Singapore Premier League

The Singapore Premier League (SPL; Chinese: 新加坡超级足球联赛) is a Singaporean professional league for men's association football clubs. At the highest level of domestic football competition in Singapore, it is the country's primary football competition. Currently contested by nine clubs, it consists of three rounds in which each team plays every other team once.

Singapore Premier League
Founded1996 (1996) (as S. League)
2018 (2018) (as SPL)
CountrySingapore
Other club(s) fromBrunei
Japan
ConfederationAFC
Number of teams9
Level on pyramid1
Domestic cup(s)Singapore Cup
Community Shield
International cup(s)AFC Champions League
AFC Cup
Current championsDPMM FC
(2nd title) (2019)
Most championshipsWarriors FC (9 titles)
TV partnersMycujoo
1 Play Sports (via social medias)
Singapore
Singtel TV
Starhub
Brunei
RTB
Japan
J Sports
Websitespl.sg
2020 Singapore Premier League

The Singapore Premier League is run by the Football Association of Singapore. Seasons run from late March to October, with teams playing 24 matches each, totalling 108 matches in the season. It is currently sponsored by AIA Group, and thus officially known as the AIA Singapore Premier League for sponsorship reasons.

Since the inception of the league in 1996, 7 clubs have been crowned champions. Warriors FC have been the most successful club with 9 titles, followed by Tampines Rovers (5), Albirex Niigata Singapore FC (3), Geylang International (2), Home United (2), DPMM FC (2) and Étoile FC (1).

History

Origins

Singapore had been represented in the Malaysia Cup through the Singapore Lions since 1921. The Lions were one of the most successful teams in the competition, having won it 24 times from 1921 to 1994. Following a dispute over gate receipts between the FAS and FAM[1] after winning the league and cup double in 1994, the Lions withdrew from the Malaysian competitions.

Subsequently, the Football Association of Singapore decided to build a professional league system. However, as it was estimated to take about a year to put in place the structure of a professional league, the Singapore Lions were given match practice in what was then the top level of domestic football, the semi-professional FAS Premier League. This team won the last FAS Premier League title, finishing the season unbeaten.

Inaugural season

The S.League was founded in 1996. The FAS invited applications for clubs to compete in the newly formed league. Eight successful applications were made. Two clubs from the Premier League – powerhouse Geylang International (renamed Geylang United; 6 consecutive Premier League titles) and Balestier United (renamed Balestier Central – joined six from the amateur National Football League – Police, Singapore Armed Forces, Tampines Rovers, Tiong Bahru United, Wellington (renamed Woodlands Wellington) and Sembawang Rangers (merger of Gibraltar Crescent and Sembawang SC) – for the inaugural edition of the S.League. The season was split into the two series. Tiger Beer Series winners Geylang United defeated Pioneer Series winners Singapore Armed Forces 2–1 in the end of season Championship Playoff to be crowned the 1st S.League champions.[2] The 30,000 crowd at the playoff remains the record attendance in the S.League.

Expansion of the League

Police FC renamed themselves as Home United for the 1997 season to reflect their representation of not only the Singapore Police Force, but also other HomeTeam Departments of the Singapore Ministry of Home Affairs such as the SCDF and the ICA. NFL side Jurong Town FC, who renamed themselves Jurong FC, joined the competition taking the number of participating clubs to 9. The league switched from its previous format to a round-robin competition. Singapore Armed Forces won their first title.

Gombak United and Marine Castle United joined the S.League in 1998, further taking the number of clubs to 11. Tiong Bahru United renamed themselves to Tanjong Pagar United at the start of the season. Singapore Armed Forces won their second consecutive title.

Clementi Khalsa joined the S.League in 1999 as a representative of the Sikh community in Singapore. The league took on 12 teams for the next five years. Home United won their first title.

Foreign Clubs

The FAS decided to invite foreign clubs to the league to improve diminishing interest. Sinchi FC, a side composed of Chinese players became the first foreign club to participate in 2003. Shi Jiayi and Qiu Li went on to become naturalised Singapore players.

