Singapore Premier League
Organising bodyFootball Association of Singapore (FAS)
Founded14 April 1996 (1996-04-14) (as S. League)
31 March 2018 (2018-03-31) (as Singapore Premier League)
CountrySingapore (8 teams)
Other club(s) fromBrunei (1 team)
ConfederationAFC
Number of teams9
Level on pyramid1
Domestic cup(s)Singapore Cup
Singapore Community Shield
International cup(s)AFC Champions League 2
Current championsAlbirex Niigata (S) (6th title)
Most championshipsWarriors FC (9 titles)
Most appearances Daniel Bennett (518)
Top goalscorerAleksandar Duric (385)
TV partners1 Play Sports (live streaming)
Mediacorp
Singtel TV
Starhub
J Sports
Websitespl.sg
Current: 2024–25 Singapore Premier League

The Singapore Premier League, commonly abbreviated as SPL, officially known as the AIA Singapore Premier League for sponsorship reasons, is a men's professional football league sanctioned by the Football Association of Singapore (FAS), which represents the sport's highest level in the Singapore football league system.

The competition was founded as the S. League on 14 April 1996 after the FAS announced its intention to promote and expand the growing local football community by having a top level domestic league. As of 2022, the league comprises eight clubs, consisting of three rounds in which each team plays every other team once. Seasons run from late March to October, with teams playing 21 matches each, totalling 147 matches in the season.

Successful SPL clubs gain qualification into Asian continental club competitions, including the AFC Champions League 2. SPL currently does not practice promotion and relegation. Since the league's inception in 1996, 7 clubs have been crowned champions. Warriors FC[lower-alpha 1] have been the most successful club with 9 titles, followed by Albirex Niigata Singapore (6),Tampines Rovers (5), Lion City Sailors (3),[lower-alpha 2] Geylang International (2), DPMM FC (2) and Étoile FC (1). The current champions are Albirex Niigata, the Japanese satellite team, having won their fifth S-League title in the 2023 season.

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.

Invited clubs

During the 2000s, the FAS decided to invite foreign clubs to the league to increase league competitiveness. 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.

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.

In 2012, Malaysia national youth sides Harimau Muda A and Harimau Muda B joined the S.League following an agreement between the Football Association of Singapore and the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) to send their representative sides into their respective domestic competitions. Singaporean side LionsXII returned to the Malaysian competitions in 2012. Echoing the former Singapore FA, the LionsXII quickly became a successful force in the Malaysian league system during its short stint, winning the league title in 2013 as well as the FA Cup in 2015.

However, on 25 November 2015, the FAM decided not to extend their Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the FAS. This automatically disqualified LionsXII from further entering any football tournament in Malaysia. Similarly, Malaysia's squad Harimau Muda did not participate in the Singapore League from then onwards.[3]

J.League club Albirex Niigata entered their feeder club Albirex Niigata Singapore in the 2004 S.League. The club became the most established foreign side in the S.League, drawing on the support the Japanese expatriate community and some local fans. As of 2023, they are the foreign side with the longest involvement in Singaporean football.

20th season

The league took on a number of changes for the 2015 season to increase its competitiveness.[4][5] 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.[4][6] The league returned to a three-round format used from 2001 to 2011.[4] The foreign player quota remained at five per club, but incentives were given to those who signed an under-21 player.[6] The passing time for the mandatory 2.4 km fitness test was lowered from 10 mins to 9 mins 45 s.[4] 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.[6][7]

Rebranding

The league was rebranded as the Singapore Premier League on 21 March 2018. Further revamps were also 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 as well as local and foreign stars being purchased by overseas clubs.[8]

Competition format

Structure

Teams receive three points for a win and one point for a draw. No points are awarded for a loss. Teams are ranked by total points, then goal difference, and then goals scored.

At the end of each season, the club with the most points is crowned league champion. If the points, goal difference, goals scored, and head-to-head results between teams are equal, head-to-head records between the teams are used, 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.

Season No. of Clubs Matches per Club Notes
1996 8 14 × 2 series One title playoff match between series winners at the end of the season.
1997 9 16
1998 11 20
1999–2000 12 22
2001–2003 12 33 In 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 10 27
2006 11 30
2007–2011 12 33 DPMM's results were expunged towards the end of 2009 following a FIFA ban, officially leaving 11 teams playing 30 matches each.
2012 13 24
2013–2014 12 27 The 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 10 27 The league returned to a three-round format.
2016–2017 9 24
2018–2019 9 24
2020 8 14
2021 8 21
2022 8 28 The league will play a four-round format for the first time in its entire history.
2023– 9 24 The league returned to a three-round format.

