South China AA
| Logo | |||
| Full name | South China Athletic Association | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Shaolin Temple | ||
| Founded | 1910 | ||
| Manager | Casemiro Mior | ||
| League | Hong Kong First Division League | ||
| 2006/07 | Champion | ||
|
| |||
South China Athletic Association (SCAA, Chinese: 南華) is a Hong Kong football team in the football division of the South China Athletic Association, a local sports club. They play in the city's top-level Hong Kong First Division League. It is the football club with most honours in Hong Kong having won a record 28 First Division titles. They have also won a record twenty Senior Shields, a record nine FA Cups and one League Cup.
Nicknamed "Shaolin Temple" or the "Caroliner", SCAA produced many great Hong Kong footballers over the years. It is one the few football clubs in Hong Kong that has its own private training pitch.
History
Hong Kong's first documented football team was the "Chinese Football Team" of 1904, which began as a club called the "South China Athletic Club" founded by Mok Hing[1]. It was the first team to join the The Hong Kong Football Association league in 1913/1914.
In 1908, it was named the "South China Football Club," with about forty promising players. In 1916, it became a member of the Hong Kong Football Association under the name "South China Recreation Club". It first competed in League match (Division 2) in season 1917-18. The club sent two separate teams to compete in Division 1 and Division 2 respectively in the following year.
In the 1917 Far Eastern Games and 1919 Far Eastern Games, the club represented the Republic of China and won the football championship[1]. It is the only team in Hong Kong sports history to have accomplished this feat[1]. Around 1920-1922, it formally adopted the present name of "South China Athletic Association" and diversified into other sports[1][2].
All-Chinese Policy
In 2003, the club decided to establish an "All-Chinese policy". All foreign players were released or sold, and the team was formed solely by local Hong Kong players and players from mainland China. However, this has proved to be unsuccessful. The team, originally a strong contender for the championship, continued to struggle against relegation at the bottom of the league.
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. 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.
06/07 season
- After much speculation, the club announced on 1 August 2006 that experienced Portuguese coach Jorge Amaral would take over the helm from Ku Kam Fai as head coach. Eight new players joined the club, including 5 players from Portugal, 2 from the mainland China and Man Pei Tak from Hong Kong Rangers. More signings were expected.
- On 24 November 2006, Jorge Amaral was fired due to the unsatisfactory team performance, especially the 2-3 loss to the semi-professional team Hong Kong FC. South China signed Casemiro Mior as the new coach. [3] [4] Casemiro Mior was the head coach of the club during 1999-2003 when he brought lots of glory to the club, including a 3-2 win over J. League giant Shimizu S-Pulse in 2001 AFC Champions League. [5] In the first match under the leadership of Casemiro Mior, SCAA won 8-0 against Hong Kong 08 and broke the records for highest scoring game and biggest goal difference match in the season.
- On 18 December 2006, it was announced that Portugal national football team manager Luiz Felipe Scolari, who led Brazil to their 5th World Cup title in 2002, had agreed to come to Hong Kong in February 2007 as a guest to provide a training section to SCAA. [6] However, the plan has been prosponed to a time around Easter.
- On 10 January 2007, it was officially announced on SCAA Fans Club official site that South China was going to play a friendly match with J. League Division 1 team Yokohama F. Marinos on 23 February at the Hong Kong Stadium. As the match date was too close to the Lunar New Year Cup, South China had negotiated with Hong Kong Football Association that the match would not have open ticket sales in order to maximize the ticket revenue of Lunar New Year Cup. Tickets would be distributed to members of South China AA Official Fans Club, BMA Club Fans Group and the first 10000 ticket buyers of the Lunar New Year Cup at no charge. [7] [8]
- On 21 January 2007, the club beat Xiangxue Sun Hei by 2-1 in the final of Hong Kong Senior Shield 2006-07 final at the Hong Kong Stadium.[9] This was the first championship for the team since winning the Shield in 2003. In addition to the HK$80,000 money prize, convenor Steven Lo Kit Shing gave an extra HK$330,000 as bonuses for the players. [10] By winning the Shield, the team won a place to represent Hong Kong in the AFC Cup 2008.