J.League club Albirex Niigata entered their feeder club in the 2004 S.League. The club proved to be one of the most successful foreign sides in the S.League, drawing on the support of Japanese expats. They still play in the S.League as of 2016.

Sporting Afrique, a club made up of African players, and Super Reds, a side comprising South Korean players, became the third and fourth foreign clubs to join the competition in 2006 and 2007 respectively. Sporting Afrique were refused entry into the 2007 S.League due to off-field controversies and poor performance. In 2010, Super Reds were denied a place after three seasons following attempts to convert into a team of local players.

Chinese Super League clubs Liaoning FC (2007), Dalian Shide FC (2008) and Beijing Guoan FC (2010) entered their feeder clubs in the S.League. All three clubs each lasted one season before being pulled out of the league due to poor performances and disciplinary issues.

Bruneian club DPMM FC joined the S.League in 2009 before being pulled from the league as a result of a FIFA ban. They re-entered the league from 2012. They were the first club to base themselves outside of Singapore.

In 2010, French club Étoile FC became the first foreign side to win the S.League. Etoile pulled out of the S.League prior to the 2012 season to focus on grassroots football and youth development.

Malaysia national youth sides Harimau Muda A and Harimau Muda B were the most recent sides to join the S.League following an agreement between the Football Association of Singapore and Football Association of Malaysia to send their representative sides into their respective domestic competitions. Singapore side LionsXII returned to the Malaysian competitions in 2012.

20th season

The league took on a number of changes for the 2015 season to increase its competitiveness.[3][4] The number of clubs was reduced from 12 to 10, with the withdrawal of Tanjong Pagar United due to financial problems, and the merger of Woodlands Wellington and Hougang United.[3][5] The league returned to a three-round format used from 2001 to 2011.[3] The foreign player quota remained at five per club, but incentives were given to those who signed an under-21 player.[5] The passing time for the mandatory 2.4 km fitness test was lowered from 10 mins to 9 mins 45 s.[3] A new rule on age restrictions – a maximum of five players aged 30 and above and a minimum of three under-25 players for clubs with a 22-man squad, a maximum of four players aged 30 and above and a minimum of two under-25 players for clubs with a 20-man squad – was later reversed.[5][6]

Rebranding

The league was rebranded as Singapore Premier League on 21 March 2018. A major revamp is being made to see a greater emphasis on local youth players in a bid to strengthen the national side; this, in effect, has resulted in a number of senior and foreign stars being released or transferred overseas.[7]

Competition Format

Structure

Teams receive three points for a win and one point for a draw. No points are awarded for a loss. The champions are crowned at the end of the season. Teams are ranked by total points, then goal difference, goals scored, and then the number of wins. If still equal, the same tiebreakers are used on head-to-head records between the teams, followed by a better fair play record. There is no relegation or promotion system in the league. Clubs enter the Singapore Premier League by invitation of the Football Association of Singapore.

SeasonsNo. of
Clubs		Matches
per Club		Notes
1996 814 × 2 seriesOne title playoff match between series winners at the end of the season.
1997 916
1998 1120
1999, 2000 1222
2001, 2002, 2003 1233In 2003, matches proceeded to a penalty shootout in the event of a draw. Shootout winners were awarded an extra point on top of the draw.
2004, 2005 1027
2006 1130
2007, 2008, 2009,
2010, 2011		 1233DPMM's results were expunged towards the end of 2009 following a FIFA ban, officially leaving 11 teams playing 30 matches each.
2012 1324
2013, 2014 1227The league was split into two-halves after matchday 22. Teams in each half play every other team from their half once, for an additional five matches. Results in the 2nd phase were added to that in the 1st phase for overall standings.
2015 1027The league returned to a three-round format.
2016, 2017 924
2018, 2019, 2020 924S.League renamed to Singapore Premier League.

Qualification for Asian competitions

The league's winners qualify for the AFC Champions League playoff spot and Singapore Cup winners qualify for the AFC Cup playoff spot. In the event of the same club winning both the S.League and Singapore Cup, the runners-up of the league takes up the AFC Cup qualification spot. Foreign clubs are ineligible to represent the Football Association of Singapore in AFC continental competitions. The qualification spot is given to the next best-placed club in the league if a foreign club wins any of the two competitions.

