanović Wellingsson de Souza Yuki Fujimoto Kitchee Fernando Recio Dani Cancela Jordi Tarrés Juan Belencoso Diego Cascón Alex Akande Jang Kyung-Jin Southern Rubén López Dieguito Yago González Héctor Granado Jonathan Carril Jose Maria Diaz Munoz South China Ticão Dhiego Martins João Emir Vincent Weijl Saša Kajkut Andrew Barisic Ko Kyung-Joon Sun Pegasus Eugene Mbome Paulo Cesar Igor Miović Admir Raščić Josip Škorić Aleksandar Ranđelović Marko Jesic Sun Hei Roberto Júnior Jean-Jacques Kilama Yrel Bouet Mirko Teodorović Michel Lugo Reinaldo de Morais Peres Zhang Jun Yokohama FC (HK) Kenji Fukuda Taiki Murai Tsuyoshi Yoshitake Masaaki Ideguchi Park Tae-Hong
League table
Positions by round
Results
Fixtures and results
Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
Round 4
Round 5
Round 6
Round 7
Round 8
Round 9
Round 10
Round 11
Round 12
Round 13
Round 14
Round 15
Round 16
Round 17
Round 18
Round 19
Round 20
Round 21
Round 22
Season statistics
Top scorers RankPlayerClubGoals1Giovane SilvaEastern Salon12Admir RaščićSun Pegasus3Wellingsson de SouzaI-Sky Yuen Long11Juan BelencosoKitcheeKenji FukudaYokohama FC Hong Kong6Jordi TarrésKitchee77Jonathan CarrilSouthern6Michel LugoSunray Cave JC Sun Hei
Hat-tricks Player For Against Result Date Eastern Salon Sunray Cave JC Sun Hei 4–2
The followings are not counted as matches involving Tuen Mun or Happy Valley are voided. Sun Pegasus Tuen Mun 6–0 Royal Southern Happy Valley 4–2 Kitchee Tuen Mun 5–0
Notes
References