S.League
Encyclopedia
The S.League is the top men's professional association football league in Singapore
. The league was launched in 1996 and currently involves 12 clubs.
from 1988 to 1995. Preparations for the creating of a new league were started in 1995 with the initial season played out in 1996.
, that is each team is facing the other teams three times. At the end of the season the champion is crowned and the last place finisher gets relegated to the National Football League Division 1. Tiebreaker in the standings are in descending order: Points, goal difference, goals for, number of wins (each in all matches), if still tied same tiebreakers are used on matches between tied teams, if still tied, better fair play record and eventually the draw will decide the finishing position.
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
. The league was launched in 1996 and currently involves 12 clubs.
History
There has been a football competition in Singapore since 1904; it was organised by the Singapore Amateur Football Association. In 1952, it was superseded by the Football Association of Singapore. The league was played as FAS Premier LeagueFAS Premier League
The Football Association of Singapore Premier League is a now-defunct football league competition held in Singapore between 1988 and 1995. During that period, it was the top tier of the Singapore football league structure...
from 1988 to 1995. Preparations for the creating of a new league were started in 1995 with the initial season played out in 1996.
Current format
The league is played out as a triple round-robin tournamentRound-robin tournament
A round-robin tournament is a competition "in which each contestant meets all other contestants in turn".-Terminology:...
, that is each team is facing the other teams three times. At the end of the season the champion is crowned and the last place finisher gets relegated to the National Football League Division 1. Tiebreaker in the standings are in descending order: Points, goal difference, goals for, number of wins (each in all matches), if still tied same tiebreakers are used on matches between tied teams, if still tied, better fair play record and eventually the draw will decide the finishing position.
Clubs
There are currently a total number of 12 clubs playing in the S.League season, with 21 clubs having exited the league since its inception.Current clubs
Albirex Niigata FC (Singapore)Albirex Niigata FC (Singapore)
Albirex Niigata Singapore FC is a football club which plays in Singapore's S.League. The club is a satellite team of Albirex Niigata of Japan, and its players come from Japan.-History:...
- Balestier Khalsa FCBalestier Khalsa FCBalestier Khalsa Football Club is a professional football club which plays in Singapore's S.League. The club is a merger of two clubs who played in the S.League in past years – Balestier Central FC and Clementi Khalsa FC – who came together at the end of the 2002 season...
Etoile FCEtoile FCEtoile Football Club is a professional football club which was formed to play in Singapore's S.League in 2010.Etoile FC is the first team of players all born in Europe to ply their trade in Singapore's professional league, and the first in Asia... - Geylang United FCGeylang United FCGeylang United Football Club is a professional football club from Singapore, currently playing in the S.League. The club is based in Bedok and their home ground is Bedok Stadium. Their mascot is an eagle, and hence the team is also known as "the Eagles"....
- Gombak United FCGombak United FCGombak United Football Club is a professional football club which plays in Singapore's S.League.Gombak United rejoined the S.League in 2006, having previously played in the league from 1998 to 2002. The club's best S.League finishes to date have been fourth place in 2007. The club also won the Best...
- Home United FCHome United FCHome United Football Club is a professional soccer club which plays in Singapore's S.League.-History:The Police Sports Association was founded in the mid-1940s to organise football activities for the Singapore Police Force. They sent two teams to compete in the Singapore Amateur Football...
- Hougang United FC
- Singapore Armed Forces FC
- Tampines Rovers FCTampines Rovers FCTampines Rovers Football Club are a professional association football club based in Tampines, Singapore, that play in the S.League. Founded in 1945, they have won the national league championship five times, the Singapore Cup thrice and the ASEAN Club Championship once...
- Tanjong Pagar United FCTanjong Pagar United FCTanjong Pagar United Football Club is a professional football club in Singapore. The club took part in Singapore's S.League from 1996 to 2004. The club withdrew from the S.League after the 2004 season because of financial problems but returned to the S.League in 2011.Prior to the formation of the...
- Woodlands Wellington FCWoodlands Wellington FCWoodlands Wellington Football Club is a professional football club that plays in Singapore's professional football league, the S.League.The team's home ground is the Woodlands Stadium, which is at the northern part of Singapore...
- Young Lions (FAS Under-23)Young Lions (Singapore football team)The Courts Young Lions are an under-23 football team from Singapore. Most of the members of the squad are players from Singapore's national under-23 team. The team comes under the direct control of the Football Association of Singapore , but is managed as a football club and has competed in...