Clubs

A total of 25 clubs have played in the league from its inception in 1996 up to and including the 2014 season. The following 9 clubs are competing in the league during the 2019 season.

Team Founded Based Stadium Capacity Former Name
Albirex Niigata (S) 2004 Jurong East Jurong East Stadium 2,700
Balestier Khalsa 1898 Toa Payoh Bishan Stadium 3,500 formed from merger of Balestier Central and Clementi Khalsa in 2002.
DPMM FC 2000 Bandar Seri Begawan Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium 28,000
Geylang International 1973 Bedok Our Tampines Hub 5,000 known as Geylang United from 1996 to 2012.
Lion City Sailors Mid-1940s Bishan Bishan Stadium 3,500 known as Police FC in debut season; formerly Home United.
Hougang United 1981 Hougang Hougang Stadium 6,000 known as Marine Castle United (1998–2001), Sengkang Marine (2002–2003), Sengkang Punggol (2006–2010; merger with Paya Lebar Punggol).
Tampines Rovers 1945 Tampines Our Tampines Hub 5,000
Tanjong Pagar United 1978 Queenstown Jurong East Stadium 2,700
Young Lions 2002 Kallang Jalan Besar Stadium 6,000

Balestier Khalsa, Geylang International, Lion City Sailors FC, Tampines Rovers, and Warriors have played in all 24 seasons of the Singapore Premier League as of 2019.

Former clubs
  • Gombak United (1998–2002, 2006–2012)
  • Woodlands Wellington (1996–2014)
  • Sembawang Rangers (1996–2003)
  • Jurong FC (1997–2003)
  • Clementi Khalsa (1999–2002)
  • Paya Lebar Punggol (2005)
  • Warriors FC (1996–2019)
  • Sinchi FC (2003–2005)
  • Sporting Afrique (African players) (2006)
  • Super Reds (2007–2009)
  • Liaoning Guangyuan (2007)
  • Dalian Shide Siwu (2008)
  • Beijing Guoan Talent (2010)
  • Étoile FC (2010–2011)
  • Harimau Muda A (2012)
  • Harimau Muda B (2013–2015)

Years in brackets indicates seasons active in the league.

Past champions

The league has seen five clubs win the title since its inception. Warriors FC (formerly Singapore Armed Forces FC) hold the most titles at nine. In 2010, Étoile FC became the first foreign side to win the competition.[8]

SeasonWinnersRunners-up
1996* Geylang UnitedSingapore Armed Forces
1997 Singapore Armed ForcesTiong Bahru United
1998 Singapore Armed Forces (2)Tanjong Pagar United
1999 Home UnitedSingapore Armed Forces
2000 Singapore Armed Forces (3)Tanjong Pagar United
2001 Geylang United (2)Singapore Armed Forces
2002 Singapore Armed Forces (4)Home United
2003 Home United (2)Geylang United
2004 Tampines RoversHome United
2005 Tampines Rovers (2)Singapore Armed Forces
2006 Singapore Armed Forces (5)Tampines Rovers
2007 Singapore Armed Forces (6)Home United
2008 Singapore Armed Forces (7) Super Reds
2009 Singapore Armed Forces (8)Tampines Rovers
2010 Étoile FCTampines Rovers
2011 Tampines Rovers (3)Home United
2012 Tampines Rovers (4) DPMM FC
2013 Tampines Rovers (5)Home United
2014 Warriors FC (9) DPMM FC
2015 DPMM FCTampines Rovers
2016 Albirex Niigata (S)Tampines Rovers
2017 Albirex Niigata (S) (2)Tampines Rovers
2018 Albirex Niigata (S) (3)[9]Home United
2019 DPMM FC (2)Tampines Rovers

* The inaugural season of the S.League was split into two series. The winners of each series completed in a Championship play-off in which Geylang United defeated Singapore Armed Forces to claim the first S.League title.

