Hong Kong Sapling
{{Infobox football club
| clubname = King Fung
| image = King_Fung_badge.png
| image_size = 200px
| fullname = Branded Name:
King Fung Football Club
({{lang|zh-hant|景峰足球會}})
Legal Registration Name:
Hong Kong Sapling Football Club Limited
({{lang|zh-hant|香港港菁足球會有限公司}})
| nickname =
| founded = {{Start date and age|2011}} (as Hong Kong Sapling)
{{Start date and age|2019}} (as King Fung)
| dissolved = {{Start date and age|2020}}
| ground =
| capacity =
| owntitle =
| owner = Lai Chin Wai
| chrtitle = CEO
| chairman = Leung Chi Kui
| mgrtitle = Manager
| manager =
| league =
| season =
| position =
| website =
| current =
| pattern_la1 = _kingfung1920h
| pattern_b1 = _kingfung1920h
| pattern_ra1 = _kingfung1920h
| pattern_sh1 = _kingfung1920h
| pattern_so1 = _Dreams1819a
| leftarm1 =
| body1 = 000000
| rightarm1 =
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|pattern_la2 = _kingfung1920a
|pattern_b2 = _kingfung1920a
|pattern_ra2 = _kingfung1920a
|pattern_sh2 = _kelme_white
|pattern_so2 = _Dreams1819h
|leftarm2 =
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}}
Hong Kong Sapling Football Club ({{zh|t=香港港菁足球會}}) was a Hong Kong football club, which since 2020 does not compete in the Hong Kong football league system.
History
On 11 August 2011, Mutual withdrew from the Hong Kong First Division League due to financial problems. The Hong Kong Football Association then decided to form a team for training youngsters for the 2013 East Asian Games, as well as to replace Mutual. The club was named as Hong Kong Sapling, but was dissolved in 2012.
In the run up to the 2016–17 season, Metro Gallery were forced to voluntarily relegate to the First Division due to financial difficulties.{{Cite web|url=https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/1985766/special-treatment-guangzhou-rf-will-get-players-concessions-if-they|title=Special treatment: Guangzhou R&F will get players' concessions if they compete in Hong Kong Premier League|date=July 5, 2016|website=South China Morning Post|access-date=September 20, 2021|archive-date=September 20, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210920220629/https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/1985766/special-treatment-guangzhou-rf-will-get-players-concessions-if-they|url-status=live}} Hong Kong Sapling were reformed in order to fill the void left by Metro Gallery and were able to secure funding from two sponsors, Biu Chun and GlorySky Group, competing under the name Biu Chun Glory Sky until the end of the season.{{Cite web |url=http://offside.hk/sapling/ |title=Sapling and Rangers share points in hard fight – offside.hk |access-date=2016-09-24 |archive-date=2016-09-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160925020019/http://offside.hk/sapling/ |url-status=live }}
In the summer of 2017, the club was taken over by former Birmingham City board member Ryan Yeung and the club were renamed as Dreams FC.
During the latter part of the 2018–19 season, Dreams ran into financial arrears and it appeared that their future in the HKPL was uncertain.{{cite web |title=夢想奮戰不敵傑志四強出局 梁志榮：如果真的散班也沒辦法 |url=https://www.sportsroad.hk/archives/250715 |website=Sportsroad.hk |date=10 May 2019 |access-date=10 May 2019 |archive-date=1 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210301162415/https://www.sportsroad.hk/archives/250715 |url-status=live }} {{in lang|zh-hk}} Despite this, CEO Leung Chi Kui issued a statement claiming that the club had retained two thirds of their players and would continue to participate in the 2019–20 season.