Rangers History Rangers All over The World: Part 1 - Hong Kong Rangers FC

Were you aware of HKRFC before this post?

  • Yes

  • No

Results are only viewable after voting.
TibbsyBear

TibbsyBear

Well-Known Member
EDIT!! - Can Admin please change from Rasngers to Rangers :D @Empire @mdingwall @sherbrook_loyal


A few weeks ago I decided to start a small research project - “Rangers All over The World.” This was basically started to track down all the clubs across the globe with the name ‘Rangers’ in their title and then find out which clubs had links to our own club whether it be officially or unofficially. Part 1 is below. I’ve decided to start with Hong Kong Rangers as they are one of the better known ‘other Rangers’ with ties to our own club.

There isn’t a vast amount of information online about Ian Petrie so if any Bears on here knew of him or knew him personally, please feel free to contribute with more information.

It would also be interesting to find out what the thoughts of the times were about guys like Willie Henderson, Alex Willoughby and Jim Forrest moving over there, although I do appreciate coverage at the time would have been limited.

Interestingly, the country with the most other “Rangers” is England and with the large volume of teams I think these will take the longest to research. If anyone has any prior knowledge of these teams and links to our own, please feel free to PM me.

Enjoy!

Rangers All Around the World | Part 1 | Hong Kong Rangers Football Club, Hong Kong

Full Name: (Hong Kong Rangers Football Club)
Founded: (1958 as Rangers Football Team. 1960 as Hong Kong Rangers FC)
Stadium: (Sham Shui PoSports Ground) Capacity: (2,194)
Notable Former Players: (George Best, Willie Henderson, Alex Willoughby, Billy Semple, Jim Forrest)

Hong Kong Rangers Football Club compete in the Hong Kong Premier League. They have won the Hong Kong First Division once, the Senior Shield four times, and the Hong Kong FA Cup twice.

Hong Kong Rangers was established by a Scottish expatriate named Ian Petrie, who named the club after his beloved Glasgow Rangers. Thus, any fans of the Scotland based club have an excellent excuse to follow their Asian counterparts.

The club was initially founded in 1958 and were one of the first clubs in Asia to bring foreign players into the league in the 1970’s, which coincidentally was the era when they won their one and only league title to date, in the 1970-71 season. Hong Kong Rangers were also the first Asian football club to implement a modern football club managing system.

In the early days, the club could not compete with the bigger clubs financially. So Petrie relied on youth players and the team was known as a breeding ground for exciting young players. Kwok Ka Ming was the best known players discovered by Petrie in the 1960s.

In 1970, the club brought three Scottish professional players to Hong Kong. They were the first European professional players to play in the Hong Kong League, opening a new chapter in Hong Kong's football history.

Great players such as Ian Taylor, Joe Brennan, Jimmy Liddell, and Derek Currie were a few to name. More were to follow in the 1980s such as Steve Paterson, Jimmy Bone and Tommy Nolan.

The legendary George Best even played for them in the 1980’s, albeit making only one appearance. The club has also helped to develop youth players since its inception, and there are many fine examples of players who have played key roles in Hong Kong’s footballing history, such as Kwok Ka Ming who managed the national team and guided them to a famous 2-1 win over China PR in Beijing.

HKRFC’s last success came in the 1994-95 season when they lifted the FA Cup, which allowed them to compete in the Asian Cup the following year. They finished 7th out of 9 teams in the inaugural Premier League season, and escaped relegation on the final day of the 2015/16 season by beating Pegasus 3:2.

Last year they secured a 7th place finish but with some notable scalps along the way, including a 4:2 away win over South China.

Further Information:

Below is an excerpt of former Manchester United player Steve Paterson’s time in Hong Kong - (Confessions of a Highland Hero - Steve ‘Pele’ Paterson)

“Not long into my spell with Nairn Country I was contacted by an agent looking for young players to try their luck with a club in the Far East. At that time Hong Kong was a destination for many UK players who had either entered the twilight phase of their careers or others who didn’t make it with professional clubs but could earn a very good tax-free living and enjoy a pleasant lifestyle in what was then a British colony.

I joined Hong Kong Rangers in February 1982. The club had been founded 24 years earlier a Scot, Ian Petrie, who named the side after Glasgow Rangers, the team he had followed in his homeland. I was one a number of Scottish players looking to keep their careers going a little longer by performing in a sub-standard football league. Previous Hong Kong Rangers players, like Willie Henderson, Jim Forrest and Billy Semple – formerly top dogs at Ibrox – had eventually ended their sporting lives there.
Six of us shared a flat; John Watson, later to return to Scotland to play for Dunfermline; Danny Rose, Tom Nolan, Ian Murdoch, Paul Rogers and me.