Performance by Clubs
Club Winners Runners-up Winning years
Warriors FC
9
4
 1997, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2014
Tampines Rovers
5
7
 2004, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2013
Albirex Niigata (S)
3
0
 2016, 2017, 2018
Home United
2
5
 1999, 2003
Geylang International
2
1
 1996, 2001
DPMM FC
2
2
 2015, 2019
Étoile FC
1
0
 2010
Tanjong Pagar United
0
3
Super Reds
0
1

Awards
Main article: Singapore Premier League Awards Night

Top scorers
SeasonNameClubGoals
1996 Jure ErešSingapore Armed Forces28
1997 Goran PaulićBalestier Central21[10]
1998 Stuart YoungHome United22[10]
1999 Mirko GrabovacSingapore Armed Forces23
2000 Mirko GrabovacSingapore Armed Forces19
2001Mirko GrabovacSingapore Armed Forces39
2002Mirko GrabovacSingapore Armed Forces34
2003 Peres de OliveiraHome United31
2004Egmar GoncalvesHome United30
2005Mirko GrabovacTampines Rovers26
2006 Laakkad AbdelhadiWoodlands Wellington23
2007Aleksandar ĐurićSingapore Armed Forces37
2008Aleksandar ĐurićSingapore Armed Forces28
2009Aleksandar ĐurićSingapore Armed Forces28
2010 Frédéric Mendy Etoile FC21
2011 Mislav KaroglanSingapore Armed Forces33
2012 Frédéric MendyHome United20
2013Aleksandar Đurić
Moon Soon-Ho		Tampines Rovers
Woodlands Wellington		15
2014
 Rodrigo Tosi[11] DPMM FC
24
2015 Rafael Ramazotti DPMM FC21
2016 Rafael Ramazotti DPMM FC20
2017 Tsubasa Sano Albirex Niigata (S)26
2018 Shuhei Hoshino Albirex Niigata (S)19
2019 Andrei Varankou DPMM FC21

* Mirko Grabovac was a naturalised Singapore player from 2002 until he renounced his Singapore citizenship in 2008.

Source:"S.League leading scorers". S.League.

Player of the Year Award
SeasonNameClub
1996 Ivica RagužSingapore Armed Forces
1997Nazri NasirBalestier Central
1998S. SubramaniTanjong Pagar United
1999 Zsolt BücsHome United
2000 Mirko GrabovacSingapore Armed Forces
2001 Daniel BennettTanjong Pagar United
2002 Therdsak ChaimanSingapore Armed Forces
2003 Peres de OliveiraHome United
2004 Surachai JaturapattarapongHome United
2005Noh Alam ShahTampines Rovers
2006 Laakkad AbdelhadiWoodlands Wellington
2007Aleksandar ĐurićSingapore Armed Forces
2008Aleksandar ĐurićSingapore Armed Forces
2009 Valery HiekHome United
2010Shahril IshakHome United
2011 Mislav KaroglanSingapore Armed Forces
2012Aleksandar ĐurićTampines Rovers
2013 Lee Kwan-WooHome United
2014Hassan Sunny[11]Warriors FC
2015 Fumiya Kogure[12] Albirex Niigata (S)
2016 Atsushi Kawata Albirex Niigata (S)
2017 Kento Nagasaki Albirex Niigata (S)
2018 Wataru Murofushi Albirex Niigata (S)
2019Faris Ramli[13]Hougang United

Young Player of the Year
SeasonNameClub
1996Robin ChitrakarGeylang United
1997Ahmad Latiff KhamaruddinGeylang United
1998Lim Soon SengTanjong Pagar United
1999Yazid YasinHome United
2000Indra Sahdan DaudGeylang United
2001Indra Sahdan DaudHome United
2002Noh Alam ShahSembawang Rangers
2003Baihakki KhaizanGeylang United
2004Fahrudin MustafićTampines Rovers
2005 Issey Nakajima-Farran Albirex Niigata (S)
2006 Kengne LudovickBalestier Khalsa
2007Shariff Abdul SamatTampines Rovers
2008Khairul AmriTampines Rovers
2009 Gabriel ObatolaGombak United
2010Hariss Harun Young Lions
2011 Tatsuro Inui Albirex Niigata (S)
2012 Wan Zack Haikal Harimau Muda A
2013 Sirina CamaraHome United
2014 Nicolás Vélez[11]Warriors FC
2015 Azwan Ali DPMM FC
2016M AnumanthanHougang United
2017Hazzuwan HalimBalestier Khalsa
2018Adam Swandi Albirex Niigata (S)
2019Hami Syahin[13]Home United

* Fahrudin Mustafić held Serbian citizenship before being naturalised to play for Singapore in 2007.

