Lion City Sailors FC

Lion City Sailors Football Club, formerly Home United Football Club, is a professional football club that plays in the Singapore Premier League.

Lion City Sailors
Full nameLion City Sailors Football Club
Nickname(s)The Sailors
Founded1940s
(as Police FC)

1997
(as Home United)

2020
(as Lion City Sailors)
GroundBishan Stadium
Capacity3,500
OwnerSea Group
ChairmanForrest Li
ManagerAurelio Vidmar
LeagueSingapore Premier League
2019Singapore Premier League, 6th of 9

History

The Police Sports Association was founded in the mid-1940s to organise football activities for the Singapore Police Force. It sent two teams to compete in the Singapore Amateur Football Association League in the 1950s and 1960s, but neither team won any trophies. Under coach Choo Seng Quee, Police SA won the inaugural President's Cup in 1968, then reached and lost the next two finals. In 1979, it joined the National Football League, was placed in Division III, and immediately earned promotion to Division II. In 1980, Police SA won the Division II title, the President's Cup and the Boggars Cup. In 1985, it was national league champions, after setting a national record as the only team to go unbeaten for 17 consecutive games. The performances of Police SA led to its selection as one of eight teams to compete in the newly formed S.League.[1]

When the S.League was formed in 1996, the club was known as the Police Football Club. The following year, its name was changed to Home United to reflect the fact that the team represented not only the Singapore Police Force, but also other HomeTeam departments of the Singapore Ministry of Home Affairs such as the Singapore Civil Defence Force and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority.

Home United was two-time S.League winners and holders of a record six Singapore Cup trophies. It was the first club to achieve the S.League and Singapore Cup double in 2003.

The team's nickname was the "Protectors"; its mascot, a dragon; its home ground, the Bishan Stadium.

On 14 February 2020, the club was privatised for the first time in its history, when Singaporean billionaire Forrest Li announced that he had purchased a 100% stake in the club.[2] Home United Football Club was officially renamed Lion City Sailors Football Club, and its signature red kits and badge were replaced with white tops and a blue crest.

Lion City Sailors Football Academy

Home United was the first and only S.League club to own and operate its own football academy. Located at 8 Mattar Road, HYFA comprises ten futsal courts, two full-size football pitches, an events plaza, staff offices, meeting rooms and a Sports Performance Centre.

According to its mission statement, HYFA will: help local, talented youths to achieve excellence in the sport of football as professional players, technical support staff, club administrators, or referees, in tandem with their academic pursuits; help them become law-abiding and responsible individuals; and help raise the standards for professional football clubs in Singapore so that Singapore qualifies for the World Cup.

In June 2020 numerous news sources announced the launch of the new the Lion City Sailors Football Academy and further plans on youth development and its investments.

Seasons
Season League Pos. P W D L GS GA Pts Singapore Cup League Cup
1996-1 S.League 6th 14455222317
1996-2 8th 14221018408
1997 9th 16211317417
1998 7th 20848422828 Third place
1999 1st 221561421651 Third place
2000 4th 221174382140 Winners
2001 3rd 332337693672 Winners
2002 2nd 3318105714264 Quarter-finals
2003 1st 33262–321044285 Winners
2004 2nd 271728764353 Runners-up
2005 4th 271449624446 Winners
2006 4th 301569494051 Preliminary
2007 2nd 332463733578 Quarter-finals Semi-finals
2008 3rd 332337753172 Quarter-finals Quarter-finals
2009 4th 301659503253 Quarter-finals Third place
2010 3rd 3318114553165 Round of 16 Quarter-finals
2011 2nd 332526812977 Winners Semi-finals
2012 5th 241176432940 Quarter-finals Quarter-finals
2013 2nd 271638422551 Winners Quarter-finals
2014 4th 271359514144 Runners-up Quarter-finals
2015 6th 27999383436 Runners-up Group stage
2016 4th 241149504237 Quarter-finals Semi-finals
2017 3rd 241554582650 Semi-finals Group stage
2018 Singapore Premier League 2nd 241275483643 Semi-finals
  • The 1996 season of the S.League was split into two series. Tiger Beer Series winners Geylang United defeated Pioneer Series winners Singapore Armed Forces in the Championship playoff to clinch the S.League title.
  • 2003 saw the introduction of penalty shoot-outs if a match ended in a draw in regular time. Winners of penalty shoot-outs gained two points instead of one.