{{cite web |last1=Gao |first1=Si Kei |title=夢想FC完成今季最終戰 大部份主力下季留隊 |url=https://www.hk01.com/%E5%8D%B3%E6%99%82%E9%AB%94%E8%82%B2/330721/%E6%B8%AF%E8%B6%85%E8%81%AF-%E5%A4%A2%E6%83%B3fc%E5%AE%8C%E6%88%90%E4%BB%8A%E5%AD%A3%E6%9C%80%E7%B5%82%E6%88%B0-%E5%A4%A7%E9%83%A8%E4%BB%BD%E4%B8%BB%E5%8A%9B%E4%B8%8B%E5%AD%A3%E7%95%99%E9%9A%8A |website=HK01 |date=19 May 2019 |access-date=19 May 2019 |archive-date=12 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190912113418/https://www.hk01.com/%E5%8D%B3%E6%99%82%E9%AB%94%E8%82%B2/330721/%E6%B8%AF%E8%B6%85%E8%81%AF-%E5%A4%A2%E6%83%B3fc%E5%AE%8C%E6%88%90%E4%BB%8A%E5%AD%A3%E6%9C%80%E7%B5%82%E6%88%B0-%E5%A4%A7%E9%83%A8%E4%BB%BD%E4%B8%BB%E5%8A%9B%E4%B8%8B%E5%AD%A3%E7%95%99%E9%9A%8A |url-status=live }} {{in lang|zh-hk}} However, on 11 July 2019, Dreams decided to self-relegate due to lack of funds, citing an inability to fulfill a requirement by the HKFA for each HKPL club to submit a seven figure deposit ahead of the season.{{cite web |title=Fans, Press and Friends |url=https://www.facebook.com/dreamsfcofficial/posts/391976441431636?__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARAirJZDTDARk7A2IyqB3vytR2aya9qjWHFtIiJ40dsTKz5dZ1_dnNiqcVZHbh8vPu5nKoGjcUcZ3X9S2aFRlck8D3Zu1X7id0gKjtj_SGgukH0OR_lRNpCnsKOiUv4cjVILSSgixnt7BM9S53hP2LClNWkGu60tOFB26Ag6TCs8CE_A6tJis_plqfCJLjvgvgpZKT9gBd1AKiT4i740kLOGsTAcG-Ku07bfD4ytNt6ue_HgcmF9aC24OLyn-ZOL6_5yhGiD7uNyDZ2zaxGaNbzVvYPsLsikBT4uHAr4Fu_wa_pRdaqqn_mTJKOou5RDjr_YqboH3l31jqlxli8&__tn__=-R |website=Facebook |publisher=夢想足球隊 Dreams FC |access-date=11 July 2019}} However, HKFA disputed the claim entirely the next day via press release.{{Cite web|url=https://www.hk01.com/%E5%8D%B3%E6%99%82%E9%AB%94%E8%82%B2/350955/%E6%B8%AF%E8%B6%85%E8%81%AF-%E5%A4%A2%E6%83%B3fc%E8%87%AA%E9%99%8D%E6%B8%AF%E7%94%B2-%E8%B6%B3%E7%B8%BD%E5%85%A9%E4%BB%BB%E4%B8%BB%E5%B8%AD%E6%BE%84%E6%B8%85%E7%84%A1%E8%A6%81%E6%B1%827%E4%BD%8D%E6%95%B8%E6%8C%89%E9%87%91|title=【港超聯】夢想FC自降港甲 足總兩任主席澄清無要求7位數按金|date=July 11, 2019|website=香港01|access-date=September 20, 2021|archive-date=August 5, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210805090913/https://www.hk01.com/%E5%8D%B3%E6%99%82%E9%AB%94%E8%82%B2/350955/%E6%B8%AF%E8%B6%85%E8%81%AF-%E5%A4%A2%E6%83%B3fc%E8%87%AA%E9%99%8D%E6%B8%AF%E7%94%B2-%E8%B6%B3%E7%B8%BD%E5%85%A9%E4%BB%BB%E4%B8%BB%E5%B8%AD%E6%BE%84%E6%B8%85%E7%84%A1%E8%A6%81%E6%B1%827%E4%BD%8D%E6%95%B8%E6%8C%89%E9%87%91|url-status=live}}
In the 2019–20 season, the club were renamed as King Fung.
On 16 November 2020, the club confirmed that they would withdraw from local competitions for two seasons following a FIFA imposed transfer ban on the club. The ban came as a result of a successful arbitration case by former player Joaquín who had sued the club for salary arrears during the 2018–19 season. In addition, FIFA demanded that the club pay $800,000 HKD in compensation to Joaquín.{{cite web |title=前夢想外援向國際足協申訴欠薪判勝訴 相關會籍球隊開季前退出港甲 |url=https://news.mingpao.com/ins/%e9%ab%94%e8%82%b2/article/20201116/s00006/1605529156853/%e6%b8%af%e8%b6%85%e4%b8%a8%e5%89%8d%e5%a4%a2%e6%83%b3%e5%a4%96%e6%8f%b4%e5%90%91%e5%9c%8b%e9%9a%9b%e8%b6%b3%e5%8d%94%e7%94%b3%e8%a8%b4%e6%ac%a0%e8%96%aa%e5%88%a4%e5%8b%9d%e8%a8%b4-%e7%9b%b8%e9%97%9c%e6%9c%83%e7%b1%8d%e7%90%83%e9%9a%8a%e9%96%8b%e5%ad%a3%e5%89%8d%e9%80%80%e5%87%ba%e6%b8%af%e7%94%b2 |website=Ming Pao |access-date=16 November 2020 |archive-date=2 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201202151823/https://news.mingpao.com/ins/%E9%AB%94%E8%82%B2/article/20201116/s00006/1605529156853/%E6%B8%AF%E8%B6%85%E4%B8%A8%E5%89%8D%E5%A4%A2%E6%83%B3%E5%A4%96%E6%8F%B4%E5%90%91%E5%9C%8B%E9%9A%9B%E8%B6%B3%E5%8D%94%E7%94%B3%E8%A8%B4%E6%AC%A0%E8%96%AA%E5%88%A4%E5%8B%9D%E8%A8%B4-%E7%9B%B8%E9%97%9C%E6%9C%83%E7%B1%8D%E7%90%83%E9%9A%8A%E9%96%8B%E5%AD%A3%E5%89%8D%E9%80%80%E5%87%BA%E6%B8%AF%E7%94%B2 |url-status=live }} {{in lang|zh-hk}}
Name history
{{Unreferenced section|date=September 2023}}
- 2011–2012: Hong Kong Sapling (港菁)
- 2016–2017: Biu Chun Glory Sky (標準灝天)
- 2017–2019: Dreams FC (夢想FC)
- 2019–2020: King Fung (景峰)