Coach of the Year
SeasonNameClub
1996Vincent SubramaniamSingapore Armed Forces
1997Vincent SubramaniamSingapore Armed Forces
1998Jita SinghSembawang Rangers
1999 Robert AlbertsHome United
2000Fandi AhmadSingapore Armed Forces
2001 Jang JungGeylang United
2002 M. KarathuWoodlands Wellington
2003 Scott O'DonellGeylang United
2004 Vorawan ChitavanichTampines Rovers
2005 Vorawan ChitavanichTampines Rovers
2006Richard BokSingapore Armed Forces
2007Richard BokSingapore Armed Forces
2008 Hiroaki Hiraoka Albirex Niigata (S)
2009Richard BokSingapore Armed Forces
2010 Vorawan ChitavanichTampines Rovers
2011 Koichi Sugiyama Albirex Niigata (S)
2012 Vjeran Simunić DPMM FC
2013 Lee Lim-SaengHome United
2014 Marko Kraljević[11]Balestier Khalsa
2015 Steve Kean DPMM FC
2016 Naoki Naruo Albirex Niigata (S)
2017 Kazuaki Yoshinaga Albirex Niigata (S)
2018 Kazuaki Yoshinaga Albirex Niigata (S)
2019 Adrian Pennock DPMM FC

People's Choice Award
SeasonNameClub
2002 Sead MuratovićTampines Rovers
2003Indra Sahdan DaudHome United
2004 Agu Casmir Young Lions
2005Zulkarnaen ZainalTampines Rovers
2006Khairul Amri Young Lions
2007Aleksandar ĐurićSingapore Armed Forces
2008 Kengne LudovickHome United
2009 Gabriel ObatolaGombak United
2010Shahril JantanSingapore Armed Forces
2011Safuwan Baharudin Young Lions
2012 Wan Zack Haikal Harimau Muda A
2013 Mamadou M. DialloHougang United

Fair Play Award
SeasonClub
1996Singapore Armed Forces
1997Singapore Armed Forces
1998Singapore Armed Forces
1999Geylang United
2000Sembawang Rangers
2001Singapore Armed Forces
2002Singapore Armed Forces
2003 Young Lions
2004 Albirex Niigata (S)
2005 Young Lions
2006 Young Lions
2007 Albirex Niigata (S)
2008 Super Reds
2009Home United
2010Tampines Rovers
2011 Albirex Niigata (S)
2012 Albirex Niigata (S)
2013 Albirex Niigata (S)
2014Geylang International[11]
2015Geylang International
2016 Albirex Niigata (S)
2017 Albirex Niigata (S)
2018 Albirex Niigata (S)
2019 Albirex Niigata (S)

Special awards

100 S.League goals
SeasonNameClub
2002Mirko GrabovacSingapore Armed Forces
2003Indra Sahdan DaudHome United
2003Aleksandar ĐurićGeylang United
2004Egmar GoncalvesHome United
2005Noh Alam ShahTampines Rovers
2005 Peres De OliveiraHome United
2007Agu CasmirGombak United
2008 Park Tae-Won[14]Woodlands Wellington
2009 Ludovick TakamHome United
2010Mohd Noor Ali[15]Woodlands Wellington
2014Qiu Li[11]Balestier Khalsa

200 S.League goals
SeasonNameClub
2005Mirko GrabovacTampines Rovers
2007Aleksandar ĐurićSingapore Armed Forces

300 goals
SeasonNameClub
2010Aleksandar ĐurićTampines Rovers


All-time league table

The all-time Singapore Premier League table is a cumulative record of all match results, points and goals of every team that has played in the league since its inception in 1996. The table that follows is accurate as of the end of the 2014 season. Teams in bold are part of the 2019 season.

