Hougang United FC

Hougang United

Full name	Hougang United Football Club
Nickname(s)	The Cheetahs
Short name	HOU
Founded	1998;26 years ago (1998) as Marine Castle United 2011;13 years ago (2011) as Hougang United
Ground	Hougang Stadium
Capacity	3,800
Chairman	Bill Ng
Head coach	Marko Kraljević
League	Singapore Premier League
2023	Singapore Premier League, 6th of 9
Website	http://www.hgfc.com.sg/
Home colours Away colours
Current season

Hougang United Football Club is a professional football club based in Hougang, Singapore. The club competes in the Singapore Premier League, the top tier of Singaporean football. Founded in 1998 as Marine Castle United, the club changed its name to Hougang United in 2011. Nicknamed the Cheetahs, Hougang United has played its home games at Hougang Stadium since its formation.

Currently, the club are playing their home games at the Jalan Besar Stadium, as the Hougang Stadium is undergoing renovation.

History

Foundation

The club was founded as Marine Castle United Football Club, which was formed by Newcastle United fans in the Marine Parade area in 1998. Upon successful entry into the S.League in 1998, the club struggled in its early foray in the first few years, finishing in the bottom two for the next four seasons. The club's chairman was Dilwant Singh who became the club manager and head coach of the prime league team throughout his time at the club. Marine Castle then changed its name to Sengkang Marine Football Club in 2002 and the Dilwant was succeeded by David Rowe in which Dilwant became the assistant head coach. Sengkang Marine then goes on to finished in 8th position consecutively, its highest ever finish in its short history.

Merger with Paya Lebar-Punggol

Financial difficulties then forced Sengkang Marine out of the S.League in 2004, and Paya Lebar-Punggol Football Club took its place in 2005, finishing the season as wooden-spoonist. The two clubs then merged their resources from 2006 to 2010 to form Sengkang Punggol Football Club, finishing no higher than 10th.

Permanently renaming the club's name as Hougang United (2011–present)

On 1 January 2011, the chairman of Sengkang Punggol Football Club, Mr. Bill Ng, announced the changes that began the rewriting of another chapter of the football club. With improved financial status and a change in name to the present Hougang United Football Club, there was renewed optimism among the Hougang fan base around the club's home stadium since its inception, Hougang Stadium. ^[1] The club also had its fair share of marquee players in the earlier days such as Michael Currie, who formerly played for Queens Park Rangers). Conversely, Grant Holt began his early career at the club, before going on to play for upper division clubs in England, such as Nottingham Forest and Norwich City in the English Premier League.

In November 2014, it was announced that Hougang United and Woodlands Wellington will merge for the 2015 season. ^[2]

AFC Cup debut

Hougang United make their AFC Cup debut in the 2020 AFC Cup but due to COVID-19 pandemic, the tournament got cancelled thus only winning one match against Laos side, Lao Toyota 1–3 at the New Laos National Stadium in Vientiane. The Cheetahs also qualified for the 2022 AFC Cup group stage where they play all their match in a centralised venue at the Thống Nhất Stadium in Vietnam which see Hougang United finishing 2nd out of 4th place winning 4–3 against Cambodian side, Phnom Penh Crown and defeating Laos side, Young Elephants 1–3 before suffering a heavy defeat to Vietnamese club, Viettel 5–2.

Hougang United players lifting the 2022 Singapore Cup trophy in its first ever piece of silverware in the club history.

First silverware

On 19 November 2022, under the lead of caretaker manager Firdaus Kassim, Hougang United defeated defending champions, Tampines Rovers 3–2 in the 2022 Singapore Cup final in which Kristijan Krajček scored a hat-trick to secure The Cheetahs their first ever silverware. ^[3]

The club also finished 5th in the Singapore Premier League in the same season which meant they failed to qualify for any continental competitions but due to their Singapore Cup win, they snatched an AFC Cup spot from fellow Singapore Premier League club, Geylang International. ^[4] Hougang United started off their 2023–24 AFC Cup campaign with a trip to Kota Kinabalu facing Sabah on 21 September 2023 where they played their first fixtures in a heavy downpours which they suffered a 3–1 away lost however in the next match against Haiphong at the Jalan Besar Stadium, Hougang United bounced back from 1–0 down as Đorđe Maksimović scored a brace in the last 10 minute in the game to settled for a 2–1 victory as the Cheetahs collected the 3 points. Hougang United went on to have a great run in the 2023 Singapore Cup where they reach the final but were unable to retaine their cup.

