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SCMP Reporter

FRANKWELL Year formed: 1991.

Budget: $8 million.

Manager: Fung Siu-wai.

Coach: Law Kwok-tai.

Foreign professionals: Defender Richard Crossley, midfielders Oleg Alexeenko, John Maher; forwards Murray Jones, Lawrence Akandu.

New signings (last club): Goalkeeper Andy Roseburgh (South China); defender Fong Chi-ming (Kui Tan); midfielders Cheung Sai-ho (South China), Tim Bredbury (Sing Tao), Wong Fuk-wing (Happy Valley); forwards Murray Jones (Crystal Palace), Chan Chi-yin, Lawrence Akandu (Mansion). Released: Goalkeeper Eric Grigjans; midfielder Chan Hon-fai; forwards Mark Farrington, Darren Tilley.

Last season: League: fourth; Senior Shield: quarter-finals; Viceroy Cup: quarter-finals; FA Cup: quarter-finals. Player to watch: Murray Jones.

Verdict: Frankwell are already dreaming of more success after their victory in the President's Cup seven-a-side tournament.

  Encouraged by their fourth-place finish last season in their first season, Frankwell should again be a force.

  Tim Bredbury has already shown he has settled in with the team by almost singlehandedly winning Frankwell the President Cup thanks to his five goals on the final night. Their midfield should continue to sparkle with the often brilliant Oleg Alexeenko.

 Former Crystal Palace striker, Murray Jones, is an interesting inclusion and is expected to impose his authority in attack, especially in the air.

  GOLDEN Year formed: 1994 (formerly Po Chai Pills FC).

Budget: $9 million.

Manager: Wong Yiu-shun.

Coach: Wong Yiu-shun.

Foreign professionals: Defenders Marlon Van der Sander, Mike Duxbury; midfielders Otis Roberts, Carlton Fairweather; forwards: Lee Bullen, Anto Grabo.

 New signings (last club): Defenders Leung Shing-kit (Instant-Dict), Wong Chung-ming (Kitchee); midfielders Lo Kai-wah (Eastern), Otis Roberts (Kui Tan), Yeung Kin-keung (Instant-Dict); forward Anto Grabo (South China).

Released: Defender Fong Kin-wah; midfielders Gary Williams, Poon Man-tik, Szeto Man-chun.

Last season: League: third; Senior Shield: quarter-finals; Viceroy Cup: quarter-finals; FA Cup: semi-finals.

Player to watch: Lo Kai-wah. Verdict: Golden, like Frankwell, made an impact in their first season. They are a good, hard-working professional outfit and have always been a problem for the territory's bigger teams with their solid defence.

  This season, Golden should continue to make in-roads, especially after winning signing Eastern's dynamic local midfielder Lo Kai-wah.

 Otis Roberts joins the team from already-relegated Kui Tan giving Golden a fresh impetus in attack.

  INSTANT-DICT Year formed: 1991.

Budget: $8.5 million.

Manager: Ben Choi York-yee.

Coach: Koo Lum-khen.

Foreign professionals: Goalkeeper Mick Leonard; defender Tim O'Shea; midfielder Sean Edwards; forwards Ross Greer, Paul Foster.

New signings (last club): Defenders Au Yong Ying-tsz (South China), Chan Ping-on (South China); midfielders Yeung Kin-wah (Rangers), Yeung Hei-chi (Kui Tan), Chan Hon-fai (Frankwell).

Released: Defenders Leung Shing-kit, Roddy Manley; midfielders Steve Berry, Yeung Kin-keung; forward Ian Blackstone.

Last season: League: eighth; Senior Shield: quarter-finals; Viceroy Cup: runners-up; FA Cup: quarter-finals.

Player to watch: Tim O'Shea. Verdict: Success has been hard to come by for the team who flatter to deceive.

  MANSION (Carrianna) Year formed: 1995 (formerly Mansion FC).

Budget: $7 million.

Managers: Lam Sai-hung, Ngan Kwong-hing.

Coach: Chan Hung-ping.

