Hong Kong Senior Challenge Shield

Hong Kong Senior Challenge Shield

Founded	1895 (as Hongkong Football Cup) 1896 (as Hongkong Challenge Shield)
Region	Hong Kong
Number of teams	10
Current champions	Kitchee (6th title)
Most successful club(s)	South China (31 titles)
2016–17 Hong Kong Senior Challenge Shield

Hong Kong Senior Challenge Shield (Chinese: 香港高級組銀牌) is the oldest football knockout inter-club competition in Asia. Usually only the teams in First Division would enter into the competition. However, sometimes teams in lower divisions (usually the champion of Junior Shield) are invited to increase the number of participating teams.

Hong Kong Challenge Shield was a one-leg knockout cup competition which was established in 1896. The knockout format has been used except in 1982–1983 and 1996–1997 seasons. In 1982-1983, group matches format was used. In 1996-1997, a double knock-out system were used. Before 1978, a re-match would be played after a draw. After 1978, extra time and penalty kicks were used. Penalty shoot-out has been used for 3 times in the final in history (1988, 1994, 1995). But starting from 2011, Hong Kong Challenge Shield is a two-legged home-and-away ties competition.

Lee Kin Wo is the player who has won the most number of Senior Shield. He won it for 10 times between 1987 and 2005. (Eastern: 1987, 1993, 1994; South China: 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003; Sun Hei: 2005). Ho Ying Fan and Wu Kwok Hung have won the competition for 9 times.

There are 3 teams after World War II which won Senior Shield immediately after their promotions to First Division League. They are Rangers (1966), Jardines (1969) and Seiko (1973).

In 1987-1988, it was the first time to have external sponsor for the competition. Camel Paints sponsored the competition for 6 consecutive years. In 1993-1994, the sponsor was Emperor Financial Services Group. In 2003-2004 and 2004–2005, Sunray Cave was the sponsor and the most recent sponsor is Choi Fung Hong.

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