- On 23 February 2007, SCAA beat the guest team Yokohama F. Marinos of J. League in an exhibition competition called the BMA Cup. There was a pre-match of SCAA 92/93 Invitation Team vs SCAA Elite Youth (U-20 team) before the main exhibition match. SCAA 92/93 Invitation Team won 2-0 and both goals were scored by Anto Grabo. For the main exhibition match, SCAA won over the Japanese side by an aggregate 6-5 after penalty shootout. See here for details of the match.
- On 11 March 2007, SCAA were beaten 1-2 by Kitchee in extra time in the semi-final of the League Cup. The team did not reach their target this season of capturing all 4 major football trophies (League championship, Senior Shield, FA Cup, League Cup) in Hong Kong .
- On 15 April 2007, SCAA played to a 1-1 draw with Kitchee in the penultimate game of the league season at Mongkok Stadium. The game attracted a full house of over 8,000 spectators, the first full house for 11 years for a Hong Kong league game at Mongkok Stadium.
- On 19 April 2007, SCAA signed Chan Wai Ho from the Rangers for a transfer fee of HKD$400,000. This broke the record of highest local transfer fee and highest transfer fee in Hong Kong First Division League. The highest local transfer fee record had been held by Tam Ar Fuk when he moved to Ernest Borel from Happy Valley for HKD$140,000 in 1992. The highest overall transfer fee was held by Cheng Siu Chung Ricky when he moved from Alajuela in Costa Rica to South China in the 1994-95 season for a fee of USD$30,000 (about HKD$234,000). [11]
- On 27 April 2007, SCAA played their last match of the 2006-07 League season against Lanwa Redbull at Lanwa's home ground in Dongguan, China. SCAA's Detinho scored a hat-trick in the match to seal SCAA's 3-1 win. By winning this match, they secured the League title, and their 28th title overall. [12] As the league champions, SCAA qualified for the continental competition AFC Cup 2008.
- On 19 May 2007, SCAA played the final of the Hong Kong FA Cup 2006-07 against Happy Valley at the Hong Kong Stadium. With a penalty scored by Detinho and goals scored by Chan Chi Hong and Cheng Siu Wai. SCAA secured their 9th overall Hong Kong FA Cup title and their local treble this season (Hong Kong First Division League champions, Hong Kong Senior Shield champions and the Hong Kong FA Cup).
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 28 times (All-time ranking 1st), the Senior Shield 20 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 once. The team had captured all the 4 main trophies in seasons 87-88 and 90-91. In 2001/2002, the team was awarded the AFC Team of the Month (Nov.) by the Asian Football Confederation.
- Runners-up (1994)
AFC Team of the Month
- Nov 2001
Hong Kong First Division League Champions
- Before WWII (not recognized by The Hong Kong Football Association): 10
1924, 1927, 1931, 1933, 1935, 1936, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1941
- After WWII: 28
1949, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1997, 2000, 2007
Hong Kong Senior Shield Champions
- Before WWII (not recognized by The Hong Kong Football Association): 9
1929, 1931, 1933, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1941
- After WWII: 20
1949, 1955, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1961, 1962, 1965, 1972, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2007
Hong Kong FA Cup Champions
1985, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1996, 1999, 2002, 2007
Hong Kong League Cup Champions
2002
Recent seasons
2006-07 Season
- Hong Kong First Division League: Champion (Details)
- Hong Kong Senior Shield: Champion (Details)
- Hong Kong FA Cup: Champion (Details)
- Hong Kong League Cup: Semi-final (Details)
2005-06 Season
- Hong Kong First Division League : 7th (Details) (To be relegated, but stay in the league in the 2006-07 season, see #All-Chinese Policy for reasons.)
