Football in Singapore

Last updated

Football in Singapore
Flag of Singapore.svg
Football pictogram.svg
Football In Singapore
1st game
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg British Engineers XI A vs British Engineers XI B Flag of the United Kingdom.svg [1]
(1889)
Governing body Football Association of Singapore
Top leagues (National Leagues) Singapore Premier League
FAS National Football League
FAS Island Wide League
FAS Women's Premier League
FAS Women's National Football League
National Cup Singapore Cup
FA Cup Singapore FA Cup
Season starter Singapore Community Shield
International
1st international
Flag of Singapore (1946-1952).svg Singapore 2–3 South Korea  Flag of South Korea.svg
(Singapore; 12 April 1953)
Men's team Singapore
Women's team Singapore ♀
Boys' team (youth) Singapore U15s & 16s
Stadium National Stadium
(Capacity: 55,000)
Jalan Besar Stadium
(Capacity: 6,000–8,000)
International honours
Youth Olympics Bronze medal icon.svg Bronze (1) – 2010 (boys' U16)
AFF Championship Gold medal icon.svg Gold (4) – 1998, 2004, 2007, 2012 (men's)
AFC Women's Cup Bronze medal icon.svg Bronze (2) – 1977, 1983 (women's)
Lion City Cup Silver medal icon.svg Silver (1) – 2011 (boys' U16)
Bronze medal icon.svg Bronze (1) – 2011 (boys' u15)

Association football , known more popularly as football, is considered the national sport of Singapore. [2] The country is home to the Football Association of Singapore (FAS), the oldest football association in Asia with its roots coming from The Football Association in England. The national teams include the men's, women's and youth. Despite the country having a relatively small population pool, it has generally punched above its weight by successively producing squads that has fiercely competed with much larger and more populated countries in both club and international football.

Contents

The sport reached one of its highest peaks during the 1980s and 1990s with the Singapore Lions' participation in the Malaysia Cup, whereby they dominated the competition. The Singapore Lions, the team which played in the Malaysia Cup, is not considered as a national team. The Singapore Lions left the Malaysia Cup in 1994, before rejoining the competition in 2012 as the LionsXII until 2015, winning a league title in 2013 and an FA Cup in 2015 in the process. [3]

The men's senior team is one of the strongest national sides in Southeast Asia, being the second most successful team in the AFF Championship with 4 titles, winning in 1998, 2004, 2007 and 2012. It is also one of the only two national teams in history to have won consecutive titles in the competition. The current champions of Singaporean club football is Lion City Sailors, having won the Singapore Premier League title in the 2021 season. [4]

History

The first football match in Singapore were between two teams of British engineers in 1889. The Singapore Amateur Football Association (SAFA), under its current name Football Association of Singapore (FAS), was formed in 1892 by a group of British in colonial Singapore.

League system

TierNational Leagues
1 Singapore Premier League [5] [6]
2 (provisionally) Singapore Football League Division 1 [7]
3 (provisionally) Singapore Football League Division 2 [8]
4 (provisionally) Singapore Island Wide League [9]
Expatriate Leagues
Cosmopolitan Football League [10]
Equatorial Football League [11]
TierWomen's Football Leagues
1 Women's Premier League
10 clubs
2Women's National Football League
10 clubs
TierYouth's Football Leagues
1 Centre of Excellence U19 Developmental League
2 Centre of Excellence U16 Developmental League Tier 1
3 Centre of Excellence U16 Developmental League Tier 2

Professional league

The Singapore Premier League is a professional league for men's football clubs in Singapore, governed by the Football Association of Singapore. The semi-professional FAS Premier League was replaced by the professional S.League in 1996 when Singapore FA left the Malaysia Cup in 1994, due to disputes with the Football Association of Malaysia. [12] The league adopted its current name in 2018.