Clubs

A total of 25 clubs have played in the league from its inception in 1996 up to and including the 2022 season. The following 9 clubs are competing in the league during the 2023 season. There are two non-Singaporean clubs that currently compete in the Singapore Premier League – Albirex Niigata (S) is a satellite team of the Japanese club of the same name and DPMM of the Brunei.

Team Founded Based Stadium Capacity Former Name
Albirex Niigata (S) 2004 Jurong East Jurong East Stadium 2,700
Balestier Khalsa 1898 Toa Payoh Toa Payoh Stadium 3,800 formed from merger of Balestier Central and Clementi Khalsa in 2002.
DPMM 2000 Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium 28,000
Geylang International 1973 Bedok Bedok Stadium 3,800 known as Geylang United from 1996 to 2012.
Lion City Sailors 1946 Bishan Bishan Stadium 6,254 known as Police FC in debut season; formerly Home United.
Hougang United 1998 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 1974 Queenstown Queenstown Stadium 3,800 known as Tiong Bahru Constituency Sports Club (1974-1996), Tiong Bahru United (1996-1998).
Young Lions 2002 Kallang Jalan Besar Stadium 6,000 Sponsorship name; Courts Young Lions (2011-2015), Garena Young Lions (2016-2017).

Balestier Khalsa, Geylang International and Tampines Rovers are clubs that have played in all 26 seasons of the Singapore Premier League as of 2022.

Former clubs

Team Years
Police SA1945-1995
Police FC1996
Gombak United1998–2002
2006–2012
Woodlands Wellington1996–2014
Sembawang Rangers1996–2003
Jurong FC1997–2003
Warriors FC1996–2019
Home United FC1997-2019
Singapore Armed Forces1996-2012
Tiong Bahru United1996-1997
Balestier Central1996-2001

Years indicates seasons active in the league.

Invited clubs

Team Years Notes
Sinchi2003–2005Chinese club
Albirex Niigata (S)2004–presentSatellite club of Albirex Niigata of Japan
Sporting Afrique2006African expatriate team
Liaoning Guangyuan2007Satellite club of Liaoning of China
Super Reds2007–2009Korean expatriate team
Dalian Shide Siwu2008Satellite club of Dalian Shide of China
DPMM2008–presentClub based in Brunei
Beijing Guoan Talent2010Satellite club of Beijing Guoan of China
Étoile2010–2011French expatriate team
Harimau Muda A2012Malaysian youth national teams playing as clubs
Harimau Muda B2013–2015

Years indicates seasons active in the league Domestic based are foreign clubs which are based in Singapore.

International competitions

Qualification for Asian competitions

The league's winners qualify for the AFC Champions League, while 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 local club in the league if a foreign club wins any of the two competitions.

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.[9]

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 ÉtoileTampines 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)[10]Home United
2019 DPMM FC (2)Tampines Rovers
2020 Albirex Niigata (S)[11] (4)Tampines Rovers
2021 Lion City Sailors (3)Albirex Niigata (S)
2022 Albirex Niigata (S) (5)Lion City Sailors
2023 Albirex Niigata (S) (6)Lion City Sailors

* The inaugural season of the S.League was split into two series. The winners of each series completed in a championship playoff 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
Albirex Niigata (S)
6
1
 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2022, 2023
Tampines Rovers
5
8
 2004, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2013
Lion City Sailors
3
7
 1999, 2003, 2021
DPMM FC
2
2
 2015, 2019
Geylang International
2
1
 1996, 2001
Étoile
1
0
 2010
Tanjong Pagar United
0
3
Super Reds
0
1

Awards

Type of awards in the Singapore Premier League

  • Player of the Year
  • Young Player of the Year
  • Coach of the Year
  • Team of the Year
  • Goal of the Year
  • Top Scorer
  • Golden Glove
  • Fair Play Award
  • People's Choice Award
  • Dollah Kassim Award

