The HK First Division, and why you should go watch a game of it

By HK Kickers
6 June 2025

It was June 1, 2025, and hundreds of passionate football fans witnessed a Junior FA Cup Final taking place at the Hammer Hill Sports Ground, between two Hong Kong First Division (second-level football) clubs. It was not an evenly-matched game, as South China thrashed Sham Shui Po 3-0 without a fuss. Walter Vaz, who scored 12 goals in 17 games in the league, continued his goalscoring streak in the Final and contributed largely to South China's long-awaited cup glory. The "Shaolin Temple", beaten by C & W District on the same occasion one year ago, finally got their hands on the biggest cup title for clubs under the professional Premier League, while Sham Shui Po suffered two cup final losses in two consecutive seasons.

Despite being a cup final for non-professional clubs in the lower divisions of Hong Kong, it had an attendance probably even more sizeable than some of the Premier League or Sapling Cup fixtures. What tempts football lovers to go to a game in the First Division, then?

Well before the Cup Final, we spoke to Winston Chu, 15, a loyal Sham Shui Po fan. He started supporting the district team during their journey in the HKPL, which sustained for 2 seasons. 

"I went to an SSP game at first because it was the first HKPL jersey I owned, the 22/23 home kit by Atacar. I started going to more games because I loved the small but passionate atmosphere and the fans chanting. I also love underdogs and I have been a big fan ever since."

As to the major difference between supporting the club in the Premier and the First Division, he said, "This season I feel like I know the players more and I feel more part of the team. I get to chant pitchside and film team talks and talk to more people. I got invited to the team huddle in SSP vs RCFC, which definitely would not be possible if we were in HKPL. You also stand out a lot more in the First Division."

RCFC is another club suffering a (self-)relegation from HKPL to the First Division in the wake of the 2023-24 Season. Ralphy Dray has supported the Pink Army for 4 seasons and is the founding member of the Pink Army RCFC Supporters Group. "I began supporting RCFC as soon as they were promoted to the Premier League in the 20/21 season. My football coach when I was younger was Jordon Brown (ex-RCFC player, currently playing for HKFC), so we went to watch him and support him. During the first season, it quickly turned into supporting the team rather than just an individual."

He shared some great, memorable moments with the club, including the victory over Tai Po in the FA Cup during the 2023-24 Season, at the time the Pink Army was managed by current Laos national team head coach Ha Hyeok-jun.

After the heartbreaking relegation to the First Division, Dray has observed numerous changes to the club, and also the act of supporting the club itself. 

"When supporting a [First Division] club, I have noticed that you are more subject to unexpected results, such as winning and losing games in random moments throughout the season. [First Division] is much more interesting in that way, but one must also consider the quality drop between the two leagues." 

"[The difference in quality] is far greater than I expected, which can make teams aiming for promotion vulnerable to a disastrous season in the Premier League if they retain most of their players or then of the flip side find it very expensive to bring in new players and coaching staff, potentially making the team unrecognisable from the previous season. This has been true for RCFC this season but in reverse, as our team has only one player from last season and more of our players from last season moved overseas or to other HKPL clubs."

"In [First Division], all the players and staff know the fans, especially those who attend week in, week out and there are always opportunities to speak with them before and after matches. They also seem more grateful for the support than players in the Premier League. When RCFC were in the Premier League, the players and managers appreciated our support and engaged with fans when they had a chance, but it was not as frequent or in depth as it is now in D1."

But ironically, it is the lack of audience in most (if not all) First Division matchups that causes a closer connection between fans and players. "It feels quite strange to watch games when there are not many supporters around. In the Premier League, you would always have around 10-15 fans cheering for the team, along with approximately 100 other spectators in the stands. In D1, while we still have about 4-6 dedicated fans supporting the team, there aren’t many others sitting or standing around. This difference in atmosphere and attendance makes for a very different experience."

Different from Dray, Winston believed that the quality of the First Division may be so good that it may surprise some. "[Obviously in First Division] the level of foreign players will be less and lower, but I think many local players are very competitive and are HKPL level. For example, Timothy Wong who helped us to the FA Cup final last season stayed with us ... Another example is Oscar [Benavides], who was our star player earlier this season. Now he moved up to HKPL, and starts for his team. This shows that our team level is similar to HKPL and that people should not underjudge the First Division."

RCFC finished 7th out of 13 teams in the First Division this season, and reached the quarter-final of the Junior FA Cup before being defeated by Sham Shui Po. On the other hand, Sham Shui Po merely escaped double relegation by securing 11th place. "I don't think many fans will be happy with our current position on the table," Winston said, "but our players work very hard every game ... as long as the players give 100 percent we should be proud of the team."

To Dray, the season had been cruel to RCFC, which has undergone a drastic change to their squad. "If you watched our games and understood what we were trying to do, you could see the progress we were making. It was difficult for the team to gel, as nearly the entire squad was new to the club and to the manager. After some poor results in the first round, we now look much better in the second round and have really found a style of play that suits us." 

"While the table may not reflect it, if you come down to watch us play and see some of the results in the second round, you would likely have a completely different opinion."

But they can both agree on one thing - First Division is a fun league to watch, or as Ralphy described, "a good alternative to the Premier League". "For example, you can watch some really boring matches in the Premier League, mostly from teams lower down the table, so instead of wasting your time on those you should check out who’s playing in [First Division]. Access to the grounds is free and many games are played on pitches with spectator stands such as Po Kong Village Road Park, Tsing Yi North East Park, Wu Shan, Tsang Tai Uk, and Tin Yip Road etc. ... Many games are spread throughout Hong Kong, so you can likely find one close to your local area." 

Although these fans support clubs in the second-level division, their passion for the club and local football is, without a doubt, second to none.