Although the SPL is the highest level of domestic football competition in Singapore, it fails to attract supporters, with the dwindling attendees to matches and television view ratings. [13] The FAS has invited foreign clubs to participate in the league, in attempt to increase competitiveness and attract more fans. There is no promotion and relegation in the current Singapore football league system. The reserves team of the SPL clubs compete in the Prime League formed in 1997.

Since its inception in 1996, seven clubs have been crowned champions. Geylang United claim the first league title. Warriors FC hold the most with nine. In 2010, Étoile FC became the first foreign side to win the competition. [14]

Singapore Football League

The Singapore Football League, or more commonly known as the SFL is a semi-professional competition organised for football clubs which are affiliated with the Football Association of Singapore. FAS which was previously known as the Singapore Amateur Football Association, SAFA. It was the premier football league of Singapore until the FAS premier league was formed in 1988. The history of NFL can be traced back to as early as the early 20th century.

Women's Premier League

The Women's Premier League: is an amateur league for women's football clubs in Singapore, governed by the FAS.

Goal 2010

Goal 2010 was an objective, set by then-Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong in 1998, for the Singapore national team to reach the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals in South Africa. [15] However, the goal was not met.

"Look at the French World Cup football team. In the final against Brazil, I picked Zidane as the most outstanding French player. He is of Algerian descent. Of the 22-players, more than half did not look "French". They looked Argentinian, Armenian, Basque, Caribbean, Ghanaian, New Caledonian. Some were born in France, but of immigrant parents. Others are first generation French citizens. When they went up to receive their medals, President Chirac embraced all of them as Frenchmen. He sent a strong political signal for multi-racialism and against xenophobia: that in France, so long as you contribute to the French cause, it does not matter what colour your skin is or where you were born. Last year I told you Singapore would never have a chance in the World Cup, because the rules require all players to be citizens. But after watching the French victory, I have changed my mind. Maybe if we change our immigration criteria to bring in top football talent and make them citizens, then one day we too can get into the finals. In fact we intend to do just this, to bring in sports talent." [16]

—  Goh Chok Tong, commenting further on GOAL 2010, National Day Rally 1998 Speech

Malaysia Cup

Joining the Malaysia Cup in 1921, known as the Malaya Cup at that time, Singapore were the champions of the inaugural competition. They would further succeed in getting 24 titles for themselves during their time in the competition from 1921 to 1994, a span of 74 years.

In this competition, and the Malaysia league, Singapore submitted a representative team, which operated like a football club more than a national football team. It was called the Singapore FA in the country's 74 years in Malaysian football. The competition helped bring the likes of Fandi Ahmad and Dollah Kassim, with the former being the only Singaporean to have played for European clubs – he played for FC Groningen and OFI Crete.

National teams

The Football Association of Singapore organises the men's, women's and youth national football teams. The men's senior team is the second most successful team in the AFF Championship with 4 titles, winning in 1998, 2004, 2007 and 2012. The youth team claim bronze in the football event of the inaugural Youth Olympic Games, and runners-up and second runners-up for the 23rd Lion City Cup.

Stadium

National Stadium Singapore (SG), National Stadium -- 2019 -- 4721.jpg
National Stadium

The former National Stadium was the home of the Singapore national team. The team moved to Jalan Besar Stadium after the former ground was demolished in 2011 for the multi-purpose sports complex Singapore Sports Hub. After its completion in 2014, the team concurrently uses both the new National Stadium and Jalan Besar Stadium as their home grounds. [17]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Singapore national football team</span> Team representing Singapore in the senior mens international football

The Singapore national football team represents Singapore in the senior men's international football. It is organised by the Football Association of Singapore (FAS), the governing body of football in Singapore, which is affiliated with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the regional ASEAN Football Federation (AFF). The current head coach is Takayuki Nishigaya. The team's colours are red and white. Singapore are colloquially known as "The Lions".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Singapore Premier League</span> Professional association football league in Singapore

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Football Association of Singapore</span> FAS Singapore Association Football