Special awards

100 S.League goals

SeasonNameClub
2002Singapore Mirko GrabovacSingapore Armed Forces
2003Singapore Indra Sahdan DaudHome United
2003Singapore Aleksandar ĐurićGeylang United
2004Singapore Egmar GoncalvesHome United
2005Singapore Noh Alam ShahTampines Rovers
2005Brazil Peres De OliveiraHome United
2007Singapore Agu CasmirGombak United
2008South Korea Park Tae-Won[12]Woodlands Wellington
2009Cameroon Ludovick TakamHome United
2010Singapore Mohd Noor Ali[13]Woodlands Wellington
2014Singapore Qiu Li[14]Balestier Khalsa
2020Canada Jordan WebbTampines Rovers

200 S.League goals

SeasonNameClub
2005Singapore Mirko GrabovacTampines Rovers
2007Singapore Aleksandar ĐurićSingapore Armed Forces

300 goals

SeasonNameClub
2010Singapore Aleksandar 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 2023 season. Teams in bold are part of the 2023 season.

Pos
Club
No. of
Seasons		 Pld
W (PK)[lower-alpha 3] D
L
GF
 GA
GD
Pts
1Tampines Rovers 28720389 (3)1451831,425909+5161,318
2Warriors FC a 24654371 (2)1211601,407865+5421,238
3Home United 24654357 (2)1231721,309853+4561,198
4Geylang International a 28720294 (3)1452891,1311,127+41,043
5Albirex Niigata (S) 205342751181391,022735+287985
6Balestier Khalsa 28720211 (2)1583719941,396−402756
7Woodlands Wellington c 19531167 (4)120240743930−187623
8Young Lions 19567141 (1)1093166831,123−440529
9Tanjong Pagar United 15404136 (2)85172583692−109492
10Gombak United 1234611488144462528−66432
11Hougang United f 1332111365143508571−63379
12DPMM FC d 92251034874414333+81357
13Jurong FC 717970 (7)2973261274−13253
14Sembawang Rangers 820753 (5)47102256409−149216
15 Lion City Sailors g 4 87 57 15 15 273 117 +156 186
16Super Reds 396412035144146−2143
17Étoile f 26642111311959+60132
18Clementi Khalsa 4110222959150261−11195
19Sinchi FC b 38722 (6)1346109167−5888
20Harimau Muda B 38123144490150−6083
21Harimau Muda A 12413383723+1442
22Beijing Guoan Talent e 133106173049−1931
23Liaoning Guangyuan 13385203363−3029
24Sporting Afrique (Africa) 13059263659−2324
25Dalian Shide Siwu 13357212675−5522
26Paya Lebar Punggol 12711252378−554

Records and statistics

Team records

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Formerly known as the Singapore Armed Forces Football Club (SAFFC).
  2. ↑ Formerly known as Home United Football Club (HUFC).
  3. ↑ 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.

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. ↑ "Singapore's LionsXII booted out of Malaysia football". TodayOnline. 25 November 2015. Archived from the original on 24 September 2022. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Osman, Shamir (4 November 2014). "Only 10 teams in S.League next year". The New Paper. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 6 November 2014.
  5. ↑ Low, Lin Fhoong (6 November 2014). "Changes will make S-League 'stronger, more competitive'". Today. Archived from the original on 5 November 2014. Retrieved 6 November 2014.
  6. 1 2 3 Low, Lin Fhoong (5 November 2014). "Uncertainty over S-League's changes for 2015". Today. Archived from the original on 5 November 2014. Retrieved 5 November 2014.
  7. ↑ Phua, Emmanuel (24 November 2014). "Players ambivalent about S-League U-turn". Today. Archived from the original on 24 November 2014. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
  8. ↑ Football: Goodbye S-League, welcome Singapore Premier League Archived 4 July 2019 at the Wayback Machine The Straits Times, 21 March 2018
  9. ↑ "S.League overview". S.League. Archived from the original on 22 August 2013. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
  10. ↑ "Albirex wrap up Singapore Premier League title with three months to go - Channel NewsAsia". 23 July 2018. Archived from the original on 23 July 2018. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  11. ↑ "Albirex Niigata FC (S) are 2020 AIA Singapore Premier League champions - Football Association of Singapore". Archived from the original on 19 January 2021. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
  12. ↑ "S.League.com – Amri Takes on Big Brother Role at Young Lions". sleague.com. Archived from the original on 20 August 2017. Retrieved 19 August 2017.
  13. ↑ "100 Goals Award: Mohd Noor Ali – The ever smiling joker of the pack". dreamteamsteam.blogspot.sg. Archived from the original on 28 July 2017. Retrieved 19 August 2017.
  14. ↑ "Awards night signals end of 2014 S.League season". S.League. 7 November 2014. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 18 November 2014.
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