(will play in 2012 Malaysia Super League2012 Malaysia Super LeagueThe 2012 Astro Malaysia Super League is the 9th season of the highest Malaysian football league since its inception in 2004. Fourteen teams participated in the league, eleven state teams and three club teams, with Kelantan FA as the defending champions...
under the name Singapore LionsSingapore LionsThe Singapore Lions is the name given to a representative team of footballers representing the Football Association of Singapore in domestic competitions run by the Football Association of Malaysia...
)
Past champions
| Season | Club |
|---|---|
| 1996 | Geylang United FC Geylang United FC Geylang United Football Club is a professional football club from Singapore, currently playing in the S.League. The club is based in Bedok and their home ground is Bedok Stadium. Their mascot is an eagle, and hence the team is also known as "the Eagles".... |
| 1997 | Singapore Armed Forces FC |
| 1998 | Singapore Armed Forces FC |
| 1999 | Home United FC Home United FC Home United Football Club is a professional soccer club which plays in Singapore's S.League.-History:The Police Sports Association was founded in the mid-1940s to organise football activities for the Singapore Police Force. They sent two teams to compete in the Singapore Amateur Football... |
| 2000 | Singapore Armed Forces FC |
| 2001 | Geylang United FC Geylang United FC Geylang United Football Club is a professional football club from Singapore, currently playing in the S.League. The club is based in Bedok and their home ground is Bedok Stadium. Their mascot is an eagle, and hence the team is also known as "the Eagles".... |
| 2002 | Singapore Armed Forces FC |
| 2003 | Home United FC Home United FC Home United Football Club is a professional soccer club which plays in Singapore's S.League.-History:The Police Sports Association was founded in the mid-1940s to organise football activities for the Singapore Police Force. They sent two teams to compete in the Singapore Amateur Football... |
| 2004 | Tampines Rovers FC Tampines Rovers FC Tampines Rovers Football Club are a professional association football club based in Tampines, Singapore, that play in the S.League. Founded in 1945, they have won the national league championship five times, the Singapore Cup thrice and the ASEAN Club Championship once... |
| 2005 | Tampines Rovers FC Tampines Rovers FC Tampines Rovers Football Club are a professional association football club based in Tampines, Singapore, that play in the S.League. Founded in 1945, they have won the national league championship five times, the Singapore Cup thrice and the ASEAN Club Championship once... |
| 2006 | Singapore Armed Forces FC |
| 2007 | Singapore Armed Forces FC |
| 2008 | Singapore Armed Forces FC |
| 2009 | Singapore Armed Forces FC |
| 2010 |  Early Modern FranceEtoile FCEtoile FC Etoile Football Club is a professional football club which was formed to play in Singapore's S.League in 2010.Etoile FC is the first team of players all born in Europe to ply their trade in Singapore's professional league, and the first in Asia... |
| 2011 | Tampines Rovers FC Tampines Rovers FC Tampines Rovers Football Club are a professional association football club based in Tampines, Singapore, that play in the S.League. Founded in 1945, they have won the national league championship five times, the Singapore Cup thrice and the ASEAN Club Championship once... |
Top scorers
Topscorers were:| Season | Name | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 |  Eres Jure |
Singapore Armed Forces FC | 29 |
| 1997 | Goran Paulic |
Balestier Khalsa FC Balestier Khalsa FC Balestier Khalsa Football Club is a professional football club which plays in Singapore's S.League. The club is a merger of two clubs who played in the S.League in past years – Balestier Central FC and Clementi Khalsa FC – who came together at the end of the 2002 season... |
|
| 1998 |  Stuart YoungStuart Young Stuart Young is an English footballer.-Career:Young’s senior football career began at Arsenal FC in 1990, before moving to his home town of Hull City in 1991. He spent two seasons at the Tigers, before spells at Northampton Town in 1993, Scarborough FC 1994, Scunthorpe United between 1994 to 1996,... |
Home United FC Home United FC Home United Football Club is a professional soccer club which plays in Singapore's S.League.-History:The Police Sports Association was founded in the mid-1940s to organise football activities for the Singapore Police Force. They sent two teams to compete in the Singapore Amateur Football... |
15 |
| 1999 | Mirko Grabovac Mirko Grabovac Mirko Grabovac is a Croatian-born Singaporean former professional football player and coach. He had changed his nationality to Singaporean in 2002 in order to play for the Singapore national football team.... |