Pos
Club
No. of
Seasons		 Pld
W (PK)[16] D
L
F
A
GD
Pts
Pts PG
1Warriors FC a 19531331 (2)911071223648+57510882.05
2Home United 19531301 (2)951331081669+41210021.90
3Tampines Rovers 19531282 (3)1041421040680+3609561.80
4Geylang International a 19531219 (3)114195821740+817771.48
5Woodlands Wellington c 19531167 (4)120240743930−1876231.19
6Balestier Khalsa 19531150 (2)118261692963−2715321.06
7 Albirex Niigata (S) 1132413383108514440+745221.47
8Tanjong Pagar United 13345125 (2)70148508581−734491.32
9Gombak United 1234611488144462528−664321.25
10 Young Lions 12357110 (1)79167479599−1204061.15
11Hougang United f 15433101 (8)81243493845−3523950.87
12Jurong FC 717970 (7)2973261274−132531.41
13Sembawang Rangers 820753 (5)47102256409−1492161.04
14 Super Reds 396412035144146−21431.49
15 DPMM FC d 378391623153103+501331.63
16 Étoile FC f 26642111311959+601322.00
17Clementi Khalsa 4110222959150261−111950.86
18 Sinchi FC b 38722 (6)1346109167−58881.01
19 Harimau Muda B 2541483261110−49501.11
20 Harimau Muda A 12413383723+14421.75
21 Beijing Guoan Talent e 133106173049−19310.94
22 Liaoning Guangyuan 13385203363−30290.88
23Sporting Afrique (Africa) 13059263659−23240.80
24 Dalian Shide Siwu 13357212675−55220.67
25Paya Lebar Punggol 12711252378−5540.15
  • a: Does not include the title playoff match at the end of 1996 Season. Geylang United defeated Singapore Armed Forces 2–1 to clinch the S.League title.
  • b: Sinchi FC had 3 points deducted for gross misconduct in 2005.
  • c: Woodlands Wellington had 6 points deducted for match walkout in 2007.
  • d: 2009 results involving DPMM FC were annulled due to a FIFA ban.
  • e: Young Lions and Beijing Guoan Talent had 5 points deducted each for gross misconduct in 2010.
  • f: Étoile FC and Hougang United had 5 points deducted each for pre-match brawl in 2011.
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See also

References
  1. Joe Dorai (17 January 1995). "Malaysian states want 15 per cent levy to play at Kallang". The Straits Times. p. 31.
  2. "Geylang wins S-League's Championship match". The Straits Times. 10 November 1996.
  3. Osman, Shamir (4 November 2014). "Only 10 teams in S.League next year". The New Paper. Retrieved 6 November 2014.
  4. Low, Lin Fhoong (6 November 2014). "Changes will make S-League 'stronger, more competitive'". Today. Retrieved 6 November 2014.
  5. Low, Lin Fhoong (5 November 2014). "Uncertainty over S-League's changes for 2015". Today. Retrieved 5 November 2014.
  6. Phua, Emmanuel (24 November 2014). "Players ambivalent about S-League U-turn". Today. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
  7. Football: Goodbye S-League, welcome Singapore Premier League The Straits Times, 21 March 2018
  8. "S.League overview". S.League. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
  9. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/sport/albirex-win-singapore-premier-league-title-three-months-to-go-10552962
  10. Eric Ding (29 August 2005). "Golden Boot". Today. p. 38.
  11. "Awards night signals end of 2014 S.League season". S.League. 7 November 2014. Retrieved 18 November 2014.
  12. "S.League Awards Night 2015". 30 November 2015. Retrieved 19 August 2017.
  13. "Faris Ramli named SPL Player of the Year as FAS Nite 2019 recognises season's best". Retrieved 13 August 2020.
  14. "S.League.com – Amri Takes on Big Brother Role at Young Lions". sleague.com. Retrieved 19 August 2017.
  15. "100 Goals Award: Mohd Noor Ali – The ever smiling joker of the pack". dreamteamsteam.blogspot.sg. Retrieved 19 August 2017.
  16. The 2003 edition of the S.League saw the introduction of penalty shootouts if a match ended a draw. Shootout winners were awarded an extra point on top of the draw.
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