Sponsors

Period	Kit manufacturer
2011	Mitre
2012	Acono
2013	Waga
2014	Macron
2015–2018	Vonda
2019–2021	Warrix
2022–2023	Ari
2024–present	Kelme

Season	Main Sponsors
2015–2016	ESW Manage
2017–2020	ESW Manage
2020–2021	Northstar Group
2022–2024	The Physio Circle [5]

Ownership and finances

Partnership

On 22 November 2014, Hougang United announced a partnership with Global Football Academy for the 2015 S.League season. ^[6] On 16 November 2021, Hougang United announced the signing of main sponsorship with The Physio Circle for 3 years starting from 2022 to 2024.

On 19 October 2022, Hougang United announced the signing of sponsorship with Advance Capital Partners Pte Ltd for its women's team competing in the FAS Women's Premier League.

Scholarship

The Hougang United Scholarship was launched in May 2015. The aim of the scholarship is to support and facilitate the academic development of young non-professional footballing talents. ^[7]

Stadium

The Cheetahs home ground is based at the Hougang Stadium. The stadium has a capacity of 3,800 people. They have been the tenant at the stadium from 1998 until 2023 before moving out to the Jalan Besar Stadium temporary for the season due to renovating works. The club was once the sole club to play in a stadium in the north-eastern part of Singapore but since the implementation of VAR for the 2023 Singapore Premier League season, the club has been forced to move to the Jalan Besar Stadium as their new home stadium for the time being. ^[8]

Supporters

Hougang HOOLs tifo - Satu Hati, Satu Hougang (One Heart, One Hougang)

The club uniquely has an enthusiastic supporters' club known as the Hougang HOOLS (Hougang Only One Love), which was established in 2010. ^[9]

There is also a fan website representing the hougang support as a whole: https://www.hougangunitedfans.com/ The site features a blog, forum, players roster and a list of content creators who also bleed hougang.

The hashtag #1H1H (Satu Hati Satu Hougang) or (One Heart One Hougang) was made popular by the supporters and had been featured on the 2023 Jersey.

Players

Current squad

As of 30 Jun 2024

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   SGP Anders Aplin 3 DF   SGP Jordan Vestering 4 DF   SGP Nazrul Nazari (Captain) 5 DF   SGP Danish Irfan 6 MF   THA Puttipat Kaewsawad FP U21 7 FW   SGP Hazzuwan Halim 8 MF   SGP Shahdan Sulaiman 9 FW   CRO Stjepan Plazonja 10 MF   CRO Kristijan Krajček 11 MF   JPN Shodai Yokoyama 12 GK   SGP Kenji Syed Rusydi 14 MF   SRB Ismail Salihović FP U21

No. Pos. Nation Player 15 DF   SRB Ensar Brunčević 16 MF   SGP Ajay Robson U23 17 MF   SGP Justin Hui 18 MF   SGP Nikesh Singh Sidhu 19 GK   SGP Zaiful Nizam 20 DF   BIH Faris Hasić FP U21 21 DF   SGP Nazhiim Harman 22 FW   SGP Gabriel Quak 24 FW   SGP Zamani Zamri U23 30 FW   MNE Dejan Račić 44 FW   BIH Petar Banović

Under-21s and Academy

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

No. Pos. Nation Player 53 GK   SGP Keith Chung U21 55 DF   SGP Rauf Sanizal U21 56 MF   SGP Louka Vaissierre-Tan U21

No. Pos. Nation Player 61 GK   SGP Isaac Jonathan Lee U21 62 DF   SGP Adam Reefdy U21 65 DF   SGP Gabriel Goh U21

On loan

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

No. Pos. Nation Player — DF   SGP Sahffee Jubpre (National Service until 2023) — MF   SGP Farhan Zulkifli (National Service until 2025) — GK   SGP Aizil Yazid (National Service until 2025, to Young Lions)