- Hong Kong Senior Shield : First Round (Details)
- Hong Kong FA Cup : Semi-final
- Hong Kong League Cup : First Round (Details)
Current first team squad
| Number | Nationality | Player | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | |||||
| 1 | 
|
Chung Ho Yin (鍾皓賢) | |||
| 16 | 
|
Zhang Jianzhong (張健忠) | |||
| 23 |
|
Zhang Chunhui (張春暉) | |||
| 31 |
|
Chan Chun Yu (陳振宇) | |||
| Defenders | |||||
| 2 | 
|
Edemar Antonio Picoli (比高) | |||
| 4 |
|
Deng Jinghuang (鄧景煌) | |||
| 6 |
|
Cristiano Alves Pereira (基斯) | |||
| 15 |
|
Chan Wai Ho (陳偉豪) | |||
| 21 |
|
Man Pei Tak (文彼得) | |||
| 22 |
|
Lee Chi Ho (李志豪) | |||
| Midfielders | |||||
| 3 | 
|
Yaw Anane(友友) | |||
| 5 |
|
Cleiton Mendes Dos Santos(基頓) | |||
| 8 |
|
Yeung Ching Kwong (楊正光) | |||
| 11 |
|
Li Haiqiang (李海強) | |||
| 13 |
|
Chan Chi Hong (陳志康) | |||
| 18 |
|
Kwok Kin Pong (郭建邦) | |||
| 20 | 
|
Mihailo Jovanović (祖雲奴域) | |||
| 26 |
|
Bai He (白鶴) | |||
| 27 |
|
Wong Chun Yue (黃鎮宇) | |||
| Forwards | |||||
| 7 |
|
Au Wai Lun (歐偉倫) | |||
| 9 |
|
Liang Zicheng (梁子成) | |||
| 19 |
|
Cheng Siu Wai (鄭少偉) | |||
| 28 |
|
Tales Schutz (泰利史高斯) | |||
| 30 |
|
Jose Wellington Bento Dos Santos (Detinho) (迪天奴) | |||
Transfer
Transfer In
Li Haiqiang from Chengdu Blades (Chinese Football Association Jia League) (loan)- Tang Jinkai from Chengdu Blades (Chinese Football Association Jia League) (loan)
Jose Wellington Bento Dos Santos(Detinho) from Imortal DC (Portuguese Second Division Serie D)- Zhang Chunhui from Rangers
Man Pei Tak from Rangers
Marco Almeida from SL Nelas (Portuguese Second Division Serie C)- Carlos Oliveira
- Hugo Nunes Coelho from União Micaelense (Portuguese Second Division Serie D)
- Tales Schutz from Grêmio Esportivo Anápolis (Brazilian Campeonato Goiano) (loan)
- Andre Costa
- Michel Platini Ferreira Mesquita from Grêmio Esportivo Anápolis (Brazilian Campeonato Goiano) (loan)
- Bai He from Chengdu Blades (Chinese Football Association Jia League)
- Zhang Jianzhong from Guangzhou Pharmaceutical (Chinese Football Association Jia League)
Mihailo Jovanović from Rangers- Cristiano Alves Pereira from Clube Atlético Metropolitano (Brazilian Campeonato Catarinense) (loan)
Jalava Petri from RoPS (Ykkönen of Finland)- Edemar Antonio Picoli from Centro Sportivo Alagoano (Brazilian Série C)
- Liang Zicheng from Guangzhou Pharmaceutical (Chinese Football Association Jia League)
- Waldir Antonio do Nascimento Silva Junior
Yaw Anane from Citizen- Cleiton Mendes Dos Santos from Vera Cruz FC (Brazilian Pernambuco Football Championship Série A1) (short term loan until 20 May 2007)
- Chan Wai Ho from Rangers
Transfer Out
-
Leung Tsz Chun to Rangers - Wei Chao to Rangers
- Chan Qian to Guangzhou Pharmaceutical (China)
- Wan Liyu to Dalian Shide (Chinese Super League)
- Zhang Enhua (retired)
- Luk Koon Pong to Kitchee FC
- Marco Almeida (contract terminated)
- Andre Costa (contract terminated)
- Carlos Oliveira (contract terminated)
- Hugo Nunes Coelho (contract terminated)
- Michel Platini Ferreira Mesquita (contract terminated)
- Tang Jinkai to Chengdu Blades (loan contract terminated)
- Jalava Petri (unsuccessful trial)
- Waldir Antonio do Nascimento Silva Junior
South China Star of the Month
Winners are given a prize of HKD$8,000
- August 2006: Hugo Nunes Coelho
- September 2006: Detinho
- October 2006: Zhang Chunhui
- November 2006: Tales Schutz
- December 2006: Man Pei Tak
- January 2007:
- February 2007: Li Haiqiang
- March 2007: Zhang Chunhui
- April 2007: Detinho
Notable players
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Famous coaches
- Casemiro Mior (米路)
- Wong Man Wai (黃文偉)
- Peter Wong (黃興桂)
South 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 .
