The two leading footballing cities in China before the Communist Revolution of 1949 were Shanghai and Hong Kong. Football in Shanghai was largely an expatriate concern, and the clubs were run by and for foreigners. Certain teams were military units, still others represented specific foreign nationalities in Shanghai (ie AS Française, for the French, or Lusitano, from the Portuguese community). Chinese clubs were first admitted into the main Shanghai championship in the 1926/27 season.
The 1931/32 season was interrupted because of the Japanese bombardment of the city in December 1931. This led to the withdrawal of the Chinese teams that season. The Japanese invaded Shanghai in late 1941, which led to the end of significant expat participation in football. After 1945, most of the foreign clubs withdrew and formed their own league.
Originally played for the Dewar Shield until the twelfth victory of the Shanghai Recreation Club in 1928/29. The Shield was then awarded to the Club, and replaced by the Shaforce Shield. 1907/08 Shanghai FC 1908/09 Recreation Club 1909/10 Recreation Club 1910/11 Recreation Club 1911/12 Recreation Club 1912/13 Recreation Club 1913/14 Recreation Club 1914/15 Recreation Club 1915/16 Shanghai FC 1916/17 Shanghai FC 1917/18 Recreation Club 1918/19 not played 1919/20 Shanghai FC 1920/21 Recreation Club 1921/22 Shanghai FC 1922/23 Recreation Club 1923/24 Recreation Club 1924/25 Shanghai FC 1925/26 Shanghai FC 1926/27 Police 1927/28 Loh Hwa 1928/29 Recreation Club 1929/30 Wiltshire Regiment 1930/31 Police 1931/32 Lincolnshire Regiment 1932/33 Tung Hwa 1933/34 AS Française 1934/35 Tung Hwa 1935/36 AS Française 1936/37 AS Française 1937/38 AS Française 1938/39 Seaforth Regiment 1939/40 Li Do 1940/41 Police 1941/42 not completed 1942/43 Lian Nee and Italian Navy shared 1943/44 Tung Hwa 1944/45 Lusitano 1945/46 Tsing Peh 1946/47 Tsing Peh 1947/48 Tsing Peh and Tung Hwa shared 1948/49 Tsing Peh
This league was organised by the Chinese National Amateur Athletics Federation for Chinese teams in Shanghai (none of whom had been admitted to the Shanghai League). After the first Chinese teams were admitted by the Shanghai FA in 1926/27, the league began to decline in importance and was dominated by university teams from 1928/29 onwards. It was discontinued after 1936/37 and the Japanese attack on China. 1924/25 Union 1925/26 Union 1926/27 Loh Hwa 1927/28 Loh Hwa 1928/29 Fuh Tan 1929/30 Hu Kiang 1930/31 Chen Ju 1931/32 Youth 1932/33 Fuh Tan 1933/34 Yo Yo 1934/35 Fuh Tan & Chen Ju 1935/36 undecided 1936/37 Fuh Tan & Chin Teh
Named after an earlier pioneer of football in Shanghai, Mr. Ernest Skottowe. Replaced by the Mayor's Cup for the 1943/44 season. 1902/03 Engineers 1903/04 Shanghai FC 1904/05 Shanghai FC 1905/06 Shanghai FC 1906/07 'A' Company Shanghai Volunteer Corps 1907/08 'A' Company Shanghai Volunteer Corps 1908/09 'A' Company Shanghai Volunteer Corps 1909/10 Recreation Club 1910/11 'A' Company Shanghai Volunteer Corps 1911/12 Shanghai FC 1912/13 Recreation Club 1-0 Shanghai FC 1913/14 Shanghai FC 1914/15 Recreation Club 1915/16 Recreation Club 1916/17 Recreation Club 1917/18 Police 1918/19 Recreation Club 1919/20 Recreation Club 1920/21 Police 1921/22 Shanghai FC 1922/23 Recreation Club 1923/24 Recreation Club 1924/25 Shanghai FC 1925/26 Shanghai FC 1926/27 Shanghai FC 4-4 2-1 Portuguese SA 1927/28 Beds & Herts Regiment 2-1 St Francis Xavier's 1928/29 Recreation Club 1929/30 Shanghai FC 1930/31 Police 5-4 Shanghai FC 1931/32 not completed 1932/33 Argyll Regiment 1933/34 Police 2-0 Tung Hwa 1934/35 Tung Hwa 1935/36 Tung Hwa 1936/37 AS Français 1937/38 Durham Light Infantry 1938/39 Li Do 4-3 Police 1939/40 Li Do 1940/41 Thomas Hanbury Public School 1941/42 St Francis Xavier's 1942/43 St Francis Xavier's 1943/44 Tung Hwa 1944/45 Chiao Lien 1945/46 Tsing Peh 1946/47 Tsing Peh 1947/48 Tsing Peh 1948/49 Railways
1927/28 Loh Hwa 2-1 Navy 1928/29 Recreation Club 1929/30 Worcester Regiment 3-2 Wiltshire Regiment 1930/31 Police 1931/32 not completed
Played for the Skottowe-Prentice Cup between teams representing the nationalities in Shanghai. The local Chinese players first entered a team in 1924/25. A similar tournament was played in Hongkong. 1908/09 Scotland 1909/10 England 1910/11 England 1911/12 Ireland 1912/13 England 1913/14 England 1914/15 England 1915/16 England 1916/17 England 1917/18 England 1918/19 England 1919/20 England 1920/21 England 1921/22 England 1922/23 England 1923/24 Scotland 1924/25 Scotland 5-2 England 1925/26 Scotland 2-2 aet, 4-0 China 1926/27 Scotland 5-3 Portugal 1927/28 England 4-2 aet China 1928/29 Portugal 1929/30 China 1930/31 China 1931/32 not completed 1932/33 Scotland 1933/34 England 1934/35 China 1935/36 China 1936/37 Portugal 1937/38 England 1938/39 Portugal 1939/40 Portugal 1940/41 Portugal
There were a number of Chinese clubs over the years, often created by local entrepreneurs and lasting only a few years. The names of these clubs were written in Chinese characters, and the transliterations used then do not necessarily correspond to those used now. Below is a list of names of leading clubs with the present Pinyin transliteration, and a rough English translation. Name Pinyin English Loh Hwa Le Hua Happy China Tung Hwa Dong Hua East China Li Do Li Du Beautiful City Lian Nee Lian Yi Joined in Friendship Chiao Lien Qiao Lian Countrymen Together Tsing Peh Qing Bai Young Whites
Sources: [Kni 91], Zhongguo Zuqiu Yundongshi (Chinese Football History), Shanghai Ban Shiji Zuqiu Yundongshi (A Half Century of Shanghai Football)
Prepared and maintained by Tom Lewis for the Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation
Author: Tom Lewis
(Tom.Lewis@btinternet.com)
Last updated: 15 Aug 2024
(C) Copyright Tom Lewis and RSSSF 2000/24
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