Technical staff

Position	Name
General Manager	Peter Lim
Head coach	Marko Kraljević
Assistant coach	Robert Eziakor
Fitness coach	Rosman Sulaiman
Goalkeeper coach	Scott Starr
Strength and Conditioning coach	Syaqir Sulaiman
Sports Trainer	Thomas Pang
	Seishen Ratnagopal
Physiotherapist	Seishen Gerard
Equipment Manager	Richard Lim
Equipment Officer	Wan Azlan
U-17 coach	Hamid Raeiskarimi
U-15 coach	Firdaus Mohamed
U-13 coach	Hairil Amin

List of former managers

Name	Nat	Period	Silverware
As Marine Castle United
Alan Vest		(1 January–30 July 2001)
As Sengkang Marine
Trevor Morgan		(1 August 2001 – 30 July 2003)
Abdullah Noor		(1 August–31 December 2003)
As Paya Lebar Punggol
Chow Kwai Lam		(1 January–4 June 2005)
Qi Yubo		(12 June–31 December 2005)
As Sengkang Punggol
Trevor Morgan		(10 January 2006 – 19 September 2007)
Saswadimata Dasuki		(20 September 2007 – 21 July 2008)
Mirko Grabovac (caretaker)		(29 July–5 October 2008)
Swandi Ahmad (interim)		(6 October–31 December 2008)
Jörg Steinebrunner		(1 January–24 June 2009)
As Hougang United
Aide Iskandar (interim)		(25 June–31 December 2009)
Aide Iskandar		(1 January 2010 – 31 December 2011)
Nenad Bacina		(1 December 2011 – 30 November 2012)
Johana Bin Johari (interim)		(30 November–31 December 2012)
Alex Weaver		(1 January–31 March 2013)
Johana Bin Johari (interim)		(April 2013–August 2013)
Amin Nasir		(21 August 2013 – 31 December 2014)
Salim Moin		(1 January–30 October 2015)
K. Balagumaran		(1 November 2015 – 30 November 2016)
Philippe Aw		(January 2017–June 2018)
Clement Teo		(June 2017–20 November 2022)
Firdaus Kassim		(20 November 2022–17 April 2023)	2022 Singapore Cup
Marko Kraljević		(17 April 2023–present)	2023 Singapore Cup runner-ups

Seasons

Season	Name Changed	League	Pos.	P	W	D	L	GS	GA	Pts	Singapore Cup	League Cup	AFC Champions League	FIFA Club World Cup
1998	Marine Castle United	S.League	11th	20	2	3	15	19	44	9	Group stage		Not qualified
1999			12th	22	3	3	16	21	56	12	Round of 16
2000			11th	22	4	4	14	18	45	16	Round of 16
2001			11th	33	7	6	20	35	71	27	Group stage
2002	Sengkang Marine		8th	33	11	6	16	62	84	39	Semi-finals
2003			8th	33	7	8–1	17	32	66	38	Group stage
2004
2005	Paya Lebar Punggol	S.League	10th	27	1	1	25	23	78	4	Preliminary		Not qualified	Not qualified
2006	Sengkang Punggol		11th	30	4	6	20	32	72	18	Quarter-finals
2007			11th	33	5	10	18	39	69	25	Quarter-finals	Runners-up
2008			11th	33	3	10	20	13	54	19	Round of 16	Preliminary
2009			10th	30	5	6	19	26	58	21	Round of 16	Group stage
2010			11th	33	7	6	20	24	48	27	Round of 16	Semi-finals
2011	Hougang United		7th	33	15	3	15	55	63	43*	Semi-finals	Runners-up
2012			8th	24	7	8	9	31	33	29	Quarter-finals	Quarter-finals
2013			10th	27	9	3	15	37	40	30	Quarter-finals	Group stage
2014			7th	27	12	6	9	49	42	42	Preliminary	Semi-finals
2015			10th	27	4	9	14	28	42	21	Preliminary	Semi-finals
2016			6th	24	9	5	10	35	39	32	Preliminary	Group stage
2017			6th	24	9	3	12	24	31	30	Semi-finals	Group stage
2018		Singapore Premier League	9th	24	2	6	16	22	44	12	Quarter finals
2019			3rd	24	13	4	7	58	45	43	Group stage
2020			6th	14	4	3	7	19	24	15
2021			3rd	21	10	4	7	48	40	34

• 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.
• Sengkang Marine sat out the 2004 S.League season. They merged with Paya Lebar Punggol to form Sengkang Marine on their return to the S.League in 2006.
• Hougang United deducted 5-point for a pre-match brawl with Etoile during the 2011 season.

