Photo credit: Moluminary Photography
Dating all the way back to 1886, Hong Kong Football Club (HKFC) is one of the most prestigious amateur football clubs here in Hong Kong. Although heavily involved in other sports such as rugby and hockey, their football team has attained a good deal of success in their own right.
Since coming into existence, HKFC has been considered a “top amateur side” especially on the back of the past two seasons. Their Club Albion, Club Colts and Club Wanderers squads have dominated the Yau Yee League of late and notably, their first team brought home the 1st Division crown in the 17/18 season.
Their perennial success starts with a stringent admissions criteria; in order to join their team, you must obtain a sports-preferred membership, and for that to happen, you need to play to a certain standard to get into one of their sides.
Alternatively, as the HKFC is a private members sports club, you can also join through corporate memberships/sponsorship.
Photo credit: HKFC Citi Soccer Sevens Facebook Page
The Hong Kong Football Club maintain their success-orientated mentality by implementing compulsory training sessions every Tuesday, and if you are in the first team, every Thursday. It is expected that all players meet a “minimum standard of commitment to their teams”, thus you must participate in at least 75% of training sessions and matches.
A great benefit of being a private sports club is that they offer plenty of facilities to take advantage of. With amenities such as their own rubber crumb football/rugby pitch, fitness centre and swimming pool complex, being a member of the HKFC is definitely a wise long-term investment.
With regards to the social aspect of the HKFC, each team has their own unique social atmosphere, while the football section/department as a whole holds “several events each season for all of its players”
All in all, the HKFC offers a more refined and professional experience in comparison to the quintessential ‘Sunday League’ team. If that’s what you’re looking for, then you'd be hard-pressed to find a better club. If you desire a more lenient and social experience where you can afford to play 90 minutes of football still slightly hungover, then this probably isn't the club for you.