Singapore Armed Forces FC | 23 |
| 2000 | Mirko Grabovac Mirko Grabovac Mirko Grabovac is a Croatian-born Singaporean former professional football player and coach. He had changed his nationality to Singaporean in 2002 in order to play for the Singapore national football team.... |
Singapore Armed Forces FC | 19 |
| 2001 |  Mirko GrabovacMirko Grabovac Mirko Grabovac is a Croatian-born Singaporean former professional football player and coach. He had changed his nationality to Singaporean in 2002 in order to play for the Singapore national football team.... |
Singapore Armed Forces FC | 42 |
| 2002 | Mirko Grabovac Mirko Grabovac Mirko Grabovac is a Croatian-born Singaporean former professional football player and coach. He had changed his nationality to Singaporean in 2002 in order to play for the Singapore national football team.... |
Singapore Armed Forces FC | 36 |
| 2003 |  Peres de OliveiraPeres de Oliveira Peres De Oliveira, also known as Peres , is a Brazilian professional football player who last played for Home United FC in S.League... |
Home United Home United FC Home United Football Club is a professional soccer club which plays in Singapore's S.League.-History:The Police Sports Association was founded in the mid-1940s to organise football activities for the Singapore Police Force. They sent two teams to compete in the Singapore Amateur Football... |
37 |
| 2004 | Egmar Goncalves Egmar Goncalves Egmar Goncalves was a professional soccer player. He was born in Brazil, but changed his nationality to Singaporean in 2002 in order to play for the Singapore national football team.-Career:... |
Home United Home United FC Home United Football Club is a professional soccer club which plays in Singapore's S.League.-History:The Police Sports Association was founded in the mid-1940s to organise football activities for the Singapore Police Force. They sent two teams to compete in the Singapore Amateur Football... |
30 |
| 2005 | Mirko Grabovac Mirko Grabovac Mirko Grabovac is a Croatian-born Singaporean former professional football player and coach. He had changed his nationality to Singaporean in 2002 in order to play for the Singapore national football team.... |
Tampines Rovers Tampines Rovers FC Tampines Rovers Football Club are a professional association football club based in Tampines, Singapore, that play in the S.League. Founded in 1945, they have won the national league championship five times, the Singapore Cup thrice and the ASEAN Club Championship once... |
26 |
| 2006 |  Laakkad AbdelhadiLaakkad Abdelhadi Laakkad Abdelhadi is a professional soccer player from Morocco.In 2006, he was the top scorer in Singapore's S.League, scoring 23 goals for Woodlands Wellington FC. He also won the 2006 S.League Player of the Year Award. He also won the Tiger Beer goal of the year award in the 2008... |
Woodlands Wellington FC Woodlands Wellington FC Woodlands Wellington Football Club is a professional football club that plays in Singapore's professional football league, the S.League.The team's home ground is the Woodlands Stadium, which is at the northern part of Singapore... |
15 |
| 2007 | Aleksandar Đurić |
Singapore Armed Forces FC | 37 |
| 2008 | Aleksandar Đurić |
Singapore Armed Forces FC | 28 |
| 2009 | Aleksandar Đurić |
Singapore Armed Forces FC | 28 |
| 2010 | Frédéric Mendy Frédéric Mendy (born in 1988) Frédéric Mendy is a professional footballer currently playing for Home United in the Singapore S.League.-Career:Mendy was born in France, and is of Senegalese Heritage... |
Etoile FC Etoile FC Etoile Football Club is a professional football club which was formed to play in Singapore's S.League in 2010.Etoile FC is the first team of players all born in Europe to ply their trade in Singapore's professional league, and the first in Asia... |
21 |
| 2011 | Mislav Koroglan |
Singapore Armed Forces FC | 33 |
See also
- Singapore CupSingapore CupThe Singapore Cup is an annual soccer competition in Singapore.The Singapore Cup is the major cup competition in Singapore football, and has existed since the 1997 ....
- Singapore League CupSingapore League CupThe Singapore League Cup is an annual soccer competition in Singapore. It was launched in 2007, and is open to teams who play in the S.League.The 2007 competition was sponsored by SingTel, and officially titled the SingTel League Cup...
- Singapore Charity ShieldSingapore Charity ShieldThe Singapore Charity Shield is the curtain-raiser to the soccer season in Singapore. The match is contested between the previous year's S.League champions and Singapore Cup winners .The Singapore Charity Shield was first contested in 2008...
- List of football clubs in Singapore