Continental record

Season	Competition	Round	Club	Home	Away	Aggregate
2020	AFC Cup	Group F	Lao Toyota	Cancelled	3–1	3rd out of 4
			Hồ Chí Minh City	2–3	Cancelled
			Yangon United	Cancelled	0–1
2022		Group I	Phnom Penh Crown	4–3		2nd out of 4
			Young Elephants		3–1
			Viettel	2–5
2023–24		Group H	Sabah	1–4	1–3	4th out of 4
			Hải Phòng	2–1	0–4
			PSM Makassar	1–3	1–3

Honours

Cup

• Singapore Cup
  • Champions (1): 2022
  • Runners up (1): 2023
• Singapore Community Shield
  • Runners up (2): 2020, 2023
  • Plate Runners up (1): 2012
• Singapore League Cup
  • Runners up (1): 2012

Records and statistics

As of 13 August 2024.

Top 10 all-time appearances

Rank	Player	Years	Club appearances
1	Nazrul Nazari	2016–present	189
2	Lau Meng Meng	2009–2015	174
3	Nurhilmi Jasni	2012–2018	165
4	Faizal Amir	2010–2016	146
5	Fadhil Salim	2010–2014	142
6	Azhar Sairudin	2011–2014, 2017	138
7	Fairoz Hasan	2013–2017, 2023	137
8	Sobrie Mazelan	2008–2014	135
9	Fazli Jaffar	2011–2014, 2015	130
10	Mamadou Diallo	2008–2013	126

Top 10 all-time scorers

Rank	Player	Club appearances	Total goals
1	Stipe Plazibat	57	34
	Jordan Webb	88
3	Mamadou Diallo	126	28
4	Pedro Bortoluzo	30	23
	Geison Moura	32
6	Diego Gama	63	22
7	Kristijan Krajček	56	21
	Shawal Anuar	68
9	Tomoyuki Doi	21	19
	Nurhilmi Jasni	165

• Biggest Wins: 7–3 vs Tampines Rovers (11 September 2021)
• Heaviest Defeats: 8–2 vs Lion City Sailors (13 August 2023)
• Youngest Goal scorers: Farhan Zulkifli ~ 16 years 7 months 19 days old (On 29 June 2019 vs Home United)
• Oldest Goal scorers: Shahril Ishak ~ 38 years 6 months 28 days old (On 20 August 2022vs Young Lions)
• Youngest ever debutant: Farhan Zulkifli ~ 16 years 7 months 19 days old (On 29 June 2019 vs Home United)

Notable players

• Scott O'Donell
• Grant Holt
• Michael Currie
• Jason White
• Jordan Webb
• Mamadou Diallo
• Tomoyuki Doi
• Pedro Bortoluzo
• André Moritz

References

1. "Eight Singapore Premier League clubs to share stadiums, views divided over 'semi-permanent move'" . Retrieved 9 November 2020.
2. Ong, Terence (4 November 2014). "Jaguars to sit out next S-League season, Rams to merge with Hougang". Asia One Sports. Archived from the original on 6 November 2014. Retrieved 6 November 2014.
3. Lee, David (19 November 2022). "Football: Hat-trick hero Krajcek hails late brother after helping Hougang beat Tampines in Singapore Cup final". The Straits Times. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
4. "Hougang United are 2022 Singapore Cup champions! - Football Association of Singapore". spl.sg. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
5. "Football: Hougang United aim for better recovery and silverware with new sponsors the Physio Circle". The Straits Times. 15 November 2021.
6. "Hougang United aim to do more for community". 9 February 2015. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
7. "Hougang United F.C. Scholarship". hgfc.com.sg. 12 May 2015. Retrieved 15 March 2017.
8. "VAR to be implemented for 2023 Singapore Premier League season - Football Association of Singapore". spl.sg. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
9. Lee, David (15 March 2020). "Football: Hools out for Hougang United, but Cheetahs lose despite loyal fans' backing". The Straits Times. Retrieved 19 November 2022.

External links

• Official website
• Team profile ^[usurped] on S.League official website
• Hougang United FC on Facebook
• Hougang United FC on Twitter
• Hougang United FC on Instagram