2008–09 Hong Kong First Division League
# 2008–09 Hong Kong First Division League

The 2008–09 Hong Kong First Division League season, known as Coolpoint Ventilation First Division (Chinese: 快意空調甲組聯賽) for sponsorship reasons, was the 97th since its establishment in 1908. It began on 6 September 2008 and ended on 10 May 2009. The unveiling match was contested by the defending champions South China, and the runners-up of last season Citizen. They made a 1–1 draw, scored by Sandro of Citizen and Detinho of South China, China.

Three new teams joined the league as competition members, including Fourway, TSW Pegasus and Xiangxue Eisiti. The league consisted of 13 teams, the most since the 1979–80 season.

## League team changes

Teams promoted from 2007–08 Hong Kong Second Division League

* Champions: Mutual

Teams relegated to 2008–09 Hong Kong Second Division League

* Bulova Rangers (renamed as Rangers)

New teams in Hong Kong football league system

* Fourway
* TSW Pegasus
* Xiangxue Eisiti (from mainland China)

Teams changed the name

* NT Realty Wofoo Tai Po (named as Wofoo Tai Po before)
* Sheffield United (named as Lanwa Redbull before, from mainland China)
* Tuen Mun Progoal (named as Workable before)

## League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | South China (C) | 24 | 19 | 4 | 1 | 73 | 11 | +62 | 61 | AFC Cup 2010 Group stage |
| 2 | Kitchee | 24 | 17 | 5 | 2 | 56 | 17 | +39 | 56 | |
| 3 | Citizen | 24 | 13 | 8 | 3 | 51 | 23 | +28 | 47 | |
| 4 | Fourway | 24 | 12 | 6 | 6 | 38 | 17 | +21 | 42 | |
| 5 | Convoy Sun Hei | 24 | 13 | 3 | 8 | 39 | 32 | +7 | 42 | |
| 6 | NT Realty Wofoo Tai Po | 24 | 11 | 8 | 5 | 40 | 23 | +17 | 41 | AFC Cup 2010 Group stage |
| 7 | TSW Pegasus | 24 | 12 | 5 | 7 | 51 | 23 | +28 | 41 | |
| 8 | Happy Valley | 24 | 9 | 5 | 10 | 52 | 34 | +18 | 32 | |
| 9 | Eastern (R) | 24 | 8 | 4 | 12 | 28 | 33 | −5 | 28 | Relegation to Third Division |
| 10 | Sheffield United (W) | 24 | 6 | 5 | 13 | 36 | 43 | −7 | 23 | Withdrew from the Hong Kong football league system |
| 11 | Tuen Mun Progoal | 24 | 3 | 3 | 18 | 19 | 95 | −76 | 12 | |
| 12 | Mutual (R) | 24 | 2 | 2 | 20 | 21 | 84 | −63 | 8 | Relegation to Second Division |
| 13 | Xiangxue Eisiti (W) | 24 | 1 | 2 | 21 | 12 | 81 | −69 | 5 | Withdrew from the Hong Kong football league system |

* 1 2 FOU 1–0 CSH; CSH 1–0 FOU
* 1 2 WTP 2–2 TSW; TSW 1–2 WTP
* ↑ Since TSW Pegasus, the winners of 2008–09 Hong Kong Senior Challenge Shield, were competition members of the Hong Kong Football Association, and could not qualify for any AFC competitions, the winners of 2008–09 Hong Kong FA Cup, NT Realty Wofoo Tai Po, earned a spot in the group stage of AFC Cup 2010.

## Results

| Home \ Away | CIT | CSH | EAA | FOU | HVA | KIT | MUT | WTP | SHU | SCA | TSW | TMP | XXE |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Citizen | | 0–1 | 0–0 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 7–2 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 3–2 | 4–1 | 6–1 |
| Convoy Sun Hei | 1–1 | | 4–0 | 1–0 | 1–3 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 0–2 | 2–2 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 3–1 |
| Eastern | 1–0 | 3–4 | | 0–1 | 0–0 | 1–3 | 5–0 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–0 | 1–3 | 5–1 |
| Fourway | 1–1 | 1–0 | 2–0 | | 3–0 | 0–2 | 6–1 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 6–0 | 4–0 |
| Happy Valley | 0–1 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 0–2 | | 1–1 | 7–1 | 3–5 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 3–2 | 5–1 | 3–0 |
| Kitchee | 0–0 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 3–2 | | 3–1 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 7–1 | 5–0 |
| Mutual | 2–5 | 0–4 | 2–1 | 0–2 | 0–9 | 1–3 | | 1–3 | 2–3 | 0–6 | 0–3 | 2–0 | 0–0 |
| NT Realty Wofoo Tai Po | 1–4 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 3–2 | 0–0 | | 2–1 | 0–1 | 2–2 | 0–0 | 4–0 |
| Sheffield United | 2–3 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 2–2 | 1–2 | 0–4 | 4–1 | 1–3 | | 1–3 | 0–6 | 4–0 | 5–0 |
| South China | 1–1 | 7–0 | 3–0 | 0–0 | 3–2 | 0–1 | 4–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | | 0–0 | 8–0 | 2–0 |
| TSW Pegasus | 1–2 | 0–1 | 3–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 3–1 | 1–2 | 2–0 | 0–3 | | 5–1 | 2–0 |
| Tuen Mun Progoal | 1–1 | 0–3 | 0–5 | 0–1 | 2–7 | 0–6 | 2–1 | 0–3 | 1–4 | 0–9 | 0–8 | | 2–2 |
| Xiangxue Eisiti | 0–4 | 2–4 | 0–1 | 0–3 | 0–1 | 0–2 | 2–1 | 1–6 | 0–4 | 0–7 | 0–3 | 2–4 | |