主唱:V
球迷至愛 技術精彩
要再上再傳再攻 衝出障礙
球員拍擋 實力相當
歡呼聲沖天震嚮
＊ 凌厲進攻 十一個都英勇
像猛虎般衝鋒 攻撃中無漏洞
全沒放鬆 在穩守中推進
隊友間心照一切 交接得最緊最狠 最準
南華 ~ 球場上心跳與脈動
南華 ~ 將開心感染擴充
南華 ~ 球迷是支柱最受用
盡顯身手 參與比賽
要一撃即中 光輝必到來
球迷至愛 幕幕精彩
有信心打倒對手 得到喝采
Repeat ＊
＊＊ 南華 ~ 球場上心跳與脈動
南華 ~ 將開心感染擴充
南華 ~ 球迷是支柱最受用
跟我去衝鋒 衝鋒
用力做到繼續舞動(盡力去做漂亮進攻)
Repeat ＊＊
- 2) 南華之歌 [13]
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.
主唱:大AL
南華，球場皇霸，
南華，球壇名家，
全靠經驗，
緊湊合作早已做到威震全天下，
球迷愛護佢好聲價！
＊南華，腳法如神又鬼馬，
皆因球技卓絕瀟洒，
所向無敵，起腳到家，
球技係佢最稱霸！
南華，人如龍馬，
南華，球員唔差，
雄壯聲望，
總會達到聲價十倍歐美傳佳話，
球王讚頌最好聲價！
（重唱＊）
References
- ^ a b c d Lam, S. F. Chang W, Julian. [2006] (2006) The Quest for Gold: Fifty Years of Amateur Sports in Hong Kong, 1947-1997. Hong Kong University Publishing. ISBN 9622097669.
- ^ History of the sport club, South China Athletic Association website
- ^ 南華炒教練米路重來, Yahoo! NEWS HK, 2006-11-25
- ^ 米路執教南華, SCAA Official Blog, 2006-11-24
- ^ 2001 AFC Champions League - SCAA 3:2 Shimizu S-pulse, YouTube
- ^ 史高拉利與南華明日之星, SCAA Official Blog, 2006-12-18
- ^ 傳媒報導 - 2007-02-06 南華送飛!派利是!志在逼爆場, SCAA Fans Club official site, 2007-02-06
- ^ 好消息 - 年初六對橫濱水手, SCAA Official Blog, 2007-01-10
- ^ Choi Fung Hong Senior Shield Final Xiangxue Sun Hei 1:2 South China, Hong Kong Football Association website [1], 2007-01-21
- ^ Scaafc.com 傳媒報導 - 2007-01-22 Caroliners back in the big time, South China Morning Post, 2007-01-22
- ^ 二零零七年四月二十一日 香港足球新聞, GoalGoalGoal球迷大聯盟, 2007/04/21
- ^ Coolpoint Ventilation First Division League Lanwa Redbull 1:3 South China, The Hong Kong Football Association website, 2007-04-27
- ^ 南 華 會 會 歌 - Song of South China
External links
- South China Athletic Association
- SCAA Official Blog
- SCAA Old Timer Football Team Blog
- SCAA Fans Club official site
- Believe in Music Always records limited (with demo version of new SCAA cheering song)
- HONG KONG FOOTBALL - SOUTH CHINA