The team had to include five players from Hong Kong with the remaining members of the squad being made up of Europeans, many of them Dutch. We used to train at six in the morning before the sun was too hot. We lived hard and trained hard and sometimes straight from whatever nightclub we had been drinking in back to a training ground we often shared with the rats that hadn’t made it back to the sewers before our arrival.

The wages were nothing to boast about but they were enough for us to live well and have a good time. Of course, for me, a good time included betting, and when someone in our group suggested we should take a trip to the gambling resort of Macau, I couldn’t wait. Off we went to the oriental Las Vegas, and I was certain as I had always been before embarking on a binge of bets on the roulette wheel or blackjack tables that I would return with a fistful of dollars.”
Click to expand...

Further Information:

Below is an obituary for Ian Petrie posted by the Hong Kong Football Association in 2006

“Mr. Ian Petrie (1932-2006) has passed away in England on 23 February. Mr. Petrie was once Vice Chairman of the HKFA. Mr. Petrie started Rangers FC in 1959.

He was also pioneer of introducing European players in local league in 1970. Mr. Petrie is also remembered by his devotion in nurturing youth players and a number of outstanding local players were brought up by him over the years.

His contribution to local football development would be well recognized. The Association expressed the deepest condolence to his pass away.”
Click to expand...

Further Information:

Below is an excerpt from a 2006 Fox Sport Asia article entitled - “Europe to Asia: New lease of life or elephant’s graveyard?

“This diaspora can be traced back to the colonial heyday of Hong Kong. Instigated by Glaswegian expat Ian Petrie and three fellow Scotsmen landed at the now closed Kai Tak Airport in September 1970.

They were Derek Currie, Jackie Trainer and Walter “Water Buffalo” Gerrard. These men had all made names from themselves back in Britain. By answering Petrie’s call for recruits to join his Hong Kong Rangers outfit, the three Scots became the first professionals to play in Asia.

Over their distinguished careers, they established legendary status. Gerrard scored 37 goals in his debut season and in 1978 Currie became the first professional to represent the Hong Kong national side.

Gerrard also went down in local lore for his wit. When playing against Brazilian club Santos, Gerrard was substituted at the same time as Pelé (yes, that Pelé). As they walked off the field, Gerrard put his arm around the three-time World Cup winner and said: “Pelé, these coaches don’t know a good footballer when they see one.”

Playing in front of crowds of 30,000, these three Scots paved the way for top names to pack their bags and travel to the Orient. Ironically, these new waves (rather ripples) of players arrived in Asia in the twilight years of their careers.”
Click to expand...

2zq4vvk.jpg


Information Source: www.offside.hk, www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hong_Kong_Rangers_FC
*(Confessions of a Highland Hero - Steve ‘Pele’ Paterson)
www.hkfa.com, www.foxsportasia.com
 
Last edited:
Love this. I knew of the club through posts on FF, Overseas SA's and the tournament. However, good to read some history too.
 
Found this article mate, from the South China Morning Post (1994)

IT was just like a page from the past. Flick back through the newspaper files for two decades, or maybe less, and you would read all about Rangers' players involved in disputes with their team manager.


A number of them trotted off to the Hong Kong Football Association, too, in order to air their grievances and seek redress. There was hot air aplenty but little hard cash when the various confrontations ended.


When former Welsh youth star Steve O'Shaughnessy headed for Ho Man Tin last week after a verbal battle with team manager Philip Lee Fai-lap, it was a vivid reminder of the way things used to be.


Hong Kong soccer has become more sedate over the past few years, certainly when it comes to personal relations between players and managers.


That's all to the good and the way it should be in an ideal football world. But disputes will always be part of the game and those who have followed the fortunes of Hong Kong Rangers over the years will readily recall that they had them as regularly as they used to score goals.


Central to it all was the fiery figure of team boss Ian Petrie who started the side and was the main man behind the official introduction of professional soccer to the territory.


Petrie was an able administrator, excellent speaker and knew enough about the game to put together a team that, in the early days of professionalism, swept all before it.


At man-management, however, Petrie was a total disaster. So much so that he managed to break up a team that would have had a major say in the game for a lot longer than was the case.


Petrie could shoot himself in the foot just about as readily as big Walter Gerrard could put the ball in the net.


The present Rangers incumbent, the aforementioned Mr Lee, received nothing more than a couple of harsh words from his disgruntled defender last week. That falls a long way short of being chased around the club flat by a hatchet-wielding superstar.