* ↑ South China is awarded a 3–0 win against TSW Pegasus due to TSW Pegasus using more than the allowed maximum six foreign players at a time in the match.

All times are Hong Kong Time (UTC+8).

### Round 5

* South China is awarded a 3 – 0 win against TSW Pegasus due to TSW Pegasus used more than the allowed maximum of 6 foreign players at a time in the match.

## Season statistics

### Scoring

* First goal of the season: Sandro for Citizen against South China (6 September 2008).
* First own goal of the season: Ma Ka Ki (Citizen) for Fourway (18 October 2008).
* Most goals scored by one player in a match: 4 goals – Detinho (South China) against Tuen Mun Progoal, 50', 60', 62', 69' (20 September 2008) and against Convoy Sun Hei, 4', 12', 61', 73' (14 December 2008).
* Widest winning margin: 9 goals – Tuen Mun Progoal 0–9 South China (20 September 2008).
* Most goals in a match: 9 goals
* Most goals in one half
* Most goals in one half by a single team

### Discipline

* First yellow card of the season
* First red card of the season
* Most yellow cards in a single match
* Most red cards in a single match

### Miscellaneous

* Most consecutive games without conceding a goal

## Top scorers

| Rank | Scorer | Club | Goals |
| - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Detinho | South China | 18 |
| 1 | Giovane | Convoy Sun Hei | 18 |
| 3 | Sandro | Citizen | 15 |
| 4 | Chan Siu Ki | South China | 12 |
| 4 | Ling Cong | Happy Valley | 12 |
| 4 | Paul Ngue | Kitchee | 12 |
| 7 | Carlos Cáceres | Kitchee | 11 |
| 8 | Paulo | Fourway | 10 |
| 9 | Hao Shuang | Sheffield United | 9 |
| 9 | Chao Pengfei | Happy Valley | 9 |
| 9 | Caleb Ekwenugo | Fourway / NT Realty Wofoo Tai Po | 9 |
| 9 | Christian Annan | NT Realty Wofoo Tai Po | 9 |
| 9 | Godfred Karikari | Happy Valley | 9 |

Only players scored ≥9 is shown.

## Stadia

Mong Kok Stadium and Hong Kong Stadium are the primary venue for the majority of the games. Some other stadiums also will be used, including Siu Sai Wan Sports Ground, Tai Po Sports Ground and Yuen Long Stadium.

NT Realty Wofoo Tai Po has successfully applied to use Tai Po Sports Ground for their 12 home games. TSW Pegasus also applied to use Yuen Long Stadium as their home ground, but the stadium's facilities and grass turf conditions could not be modified in time for this season. However, South China AA agreed to play away at Yuen Long Stadium on 5 October 2008. HKFA chairman Leung Hung Tak later claimed that three home games will be played at Yuen Long Stadium for TSW Pegasus this season.

Xiangxue Eisiti had suggested using a stadium in Shenzhen for their home games. But due to the poor quality of the facility, the HKFA deemed it unsuitable for the First Division. Its home games will now be staged either at Mong Kok Stadium or Siu Sai Wan Sports Ground instead.

| Teams | Number of times used as home stadium | Number of times used as home stadium | Number of times used as home stadium | Number of times used as home stadium | Number of times used as home stadium |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Teams | HKS | MKS | SSWSG | TPSG | YLS |
| Citizen | 1 | 10 | 1 | | |
| Convoy Sun Hei | | 12 | | | |
| Eastern | | 12 | | | |
| Fourway | | 12 | | | |
| Happy Valley | | 12 | | | |
| Kitchee | | 11 | 1 | | |
| Mutual | | 12 | | | |
| NT Realty Wofoo Tai Po | | 3 | | 9 | |
| Sheffield United | 1 | 11 | | | |
| South China | 6 | 6 | | | |
| TSW Pegasus | 1 | 8 | | | 3 |
| Tuen Mun Progoal | 1 | 11 | | | |
| Xiangxue Eisiti | | 11 | 1 | | |
| Total | 10 | 131 | 3 | 9 | 3 |