Players

Current squad
As of 27 Feb 2020[3]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
2 DF  SIN Zulqarnaen Suzliman U23
3 DF  SIN Tajeli Salamat
5 DF  JPN Kaishu Yamazaki
6 DF  SIN Abdil Qaiyyim Mutalib
7 MF  SIN Aqhari Abdullah
8 MF  SIN Shahdan Sulaiman
10 MF  KOR Song Ui-young
11 FW  SIN Hafiz Nor
12 MF  SIN Iqram Rifqi
13 MF  SIN Izzdin Shafiq (captain)
14 MF  SIN Gabriel Quak
15 DF  SIN Faizal Roslan
16 MF  SIN Hami Syahin U23
17 FW  SIN Shahril Ishak
18 GK  SIN Hassan Sunny
No. Pos. Nation Player
19 MF  SIN Naqiuddin Eunos U23
20 MF  SIN Arshad Shamim U23
22 DF  SIN Ho Wai Loon
23 FW  SIN Amiruldin Asraf U23
24 GK  SIN Rudy Khairullah
25 MF  SIN Haiqal Pashia U23
27 MF  SIN Adam Swandi
28 MF  SIN Saifullah Akbar U23
30 GK  SIN Adib Hakim U23
37 MF  SIN Anaqi Ismit U19
40 GK  SIN Prathip Ekamparam U19
44 DF  SIN Danish Iftiqar U19
47 MF  SIN Bill Mamadou U19
52 GK  SIN Putra Anugerah Sahrin U19
— DF  SIN Naufal Ilham U19

Club officials

Management
  • Chairman: Forrest Li[4]
  • General Manager: Badri Ghent

Technical staff
  • Team Manager: Herwandy Hamid
  • Head Coach: Aurelio Vidmar
  • Assistant Coach: Noh Rahman
  • Goalkeeper Coach: Chua Lye Heng
  • Sports Performance Specialist: Shazaly Ayob
  • Sports Trainer: Fazly Hasan

Head coaches

Honours

League

  • 1985

Cup

  • 2019
  • 1980
  • 1968

Reserves

  • 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2009, 2014, 2016, 2017
  • 2013, 2015, 2016

Performance in AFC competitions
  • Asian Club Championship: 1 appearances
2001: Second round
2004: Semi-finals
2005: Quarter-Finals
2006: Group stage
2008: Quarter-finals
2009: Round of 16
2012: Round of 16
2014: Group stage
2017: Zonal Finalist
2018: Inter-zonal Semi-finals
2019: Group stage

AFC clubs ranking
As of 13 MARCH 2019.[5]
Current RankCountryTeam
46Istiklol
47Al-Wehdat
48Home United
49Al-Zawra’a
50Altyn Asyr

Performance by coach
Statistics correct as of 23 July 2019
Manager career Pld W D L Win % Achievements
Lee Lim-saeng December 2009 - December 2014 180 104 37 39 057.8 2013 Singapore Cup
Philippe Aw December 2014 - August 2016 54 20 14 20 037.0
Aidil Sharin August 2016 - December 2018 90 49 17 24 054.4 2018 AFC Cup Zonal finals
Saswadimata Dasuki December 2018 - April 2019 10 4 2 4 040.0 Singapore Community Shield
Noh Rahman April 2019 - July 2019 8 3 1 4 037.5
Radojko Avramović July 2019 - August 2019 8 4 1 3 050.0
Noh Rahman August 2019 - Present 0 0 0 0 !—

Sponsors
  • Main Sponsor: Sea Limited
  • Kit Supplier: Puma
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References
  1. Malathi Das and Palakrishnan (1996), "S.League: the kick-off", Singapore Professional Football League Pte Ltd, p. 33
  2. "Football: Singapore tech firm Sea takes ownership of Home United; club changes name to Lion City Sailors FC". CNA. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
  3. "SPL 2020 Club Guide: Lion City Sailors". Singapore Premier League. 27 February 2020. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
  4. "Football: Singapore tech firm Sea takes ownership of Home United; club changes name to Lion City Sailors FC". CNA. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
  5. "AFC Club Ranking 2019".

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