The player in question was the mercurial Tang Hung-cheong while team manager Petrie displayed - by reliable accounts - footwork nimble enough to get past any defender. In this instance he got through the door in time to close it on the descending weapon.


To say there was a love-hate relationship between Petrie and some of his better players would probably be stating the case with some accuracy. Despite the ructions, pay disputes and angry exchanges, the team did largely stick together - and did win, at times with considerable flair.


He introduced the first foreign players but never seemed to find maintaining a personal or professional relationship with them particularly easy.


With a background in the Boys' Brigade, he was something of a stickler for discipline, particularly on away trips. Sudden midnight visits to players' rooms sometimes revealed more than the lads sweetly dreaming of the next day's victory.


Mind you, engaging company as Petrie invariably was during his hey-day here, young Scottish players leaving the country for the first time could be excused for finding him hard going.


It wasn't the sounds of Scotland The Brave that emanated now and then from the leader's bedroom but rather Hitler's speeches at the Nuremberg rallies.


Petrie did sign some truly excellent players - including the legendary Scottish winger, Willie Henderson. Paying them was another matter.


The failure of the 'readies' to appear on time resulted in endless disputes and eventually led to the virtual break-up of Rangers and the departure of Petrie.


With no money and a clutch of young players, Rangers looked doomed to relegation. Their fate was to be decided in the first game of a double-header at the old Hong Kong Stadium with the main match featuring Hong Kong's favourite side, South China.


There was not a seat to be had in the ground and Petrie walked to the bench acknowledging the cheers of the crowd. And his underpaid, or non-paid, lads did try their hearts out - to no avail. Rangers went down but in one of the most remarkable scenes in the history of the game here, over half the crowd walked out of the ground before the start of the South China game.


They had come to see Rangers - and Petrie. It was a graphic demonstration of the hold the team and their erratic boss had on the soccer public here.

https://www.scmp.com/article/100210/rangers-row-stirs-memories
 
Beer Belly Loyal said:
Found this article mate, from the South China Morning Post (1994)

IT was just like a page from the past. Flick back through the newspaper files for two decades, or maybe less, and you would read all about Rangers' players involved in disputes with their team manager.


A number of them trotted off to the Hong Kong Football Association, too, in order to air their grievances and seek redress. There was hot air aplenty but little hard cash when the various confrontations ended.


When former Welsh youth star Steve O'Shaughnessy headed for Ho Man Tin last week after a verbal battle with team manager Philip Lee Fai-lap, it was a vivid reminder of the way things used to be.


Hong Kong soccer has become more sedate over the past few years, certainly when it comes to personal relations between players and managers.


That's all to the good and the way it should be in an ideal football world. But disputes will always be part of the game and those who have followed the fortunes of Hong Kong Rangers over the years will readily recall that they had them as regularly as they used to score goals.


Central to it all was the fiery figure of team boss Ian Petrie who started the side and was the main man behind the official introduction of professional soccer to the territory.


Petrie was an able administrator, excellent speaker and knew enough about the game to put together a team that, in the early days of professionalism, swept all before it.


At man-management, however, Petrie was a total disaster. So much so that he managed to break up a team that would have had a major say in the game for a lot longer than was the case.


Petrie could shoot himself in the foot just about as readily as big Walter Gerrard could put the ball in the net.


The present Rangers incumbent, the aforementioned Mr Lee, received nothing more than a couple of harsh words from his disgruntled defender last week. That falls a long way short of being chased around the club flat by a hatchet-wielding superstar.


The player in question was the mercurial Tang Hung-cheong while team manager Petrie displayed - by reliable accounts - footwork nimble enough to get past any defender. In this instance he got through the door in time to close it on the descending weapon.


To say there was a love-hate relationship between Petrie and some of his better players would probably be stating the case with some accuracy. Despite the ructions, pay disputes and angry exchanges, the team did largely stick together - and did win, at times with considerable flair.


He introduced the first foreign players but never seemed to find maintaining a personal or professional relationship with them particularly easy.


With a background in the Boys' Brigade, he was something of a stickler for discipline, particularly on away trips. Sudden midnight visits to players' rooms sometimes revealed more than the lads sweetly dreaming of the next day's victory.


Mind you, engaging company as Petrie invariably was during his hey-day here, young Scottish players leaving the country for the first time could be excused for finding him hard going.


It wasn't the sounds of Scotland The Brave that emanated now and then from the leader's bedroom but rather Hitler's speeches at the Nuremberg rallies.


