1998–99 Hong Kong First Division League

The 1998–99 Hong Kong First Division League season was the 88th since its establishment.

Hong Kong First Division League

Season	1998–99
Champions	Happy Valley 3rd Hong Kong title
Matches played	56
Goals scored	201 (3.59 per match)
Top goalscorer	Tomy (Sai Kung Friends) (16 goals)
← 1997–98 1999–2000 →

The first match was played on 30 August 1998 with Instant-Dict drew South China 2–2. However, as there was an ineligible player in Instant-Dict's squad and the team was penalised with a 0–3 loss.^[1]

First stage

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification or relegation
1	Happy Valley	14	10	0	4	31	14	+17	30	To Grand Final
2	South China	14	6	4	4	24	15	+9	22	Championship Playoff
3	Yee Hope	14	6	4	4	30	27	+3	22
4	Golden	14	7	1	6	26	27	−1	22
5	Sing Tao	14	5	4	5	26	18	+8	19	Relegation Playoff
6	Instant-Dict	14	4	4	6	22	28	−6	16
7	Rangers	14	4	4	6	21	29	−8	16
8	Sai Kung Friends	14	3	1	10	21	43	−22	10

Source: ^[2]

Second stage

^[2]NB: Teams take points and goals halved from first phase. GF and GA is rounded.

Championship playoff

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification
1	South China	6	4	2	0	19	11	+8	25	To Grand Final
2	Happy Valley	6	2	1	3	26	16	+10	22
3	Yee Hope	6	2	1	3	26	26	0	18
4	Golden	6	1	2	3	20	25	−5	16

Source:^{[citation needed]}

Relegation playoff

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Relegation
5	Instant-Dict	6	5	0	1	27	18	+9	23
6	Sing Tao	6	3	0	3	24	18	+6	18.5	Withdrew from the league system after the season.
7	Sai Kung Friends	6	3	0	3	21	34	−13	14	Relegation to Second Division by rules, but retained in the First Division as both HKFC and Fire Services declined promotion.
8	Rangers	6	1	0	5	15	31	−16	11

Source:^{[citation needed]}

Final

16 May 1999

Happy Valley	1–1 (a.e.t.)	South China
Bajkusa   41'		Cheng Siu Chung   80'
Penalties
	8–7

Hong Kong Stadium

Attendance: 10,258

First Division League 1998–99 winners
Happy Valley 3rd title

^[2]

References

1. 甲組足球聯賽揭幕戰回顧(二), HKFA Website (in Chinese)
2. rsssf.org Hongkong 1998/99