JSSL Singapore

Last updated

JSSL Singapore
Founded2002
Website www.jssl-singapore7s.com

JSSL Singapore (or Junior Soccer School and League Singapore) is a privately owned youth soccer academy based in Singapore which runs regular league tournaments and also provides professional coaching for competitive pathway development. It is also known as the largest youth tournament in Asia.

Contents

As of 2025, JSSL managed 15 youth leagues categories with more than 450 teams and over 6,000 youth players and coaches across 15 countries. [1] The academy was founded in 2002, and as of 2025, it is currently based at The Arena in Woodleigh Park, Singapore

Location

The Arena's reception counter The Arena Front Counter.jpg
The Arena's reception counter

JSSL used to rent football pitches at the Home United Youth Football Academy in Mattar Road prior to 2017 for its footballing activities. Following complaints by residents living in the neighbourhood about noise levels, usage of the pitches were restricted. This resulted in JSSL's inability to use the pitches and it eventually relocated to The Arena in Woodleigh Park. [2] [3]

Format

The tournament begins with a group stage. Teams are divided into groups of six or seven teams, where all teams play each other once. Following that, the top four placed teams of the group will qualify for the knockout stage, while the remaining teams in the group will qualify to the Plate knockout stages series. The tournament is played under all applicable FIFA rules. Each game is given 25 minutes with no half time.

Currently there are eleven boys categories each ranging from 6-years old until 16-years old and for girls there are four categories each ranging from 10-years old until 16-years old.

All fixtures and results will be updated immediately after the end of the game. Positions in the table will be updated according to all other results too. The automated system will also allow teams to know their knock-out game schedules and timings immediately after the group stage fixtures are done.

Tournament app

The official JSSL 7s Mobile App is available for all Apple and Android devices. Matches, schedules, results, tournament updates, videos, images, social media can all be accessed through the interactive JSSL 7s App.

Management

JSSL Singapore is led by owner and managing director Harvey Davis, alongside general manager Gavin Lee and executive director Paul Parker, a former England and Manchester United defender. In addition, the academy contracts over 20 coaches across the various age divisions. [4]

Venue

With JSSL growing year by year, with more venues and fields to play on, waiting time is minimised. The main venue is located at based at "The Arena" in Woodleigh Park.

VenueLocationNearest MRT
The ArenaWoodleigh Park NE11  Woodleigh
Mattar Training Centre (Sunday Only)Mattar Road DT25  Mattar
Tampines SAFRATampines Street 92 DT31  Tampines West
Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD)Somapah Road DT34  Upper Changi
The Rainforest Sports HubWest Coast Highway CC25  Haw Par Villa
DempseyHarding Road TE12  Napier
Woodlands Stadium Woodlands Street 13 NS9  Woodlands
Age categories
CategoriesVenueCategoriesVenue
BoysBoys
Under 7 (Gold Package)The ArenaUnder 7 (Non-Gold Package)Tampines SAFRA
Under 8 (Gold Package)Under 8 (Non-Gold Package)
Under 9 (Gold Package)Under 9 (Non-Gold Package)Tampines SAFRA, Dempsey
Under 10 (Gold Package)Under 10 (Non-Gold Package)
Under 11 (Gold Package)SUTDUnder 11 (Non-Gold Package)The Rainforest Sports Hub, Dempsey
Under 12 (Gold Package)Under 12 (Non-Gold Package)
Under 13 (Gold Package)Under 13 (Non-Gold Package)Woodlands Stadium
Under 14 (Gold Package)Under 14 (Non-Gold Package)
Under 15 (Gold Package)Under 15 (Non-Gold Package)
Under 16 (Gold Package)Under 16 (Non-Gold Package)
GirlsOthers
Under 10SUTDProfessional Academy U16sThe Arena
Under 14The ArenaAll Age-Group Finals
Under 16SUTD

Past champions

Under-16 Boys
SeasonChampionsScoreRunner-upsManagerVenueGuest of Honour
2017 Flag of Portugal (official).svg Sporting CP 2–0 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Perth Glory Flag of Portugal (official).svg Luis Vicente Mateo Padang Flag of England.svg Emile Heskey
2018 Flag of Japan.svg Urawa Red Diamonds 3–0 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Perth Glory Flag of Japan.svg Takanari Sueto Padang Flag of England.svg Teddy Sheringham

Flag of England.svg Paul Palker

2019 Flag of England.svg Arsenal 2–0 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Perth Glory Flag of England.svg Dan Micciche Our Tampines Hub Flag of Norway.svg John Arne Riise