Foreign professionals: Goalkeeper John Cheesewright; defender Robin Trott; midfielder Kevin Hunt; forwards Peter Costello, Collin Donald.

New signings (Last club): goalkeepers John Cheesewright, Lau Tung-ping (Kitchee), Ho Kwok-chuen (Instant-Dict); defenders Wong Chi-fai (Kitchee), So Chi-chung (Kitchee), Lee Wai-wo (Eastern), Robin Trott, Lai Chuek-ho (Instant-Dict), Chiu Chun-man (Instant-Dict); midfielders Ng Kam-hung (Frankwell), Chu Chung-kai (recently released from 18-month suspension), Kevin Hunt, Lui Woon-man (Kitchee); forwards Peter Costello, Collin Donald. Released: Most of their players.

Last season: League: Second Division runners-up.

Player to watch: Kevin Hunt.

Verdict: Mansion will definitely struggle.

  UHLSPORT-RANGERS Year formed: 1958. Budget: $9 million.

Manager: Tony Siew.

Coach: But Wai-hong.

Foreign professionals: Goalkeeper Peter Guthrie; defender Dimitri Kalkanov; midfielder Hugo Gimenez; forwards Sergei Volkov, Marko Kraljevic.

New signings (last club): Goalkeeper Chung Ho-yin (Kui Tan); defenders Wong Hiu-kong (Kui Tan), Chan Chi-keung (Eastern); midfielder Alan Reis (Happy Valley), forward: Tong Yuen-sing (Eastern).

Released: forwards Bobby Barnes, Prince George Iwouha.

Last season: League: fifth; Senior Shield: champions; Viceroy Cup: quarter-finals; FA Cup: champions.

Player to watch: Tam Siu-wai. Verdict: With two Cups in the cupboard after a superb last season, Rangers will find it hard to match that achievement which brought memories of yesteryear flooding back.

  With more money to spend, Rangers made only a ripple in the foreign players' transfer market as they decided to stick with virtually the same team as last season.

  The signing of Eastern defender Chan Chi-keung and teammate and striker Tong Yuen-sing are probably their most significant purchases along with Happy Valley's Russian forward Sergei Volkov.

  SING TAO Year formed: 1939.

Budget: $7 million.

Manager: Edward Shum Wang-ho.

Coach: Tsang Wai-chung.

Foreign professionals: Goalkeeper Darren Collier; defenders Darren Jackson, Rudi Hedman; midfielder Paul Masefield; forwards John Moore, Nick Dent.

New signings: Goalkeeper Darren Collier (Blackburn Rovers); defenders Rudi Hedman (Crystal Palace), Chiu Chun-ming (Eastern), Pau Ka-yiu (Kitchee).

Released: Goalkeeper Maurice Munden; defender Lai Law-kau; midfielder Tim Bredbury.

Last season: League: seventh; Senior Shield: quarter-finals; Viceroy Cup: champions; FA Cup: quarter-finals.

Player to watch: Chan Tsz-kong.

Verdict: The Viceroy Cup champions will again be expected to figure more in the knockout trophies than in the league.

They have made only a few signings, most significantly former Crystal Palace defender Rudi Hedman.

  SOUTH CHINA Year formed: 1935.

Budget: $12 million.

Manager: Lee Yun-wah.

Coach: Wong Man-wai, Chan Kwok-hung.

Foreign professionals: Goalkeeper Werner Kooistra; defender Aurelio Ferreira da Silva; midfielders Wu Qunli, Song Lianyong; forwards Alen Bajkusa, Pedro Xavier. New signings (last club): Left-back/left-winger Ricky Cheng Siu-chung (Eastern), Alen Bajkusa (Golden), right-winger Lee Kin-wo (Eastern), goalkeeper Luk Ka-wing (Kui Tan), defender Law Kam-wing (Kui Tan), left-winger Chan Chi-hong (Kui Tan).

Released: Goalkeeper Andy Roseburgh; defenders Au Young Ying-tsz, Chan Ping-on, Robbie Ironside; right-winger Loh Wai-chi; midfielder David Clarkson; forwards Anto Grabo and Nicolic Miroslav.