The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) is the governing body responsible for the administration of football in Singapore. Established in 1892 as the Singapore Football Association (SFA), it is the oldest football association in all of Asia. The FAS is also one of the founding members of both the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF). It has been affiliated with FIFA since 1952.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geylang International FC</span> Association football club in Singapore

Geylang International Football Club is a professional football club based in Bedok, Singapore, that competes in Singapore Premier League, the top division of football in Singapore. The club was founded in 1973 with the purpose of building a successful football team that would be remembered for generations to come. They played their first season in 1974, winning the FAS Division Three League which earns a spot in National Football League Division One the following year. They enjoyed their greatest successes in the 1980s and 90s, winning six consecutive FAS Premier League titles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tanjong Pagar United FC</span> Singaporean football club

Tanjong Pagar United Football Club is a professional football club based in Queenstown, Singapore. The club took part in S.League from 1996 to 2004, and from 2011 to 2014. The club withdrew from the league after the 2004 season because of financial problems, but returned in 2011, with several similar breaks meanwhile. The club has since returned from 2020 onwards.

Thambiah "Terry" Pathmanathan is a former Singapore international footballer who played as a defender. He played for Singapore and Pahang in the Malaysia Cup. Towards the end of his career, he played for Tampines Rovers in the inaugural S.League season in 1996, retiring from playing professionally in the same year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jalan Besar Stadium</span> Stadium in Singapore

Jalan Besar Stadium, officially the Jalan Besar ActiveSG Stadium, is a football stadium located in Kallang, Singapore. The stadium is part of the Jalan Besar Sports and Recreation Centre, a community sports facility that includes the stadium as well as a swimming complex.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Selangor F.C.</span> Professional football club based in Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia

Selangor Football Club, is a Malaysian professional football club based in the city of Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia. The club is currently competes in the Malaysia Super League, the top tier of Malaysian football. The club is nicknamed the Red Giants. Officially founded in 1936 by the Football Association of Selangor (FAS), the association built its football development as a result of a merger with the Selangor Association Football League and forming the professional football team known as Selangor. On 2 October 2020, the club officially made its privatization under a new entity as Selangor Football Club after it was officially approved by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) on 29 September 2020. The club currently plays its home games at the Petaling Jaya Stadium after the club's original home ground, the Shah Alam Stadium, was closed to undergo major renovation and rebuilding work which was prolonged for an extended period of time.

The Football Association of Singapore Premier League was a semi-professional football league competition held in Singapore between 1988 and 1995. The Premier League succeeded the National Football League Division One as the top tier of the Singapore football league structure. It was replaced by the S.League in 1996.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nazri Nasir</span> Singaporean footballer

Nazri Nasir is a Singaporean professional football manager and former footballer, He is the currently assistant coach of Singapore. He was the captain of the Singapore national team from 1997 to 2003, and led the team to the 1998 AFF Championship title. He is the current coach of Young Lions, Singapore U-23 and serve as an assistant coach of the senior Singapore national team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shahdan Sulaiman</span> Singaporean professional footballer

Shahdan bin Sulaiman is a Singaporean professional footballer who plays as a central-midfielder for Singapore Premier League club Hougang United and the Singapore national team. He is known for his set piece abilities and long-range efforts.

Singapore FA was a representative team of footballers representing the Football Association of Singapore in domestic competitions run by the Football Association of Malaysia. This is separate from the Singapore national team. As it permits overseas players to play, it is a club side. Despite dissolving in 1994, it is still by far the second most successful team in Malaysia with 27 honours. Its derby with Selangor is known as the most North-South Rivalry.

Delwinder Singh s/o Ranjit Singh, more commonly known as Delwinder Singh or monoymously as Delwinder, is a Singaporean professional footballer who plays as a centre-back or full-back for Cambodia Premier League club Angkor Tigers F.C. He made his international debut for Singapore in a friendly match against the Philippines on 7 October 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LionsXII</span> Singaporean football club

LionsXII, also known as Singapore LIONSXII, was a Singaporean football club founded in 2011 that played in the Malaysian Super League, the top tier of Malaysian football, from their inaugural season until their dissolution following the 2015 season. Their home ground was the 8,000-seater Jalan Besar Stadium, where they have played all their home matches since their establishment.

