Happy Valley AA

Happy Valley formally registered with the Hong Kong Football Association in 1950 and in 1955 participated in the Chinese Amateur Athletic Federation of Hong Kong's summer football tournament, their first official competition.

During the 1957–58 season, the club were accepted into the Hong Kong Third A Division League. Success at the league level was immediate as the club won league titles in successive years, first winning the Third Division in 1957–58 and then winning the Second Division in 1958–59. Led by manager Chu Wing Keung, Happy Valley finished runners during their inaugural First Division campaign. The squad that season was notably young in age and featured future star Wong Man Wai.

In the aftermath of the 1967 Leftist Riots, Happy Valley strongly opposed the HKFA's decision to issue a statement in support of the actions of the police. The club responded by withdrawing from the First Division in protest.[1] They reentered the Hong Kong football league system a year later in 1968 through the Third Division with a three-year plan to return to the top flight. The club recruited new players such as Lo Tak Kuen, Chan Jong Deng, and former Hong Kong Rangers star Chung Cho Wai. The plan was successful and Happy Valley returned to the First Division in 1970.

Happy Valley finished near the top of the table many times during this decade but were never able to finish as champions. In 1988–89, however, the club finally won the league for the first time since 1965.

With the success of Eastern and other company sponsored teams in the early '90s, Happy Valley were only able to achieve mid table finishes. By the middle of the decade, Eastern decided to rebuild with a young squad following their relegation and the company sponsored teams withdrew from the league. This allowed Happy Valley to enjoy their greatest run of success to date, winning four league titles, two Hong Kong FA Cups and three Senior Shields between 1997–2004.

At the conclusion of the 2008–09, chairman Pui Kwan Kay announced that Kwong Hiu Ming had been hired as Director of Football. His hiring led to a decision to restructure the football club, so as to reduce to the operational budget down to $3 million HKD. All players, with the exception of the three foreign players Ling Cong, Ciu Lin and Godfred Karikari were released and cheaper, younger players were signed.[2]

In January 2010, several players boycotted training due to salary arrears. During the same year on 5 May, the ICAC arrested Ling Cong, Niu Jianlong, Wu Haopeng, Yu Yang and one other former player on suspicion of bribery and match fixing. Ling, Niu, and Wu were later released and all have claimed that they were not arrested, but rather, brought in for questioning in order to assist in the investigation.[3] Yu Yang plead guilty to one count of offering an advantage to an agent and was sentenced to 10 months in jail.[4] He was later banned for life by the HKFA following a Disciplinary Task Force meeting.[5] The 60th anniversary of the club ended unceremoniously as the club finished at the bottom of the table, relegating them to the Second Division following a 40-year run in the top flight.

During the club's spell in the Second Division, they were able to retain important pieces such as keeper Cheung Wai Hong while signing Yuen Kin Man and Giorgi Kobakhidze. After a three-year absence, the club were promoted back to the First Division following a second-place finish in 2012–13.

On 5 January 2014, Happy Valley were once again at the centre of match fixing allegations as seven coaching staff and players were arrested by the ICAC following a big 5–0 loss to Sun Hei.[6][7] Officials entered the team's dressing room at Tsing Yi Sports Ground immediately after the loss and took the seven members in for questioning on suspicion. Three days later, the HKFA postponed all of Happy Valley's for the next month pending the result of a hearing in which the club was to present to an Ad Hoc Committee that they were financially and operationally able to continue the remainder of the season.[8] On 12 February 2014, the HKFA suspended Happy Valley for the duration of the First Division League season as well as expelling them from the FA Cup .[9] The Eastern Court convicted player Saša Mus and deputy manager Hinson Leung of various crimes in connection to match fixing, sentencing Mus to 12 months of jail and fining Leung $4,000 HKD. The club were relegated following the year.

After a last place finish in 2015–16, the club were relegated to the bottom tier of Hong Kong football for the first time in 48 years.

Following successive relegations, it was decided that for the 2016–17 season, Happy Valley would loan players from Tung Sing and Chelsea Soccer School (HK). A U-18 academy team would also be restarted. The decisions proved to be very successful as Happy Valley lost only one league game all season en route to the Third Division title.

In the 2017–18 season, the club once again won the league title and were promoted back to the First Division.

Happy Valley won the First Division during the 2018–19 season. They applied for promotion to the Hong Kong Premier League at the conclusion of the season and were accepted on 17 June 2019.[10]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player 1 GK Chung Wai Ho 2 DF Cheung Chun Hin 3 DF Yung Hui To 5 DF Yip Cheuk Man 6 DF Luciano FP 9 MF Wong Chi Hong 11 MF Poon Pui Hin 13 MF Jerry Lam 15 DF Wong Ho Yin 16 MF Lai Pui Kei 17 GK To Chun Kiu

No. Position Player 18 DF Lam Ngai Tong LP 19 MF Wong Wing Kit 22 GK Ng Wai Him 23 DF Siu Chi Ho 26 FW Yuen Sai Kit 27 MF Ng Ka Yeung 28 FW Chu Wai Kwan 30 MF Jahangir Khan FP 32 DF Alex Jojo LP – DF Tsang Chi Hau – MF Mikael FP

Remarks:
^LP These players are registered as local players in Hong Kong domestic football competitions.
^FP These players are registered as foreign players.

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player DF Fung Tsz Hin (on loan at Chelsea Soccer School (Hong Kong))

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

• Hong Kong First Division

Champions (6): 1964–65, 1988–89, 1998–99, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2005–06, 2018–19

Runners-up (16): 1959–60, 1960–61, 1961–62, 1963–64, 1965–66, 1974–75, 1977–78, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1981–82, 1985–86, 1987–88, 1990–91, 1999–00, 2001–02, 2004–05

• Hong Kong Second Division

Champions (3): 1958–59, 1969–70, 2017–18

Runners-up (1): 2012–13

• Hong Kong Third Division

Champions (3): 1957–58, 1968–69, 2016–17

• Hong Kong Senior Shield

Champions (5): 1977–78, 1982–83, 1989–90, 1997–98, 2003–04

Runners-up (9): 1966–67, 1983–84, 1984–85, 1987–88, 1994–95, 1999–00, 2002–03, 2004–05, 2005–06

• Hong Kong FA Cup

Champions (2): 1999–00, 2003–04

Runners-up (5): 1986–87, 1993–94, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2006–07

• Hong Kong League Cup

Champions (1): 2000–01

Runners-up (5): 2002–03, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2006–07

• Hong Kong FA Cup Junior Division

Champions (1): 2018–19

• Hong Kong Viceroy Cup

Champions (1): 1975–76

Runners-up (3): 1977–78, 1988–89, 1996–97