Petrie did sign some truly excellent players - including the legendary Scottish winger, Willie Henderson. Paying them was another matter.


The failure of the 'readies' to appear on time resulted in endless disputes and eventually led to the virtual break-up of Rangers and the departure of Petrie.


With no money and a clutch of young players, Rangers looked doomed to relegation. Their fate was to be decided in the first game of a double-header at the old Hong Kong Stadium with the main match featuring Hong Kong's favourite side, South China.


There was not a seat to be had in the ground and Petrie walked to the bench acknowledging the cheers of the crowd. And his underpaid, or non-paid, lads did try their hearts out - to no avail. Rangers went down but in one of the most remarkable scenes in the history of the game here, over half the crowd walked out of the ground before the start of the South China game.


They had come to see Rangers - and Petrie. It was a graphic demonstration of the hold the team and their erratic boss had on the soccer public here.

https://www.scmp.com/article/100210/rangers-row-stirs-memories
Click to expand...

Great find.

What search terms did you use for that?
 
Brilliant thread. All that I knew about HK Rangers was that Henderson signed for them. The rest has been absolute gold. Keep posting.
 
albionrose said:
Great read.

I am fully appreciating the layout and how well the post is presented. Beautiful.
Click to expand...

Thanks mate. Hopefully a lot more to follow. Currently researching the English clubs but there’s loads of them and also a couple of clubs in South America.
 
First time poster here.Can I correct the obituary released by the H.K.F.A, Ian died at his home (found by his home help) in St.Kenneth Drive, Linthouse.I still stay across the road.Ian lived his later life a virtual recluse,the only time you seen him was when he put his wheelie bins out or went to Ashid’s grocers across the road.
Another Linthouse guy Ian Murdoch aka ‘Barra’ of the Grapes bar/ bus also played for H.K.Rangers at the same time Tam Nolan (Drumoyne man).
 
Brilliant stuff, TibbsyBear!
I love finding out stuff like this, and with all the information you have gathered, I will keep a close eye on the progress of this thread.
Looking forward to finding out more about Rangers all across the world.
Good job mate!
 
That's Kwok Ka Ming on the right. My mate Duncan Waldman and I met up with Willie at Ibrox after the Ricksen Testimonial. He was telling us that he didn't realise how good he had it in Hong Kong until after he left.
 
Stubert said:
I still remember when young Danny Rose, mentioned in Paterson's article, went out. A proper bluenose from a proper bluenose family, taken too soon a couple of years back. Rest forever in peace, Danny.
Click to expand...
I knew Danny well. He got into big trouble in a match and ended up with a lengthy ban. He ended up manager of a bar called the Kings Arms in Kowloon Tong. I still have his business card - I'll post it as soon as I work out how to. I'd heard he passed away quite young. Such a shame. He was a great lad. Great company.
 
Last edited:
This thread was brought to my attention by a guy called Phil Reis who played in Hong Kong and later in Oz.

I'm from Glasgow, but my dad's job took us out to Hong Kong in 1965. I played football from Juniors all the way up to the top league, though strictly as an amateur. I used to watch a lot of football, and many of the people you've talked about previously are/were friends.

Petrie was a bit of an enigma. Although I saw him many times, I never spoke to him. He wasn't an affable guy. Of the three guys he brought out to HK to start the professional era of HK football in 1970, Walter Gerrard has sadly passed, Derek Currie lives in Bangkok (he has a book out currently - "When Jesus Came To Hong Kong" (Yay-So was his nickname), and Jack Trainer is involved in coaching. He's worked previously with Bolton Wanderers, the FA, and now currently at UCFB Etihad for Manchester City. I'm in contact with him if you want to find out more about Petrie.

I'm good friends with Billy Semple, and his son Scott is I believe the secretary of the HK Rangers Supporters Club. They've even done an Overseas Supporters Club Directory which might help your search.

I'll post some photos as soon as I work out the best way. I've got one of Ian Petrie refereeing a game. Not only did he name the team after Rangers - he used the Club badge.

I've spoke with Kwok Ka Ming (MBE) on Facebook. I believe he now lives in Brasil.

Awra best. Tom
 
I saw them play Clyde at Shawfield in a pre season friendly in 74/75 think it finished up 2-2. Willie Henderson & Alec Willoughby played boosting the crowd to around 4,000 or so. Was played on a Friday night I’m sure. I had the programme at one point.
 
I'm sure that Rangers did similar articles in the programme every week one season I just can't remember what season it was
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Latest posts

Back
Top