Last season: League: runners-up; Senior Shield: semi-final; Viceroy Cup: final; FA Cup: semi-final.

Player to watch: Alen Bajkusa.

Verdict: The hottest side this season, having grabbed some of the best foreign and Chinese players in Hong Kong - as is always the case.

  Dutch 'keeper Werner Kooistra, former Vasco da Gama apprentice Aurelio, one of the most well-known mainland Chinese midfielders Wu Qunli, former Tianjin forward Song Lianyong, ex-Portuguese international Pedro Xavier, Golden's top goalscorer Alen Bajkusa and former Eastern aces Lee Kin-wo and Ricky Cheng Siu-chung, will be raring to go after the Caroliners suffered a forgettable season by failing to win a single trophy for the first time this decade.

  The old guard of Leslie Santos, Koo Kam-fai, Shum Kwok-pui complement an exceptional team.

  EASTERN Year formed: 1950.

Budget: $6 million.

Manager: Raymond Ng Wai-man. Coach: Raymond Ng Wai-man.

Foreign professionals: Goalkeeper Iain Hesford; defender Brian MacNicol; left-winger Geoff Cooper; forward Dale Tempest. New signings (last club): Defenders Brian MacNicol (Heidelburg United), Kwok Chun-wai (Kui Tan), Tong Kin-ming (Rangers), Fong Kin-wah (Golden), Chan Kwok-fai (Frankwell); midfielders Geoff Cooper (Barnet), Yeung Ching-kwong (Kui Tan), Poon Man-tik (Golden), Loh Wai-chi (South China); forward Michael Dunn (South China).

Released: Goalkeeper Tong Tak-kin; defenders Chiu Chun-ming, Chan Chi-keung, Ricky Cheng, Lee Wai-wo, Tim O'Shea, Brian Hayes; midfielders Lee Kin-wo, Ross Greer, Lo Kai-wah; forwards Tong Yuen-sing, Paul Nixon, Ian McParland.

Last season: League: champions; Senior Shield: semi-finals; Viceroy Cup: semi-finals; FA Cup: runners-up. Player to watch: Keung Heung-fai.

Verdict: What can be expected this time of the triple defending champions and the most dominant team in the territory for the past three seasons? Little.

   Beleaguered by massive problems after the pullout of sponsors, the Lai Sun Group, players abandoned the sinking ship.

  The result? An almost entirely different team with only a slight resemblance to a side who has everything but the Viceroy Cup. The club only have four foreign players at the moment and against the likes of South China, Golden and Rangers, they do not stand a chance of continuing their previously unrivalled success.

  HAPPY VALLEY Year formed: 1950.

Budget: $7 million.

Manager: Wan Chi-keung.

Coach: Leung Sui-wing.

Foreign professionals: Defender Neil Armour; midfielders Iain McCall, Gary McGinnis, Paul Ronald; forwards Jin Ri, Paul Ritchie. New signings (last club): Goalkeepers Tong Tak-kin (Eastern), Fan Chun-yip (Rangers); central defender Lee Sai-cheong (Kui Tan), defenders Chung Kin-hei (Kitchee), Li Pui (Eastern); midfielders Szeto Man-chun (Golden), Gary McGinnis (St Johnstone), Paul Ronald (Queen of the South); forwards Jin Ri (Canadian indoor league), Paul Ritchie (Dundee).

Released: Goalkeepers David Mower, Victor Derbounov; defenders Serguei Markine, Georgiy Shebarshin; midfielder Alexei Piskounov; forwards Sergei Volkov, Valeri Matiounine, Robert Spence. Last season: League: sixth; Senior Shield: final; Viceroy Cup: quarter-finals; FA Cup: quarter-finals.

Player to watch: Paul Ritchie.

Verdict: Happy Valley have found success hard to come by these past few years as they continue to make changes to their foreign contingent.

  Last season, they had an unbeaten streak of 12 matches, but it then went horribly wrong as they notched an almost as long losing sequence.



List of soccer teams play in HK in 1995