Flag of England.svg Andy Cole

2020Not held due to COVID-19 pandemic
20212
2022 Flag of England.svg Tottenham Hotspurs 1–0 Flag of Spain.svg Valencia Flag of Cote d'Ivoire.svg Yaya Touré Our Tampines Hub Flag of England.svg Michael Carrick
2023 Flag of Spain.svg Valencia 1–0 Flag of England.svg Tottenham Hotspurs Flag of Spain.svg Vicente Amposta Our Tampines Hub Flag of Trinidad and Tobago.svg Dwight Yorke
2024 Flag of Spain.svg Valencia (2)4–0 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Melbourne City Flag of Spain.svg Vicente Amposta (2)The Arena Flag of England.svg Danny Murphy
2025 Flag of Spain.svg Valencia (3)2–1 Flag of England.svg Tottenham Hotspurs Flag of Spain.svg Vicente Amposta (3)The Arena Flag of Norway.svg John Arne Riise
Under-16 Girls
SeasonChampions
2019 Flag of Spain.svg Atletico Madrid
2020Not held due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021
2022Not hosted
2023 Flag of Spain.svg Valencia
2024 Flag of Spain.svg Valencia (2)
2025 Flag of Japan.svg Urawa Red Diamonds

Collaboration

Sports

In 2016, the media reported that JSSL Singapore and English club Fulham had started a partnership at the end of 2015 in which outstanding youth players in Singapore would be provided with the opportunity to train at the Fulham Academy for two weeks. [5]

In 2017, JSSL Singapore invited Fulham FC's Under-15 team to participate in the JSSL Professional Academies Singapore International 7s, and fully funded their trip to Singapore to participate in the tournament. [6] Later that year, it was announced that Benjamin James Davis, a young Thai footballer holding Singaporean citizenship and the son of JSSL's director, had signed a two-year scholarship at Fulham's academy after rising through the ranks at JSSL Singapore and the Football Association of Singapore's Junior Centre of Excellence. [7]

In 2017, Felix Goddard, a German-born British youth who joined JSSL in 2013 at the age of 9, earned a spot at the Manchester City Academy. [8]

In March 2018, JSSL and local Singapore Premier League club Tampines Rovers officially announced a partnership to create pathways for talented youth players for professional development. [9] The agreement, initially set to last for three years until 2021, saw JSSL Singapore coordinate youth development programmes for Tampines Rovers and feed promising talents into the professional side's youth setup. In addition, JSSL Singapore also provided full scholarships to 60 local youth players between 6 and 14 years old to cover the costs of participation at the academy's programme for a year.

In 2022, JSSL and Tampines Rovers formed a JSSL Tampines Rovers women's team to compete in the Women's Premier League, starting from the 2023 season. [10]

LALIGA has a firm commitment with the development of Youth Football since 2021 in Singapore its collaboration agreement until 2026 for the national project "Unleash the Roar!", together with Sport Singapore and the Football Association of Singapore.

Commercial

As of 2025, JSSL collaborate with Hotelplanner which has appointed over 10 official hotels. All hotels will offer the best rates available with the Holiday Inn Atrium Singapore, the no 1 Official Hotel where all of the participating team will be staying. The official hotels provide a range of 3 star to 5 star across different price ranges to accommodate all the teams needs and price ranges.

Former partnership

Notable player

References

  1. "Home". JSSL Singapore League 2017/18. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  2. Osman, Shamir (16 April 2018). "Football: MP Lee Bee Wah denies report that she instructed stadium's lights to be turned off during match". The Straits Times . ISSN   0585-3923 . Retrieved 8 August 2025.
  3. Lim, Weixiang (23 January 2017). "Furious football academy finds new home alongside Cafe Football". FourFourTwo. Archived from the original on 25 January 2017. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  4. "Coaches". JSSL Singapore Football Club. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  5. "Fulham scout impressed with local youth talent". TODAYonline. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  6. "Academy's Singapore Trip | Fulham Football Club". www.fulhamfc.com. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
  7. "Singapore teen Ben Davis signs pro contract with Fulham". The New Paper. 13 July 2018. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  8. Munirah, Sharifah (22 November 2017). "British teen joins Manchester City academy after Singapore stint". The New Paper. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
  9. Abdul Aziz, Sazali (1 March 2018). "Football: Tampines Rovers and academy JSSL announce youth development tie-up". The Straits Times. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  10. Chia, Laura (22 July 2022). "Football: JSSL, Tampines Rovers to form team for 2023 Women's Premier League". The Straits Times . ISSN   0585-3923 . Retrieved 8 August 2025.
  11. "LALIGA's Valencia CF and Villarreal CF will participate in the 2025 edition of the JSSL Pro Academy 7's in Singapore". Página web oficial de LALIGA | LALIGA. Retrieved 26 June 2025.