South China AA

Infobox Football club
clubname = South China


fullname = South China Athletic Association
nickname = Shaolin Temple
founded = 1904 as "the Chinese Football Team"
1908 as "South China Football Team"
1910 as "South China FC"
chairman = flagicon|HKG flagicon|MAC Steven Lo
(Football Management Committee)
mgrtitle = Head Coach
manager = flagicon|HKG Liu Chun Fai
league = Hong Kong First Division
season = 2007–08
position = First Division, 1st
pattern_la1=_shoulder_stripes_white_stripes_alt|pattern_b1=_southchina 200708home|pattern_ra1=_shoulder_stripes_white_stripes_alt
leftarm1=FF0000|body1=FF0000|rightarm1=FF0000|shorts1=FFFFFF|socks1=FF0000
pattern_la2=_shoulder_stripes_white_shirt_alt|pattern_b2=_southchina_200708away|pattern_ra2=_shoulder_stripes_white_shirt_alt
leftarm2=0000FF|body2=0000FF|rightarm2=0000FF|shorts2=0000FF|socks2=0000FF
current = South China AA season 2008-09

South China Athletic Association (also known as South China, SCAA, zh-ts|t=linktext|南|華|體|育|會|s=linktext|南|华|体|育|会) is a Hong Kong sports club, best known for its football team.

The football team plays in the top-level league of Hong Kong, Hong Kong First Division League. It is the football club with most honours in Hong Kong having won a record 38 First Division League titles. They have also won a record 20 Senior Shields, a record 9 FA Cups and 2 League Cups.

Nicknamed "Shaolin Temple", SCAA produced many great over the years. It is one the few football clubs in Hong Kong that has its own private training pitch.

In November 2007 the club entered into a charity partnership with Hong Kong Red Cross. The partnership is a pioneer between a sports association and a humanitarian organization in Hong Kong.

History

Early Age

The Chinese Football Team was founded in 1904 by a group of Chinese students in Hong Kongcite web |url=http://www.goalgoalgoal.com/attachments/20080402_a4896359e5e06993dd8fFF3b5QObGAX4.gif|title=原名為華人足球隊|accessdate=2008-04-12|work=南華八十年回憶錄|language=Traditional Chinese|format=GIF] cite web |url=http://magazine.sina.com/lifeweek/431/2007-05-20/ba33719.shtml|title=第一個華人足球會和「足球王國」|accessdate=2008-04-12|publisher=Wenweipao|language=Traditional Chinese] , including Mok Hing ( _zh. 莫慶, studied in Diocesan Boys' Schoolcite web |url=http://paper.wenweipo.com/2008/01/26/OT0801260003.htm|title=莫家後人「點將錄」|accessdate=2008-04-12|publisher=Sina|date=2008-01-26|language=Traditional Chinese] ) and Tong Fuk Cheung ( _zh. 唐福祥, the captain of China national football team in 1910s [cite web |url=http://www.zgdazxw.com.cn/NewsPicView.asp?ID=226|title=1919中国足球队|accessdate=2008-04-12|publisher=China Archives Information|date=2007-08-03|language=Simplified Chinese] ). In 1910, the team was renamed as South China Football Club.

On 1920, South China which began as a club called the South China Athletic Association founded by Mok Hingcite book|author=Lam, S. F. Chang W, Julian|date=2006|title=The Quest for Gold: Fifty Years of Amateur Sports in Hong Kong, 1947-1997|publisher=Hong Kong University Publishing|isbn=9622097669] .

In the 1917 Far Eastern Games and 1919 Far Eastern Games (also known as the Far East Olympics Tournament), the club represented the Republic of China and won the football championship. It is the only team in Hong Kong sports history to have accomplished this feat. China lost in the final to the Philippines in the first to be held, in 1913, but in the next nine it won every time, right through until the last FECG to be held in 1934. On that occasion China was a joint winner with Japan. Throughout these tournaments, the majority of the China team was composed of SCAA players.