The Singapore Football League (SFL) is a semi-professional football tournament for clubs that are affiliated to the Football Association of Singapore. It makes up the second and third tier of football in Singapore after the professional Singapore Premier League, which was established in 1996 and before the FAS Island Wide League. The teams are also eligible to compete in the Singapore FA Cup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Khairul Nizam</span> Singaporean professional footballer

Mohammad Khairul Nizam bin Mohammad Kamal is a Singaporean former footballer who last played as a winger or striker for Singapore Premier League club Tanjong Pagar United F.C and the Singapore national team. He is the younger brother of Khairul Amri who's also a professional footballer currently playing as striker or winger for Singapore Premier League club Tanjong Pagar United F.C.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gabriel Quak</span> Singaporean professional footballer

Gabriel Quak Jun Yi also known as Gabriel Quak is a Singaporean professional footballer who plays mainly as a winger or attacking-midfielder for Singapore Premier League club Hougang United and the Singapore national team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Faris Ramli</span> Singaporean footballer

Muhammad Faris bin Ramli is a Singaporean professional footballer who plays as a forward for Singapore Premier League club Tampines Rovers, and the Singapore national team. Faris plays primarily as a winger. In 2012, Faris made it to the top 52 of Nike's 'The Chance' competition, a worldwide talent hunt for young players. However, he was not drafted in the selection of the final 16 in Barcelona. Faris played for the Young Lions prior to featuring for LionsXII in the Malaysia Super League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sahil Suhaimi</span> Singaporean footballer

Mohamad Sahil bin Suhaimi is a Singaporean professional footballer who plays as a striker, winger or attacking-midfielder for Singapore Premier League club Hougang United and the Singapore national team. He was best known for outstanding performances during his time at LionsXII.

References

  1. ↑ History of Singapore Football Archived 26 August 2011 at the Wayback Machine . Fas.org.sg. Retrieved 15 August 2011.
  2. ↑ "National Day Special 2016: In search of Singapore's national sport". TODAYonline.
  3. ↑ Singapore is Back!. Voxsports.net (12 July 2011). Retrieved 15 August 2011.
  4. ↑ "Lion City Sailors FC are 2021 AIA Singapore Premier League champions". CNA. Retrieved 8 April 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. ↑ "Football: Goodbye S-League, welcome Singapore Premier League". The Straits Times . 21 March 2018. Retrieved 25 January 2019.
  6. ↑ "Singapore League (S. League) - Infopedia". Eresources.nlb.gov.sg. Retrieved 25 January 2019.
  7. ↑ "Singapore Football League Division 1 – Football Association of Singapore". Fas.org.sg. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
  8. ↑ "Singapore Football League Division 2 – Football Association of Singapore". Fas.org.sg. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
  9. ↑ "Island Wide League - Football Association of Singapore". Fas.org.sg. Retrieved 25 January 2019.
  10. ↑ "CosmoLeague". www.cosmoleague.com.
  11. ↑ "L'Olympique Gaulois Singapore, le football français à Singapour". lepetitjournal.com (in French). Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  12. ↑ About Archived 1 February 2018 at the Wayback Machine . S.League (17 December 1994). Retrieved 15 August 2011.
  13. ↑ S.League Must Improve. Asiaone.com (25 May 2011). Retrieved 15 August 2011.
  14. ↑ "S.League overview". S.League. Archived from the original on 22 August 2013. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
  15. ↑ "Singapore launches national project to rebuild football foundation for future success". sg.news.yahoo.com. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  16. ↑ Prime Minister's National Day Rally Speech, 1998. National Archives of Singapore. Retrieved 2017-08-17.
  17. ↑ Singapore Sports Hub to open by April 2014. Asiaone.com (27 August 2010). Retrieved 15 August 2011.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.