Around 1920-1922, the club formally adopted the present name of South China Athletic Association and diversified into other sports [cite web|url=http://www.scaa.org.hk/main_new_eng.htm|title=History of the sport club|publisher=South China Athletic Association] .

1980s

Since its foundation, South China had an all-Chinese Policy that only fielded Chinese players. Even their foreign players were overseas Chinese players such as Edmund Wee, Chow Chee Keong, Chan Kwok Leung, etc. Up until 1980's, the policy was very successful. But when professional football took off in Hong Kong, the club could not cope with the influx of foreign players and performed poorly at the beginning of the 1981-1982 season. On November 2nd, 1981, the club voted to end its over 60 years old All-Chinese policy. Although the club was able to avoid relegation that season, it was not incident free. On June 6th, 1982, after the club drew an all-important match with Caroline Hill, the fans rioted outside the stadium that spread onto Causeway Bay. The riot was the largest civil disorder in Hong Kong since the leftist riot in 1967.

2000s

As they failed to beat Citizen in the last game of the 2005-06 season, South China was to be relegated for the first time since 1983. [ [http://202.76.19.48/template?series=2&article=30 傳媒報導 - 2006-08-01 羅傑承主政班費千萬增兵 南華搵摩連奴師兄執教] , [http://www.scaafc.com/ SCAA Fans Club official site] , Accessed on October 20, 2007.] However, on 14 June 2006, the Hong Kong Football Association approved a request from South China to remain in the first division with the promise of strengthening the quality of the club.

Honours

Traditionally the most popular club in the city, SCAA is also the most successful football club in Hong Kong, winning the Hong Kong League 38 times (All-time ranking 1st), the Senior Shield 28 times (All-time ranking 1st), the now-defunct Viceroy Cup 8 times, the FA Cup 9 times (All-time ranking 1st) and the League Cup twice. The team had captured all the 4 main trophies in seasons 87-88 and 90-91. In November 2001, the team was awarded the AFC Team of the Month by the Asian Football Confederation.

Domestic

* Hong Kong First Division League:"Winners (38):" 1923–24, 1930–31, 1932–33, 1934–35, 1935–36, 1937–38, 1938–39, 1939–40, 1940–41, 1948–49, 1950–51, 1950–51, 1951–52, 1952–53, 1954–55, 1956–57, 1957–58, 1958–59, 1959–60, 1960–61, 1961–62, 1965–66, 1967–68, 1968–69, 1971–72, 1973–74, 1975–76, 1976–77, 1977–78, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1989–90, 1990–91, 1991–92, 1996–97, 1999–00, 2006–07, 2007–08:"Runners-up (?):"

* Hong Kong Senior Shield:"Winners (28):" 1928–29, 1930–31, 1932–33, 1934–35, 1935–36, 1936–37, 1937–38, 1938–39, 1940–41, 1948–49, 1954–55, 1956–57, 1957–58, 1958–59, 1960–61, 1961–62,1964–65, 1971–72, 1985–86, 1987–88, 1988–89, 1990–91, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1998–99, 1999–00, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2006–07:"Runners-up (?):"

*Hong Kong Viceroy Cup:"Winners (8):" 1971–72, 1979–80, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1990–91, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1997–98:"Runners-up (7):" 1973–74, 1974–75, 1984–85, 1985–86, 1989–90, 1991–92, 1995–96

*Hong Kong FA Cup:"Winners (9):" 1984–85, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1989–90, 1990–91, 1995–96, 1998–99, 2001–02, 2006–07:"Runners-up (4):" 1975–76, 1985–86, 1997–98, 2000–01

*Hong Kong League Cup:"Winners (2):" 2001–02, 2007–08

Asian

* Asian Cup Winners Cup:"Runners-up (1):" 1993–94

Recent seasons

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from:01/07/1960 till:01/07/1961 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/07/1961 till:01/07/1962 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/07/1962 till:01/07/1963 shift:(0,-4) text:6 from:01/07/1963 till:01/07/1964 shift:(0,-4) text:3 from:01/07/1964 till:01/07/1965 shift:(0,-4) text:2 from:01/07/1965 till:01/07/1966 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/07/1966 till:01/07/1967 shift:(0,-4) text:2 from:01/07/1967 till:01/07/1968 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/07/1968 till:01/07/1969 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/07/1969 till:01/07/1970 shift:(0,-4) text:7 from:01/07/1970 till:01/07/1971 shift:(0,-4) text:7 from:01/07/1971 till:01/07/1972 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/07/1972 till:01/07/1973 shift:(0,-4) text:2 from:01/07/1973 till:01/07/1974 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/07/1974 till:01/07/1975 shift:(0,-4) text:4 from:01/07/1975 till:01/07/1976 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/07/1976 till:01/07/1977 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/07/1977 till:01/07/1978 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/07/1978 till:01/07/1979 shift:(0,-4) text:8 from:01/07/1979 till:01/07/1980 shift:(0,-4) text:4

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from:01/07/1980 till:01/07/1981 shift:(0,-4) text:2 from:01/07/1981 till:01/07/1982 shift:(0,-4) text:7 from:01/07/1982 till:01/07/1983 shift:(0,-4) text:10 from:01/07/1983 till:01/07/1984 shift:(0,-4) text:4 from:01/07/1984 till:01/07/1985 shift:(0,-4) text:2 from:01/07/1985 till:01/07/1986 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/07/1986 till:01/07/1987 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/07/1987 till:01/07/1988 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/07/1988 till:01/07/1989 shift:(0,-4) text:2 from:01/07/1989 till:01/07/1990 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/07/1990 till:01/07/1991 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/07/1991 till:01/07/1992 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/07/1992 till:01/07/1993 shift:(0,-4) text:2 from:01/07/1993 till:01/07/1994 shift:(0,-4) text:3 from:01/07/1994 till:01/07/1995 shift:(0,-4) text:2 from:01/07/1995 till:01/07/1996 shift:(0,-4) text:2 from:01/07/1996 till:01/07/1997 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/07/1997 till:01/07/1998 shift:(0,-4) text:2 from:01/07/1998 till:01/07/1999 shift:(0,-4) text:2 from:01/07/1999 till:01/07/2000 shift:(0,-4) text:1

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from:01/07/2000 till:01/07/2001 shift:(0,-4) text:3 from:01/07/2001 till:01/07/2002 shift:(0,-4) text:3 from:01/07/2002 till:01/07/2003 shift:(0,-4) text:4 from:01/07/2003 till:01/07/2004 shift:(0,-4) text:7 from:01/07/2004 till:01/07/2005 shift:(0,-4) text:6 from:01/07/2005 till:01/07/2006 shift:(0,-4) text:7 from:01/07/2006 till:01/07/2007 shift:(0,-4) text:1 from:01/07/2007 till:01/07/2008 shift:(0,-4) text:1

from:01/07/2000 till:01/07/2008 color:d1 shift:(0,12) text: "Hong Kong First Division"

Players

Current squad

As of 30 September 2008.

Players out on loan

"For recent transfers, see South China AA 2008-09 transfers."

Notable players

Current football management staff

;Key:* Served as caretaker coach.

outh China's Songs

*1) 南華歌A new official cheering song for SCAA. It was introduced in the first home match in 06-07 season against HKFC. The demo version of the song can be accessed on www.bma.com.hk.
*2) 南華之歌 [ [http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Arena/2177/scsong.html 南 華 會 會 歌 - Song of South China] ] This is not the official song of South China, and neither was the original official fans' song. It was sung by Albert Cheung 張武孝(also known as: 大Al/Big Al), and became very well-known after being released in 1977, especially during late 70's and the 80's; during that period South China was a perennial challenger for the top spots in the league, and the song describes how strong and famous the team was.

References

External links

;Official websites
* [http://www.scaa.org.hk/ South China Athletic Association] official website
* [http://www.southchinafc.com/ South China AA Football Team] official website
* [http://hk.myblog.yahoo.com/scaablog/ The chairman of South China AA Football Team] official blog