Singapore Premier League

Singapore Premier League

Organising body	Football Association of Singapore (FAS)
Founded	14 April 1996;28 years ago (1996-04-14) (as S. League) 31 March 2018;6 years ago (2018-03-31) (as Singapore Premier League)
Country	Singapore (8 teams)
Other club(s) from	Brunei (1 team)
Confederation	AFC
Number of clubs	9
Level on pyramid	1
Domestic cup(s)	Singapore Cup Singapore Community Shield
International cup(s)	AFC Champions League Two AFF Club Championship
Current champions	Albirex Niigata (S) (6th title)
Most championships	Warriors FC (9 titles)
Most appearances	Daniel Bennett (518)
Top goalscorer	Aleksandar Đurić (385)
TV partners	1 Play Sports (live streaming) Mediacorp Singtel TV Starhub J Sports
Website	spl.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 Two. SPL currently does not practice promotion and relegation. Since the league's inception in 1996, 7 clubs have been crowned champions. Warriors FC ^[a] have been the most successful club with 9 titles, followed by Albirex Niigata Singapore (6), Tampines Rovers (5), Lion City Sailors (3), ^[b] Geylang International (2), DPMM (2) and Étoile (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.

S. League era (1996–2017)

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 SA, Singapore Armed Forces (SAFFC), 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 SAFFC 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, 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, a side composed of Chinese players became the first foreign club to participate in 2003. Chinese nationals 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 (2007), Dalian Shide (2008) and Beijing Guoan (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 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 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 as Singapore Premier League (2018–present)

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]

Singapore Premier League clubs can sign a maximum of four foreign players in the 2020 season, up from three as compared in the 2019 season. In the 2022 season, All eight team will play a four-round format for the first time in its entire league history. The 2024–25 Singapore Premier League season will be the first season to have a two-year schedule in the league history.

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.
2024–25	9	32	The league returned a four-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 names
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 as Home United from 1997–2020.
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 28 seasons of the Singapore Premier League as of 2024.

Former clubs

Team	Founded	Based	Stadium	Years active
Gombak United	1960	Bukit Gombak	Bukit Gombak Stadium	1998–2002 2006–2012
Woodlands Wellington	1988	Woodlands	Woodlands Stadium	1996–2014
Sembawang Rangers	1996	Sembawang	Yishun Stadium	1996–2003
Jurong Town	1975	Jurong	Jurong Stadium	1997–2003
Warriors	1979	Choa Chu Kang	Choa Chu Kang Stadium	1996–2019

Years indicates seasons active in the league.

Invited clubs

Team	Years	Based	Stadium	Notes
Sinchi	2003–2005	Taman Jurong	Jurong Stadium	Chinese club
Albirex Niigata (S)	2004–present	Jurong East	Jurong East Stadium	Satellite club of Albirex Niigata of Japan
Sporting Afrique	2006	Yishun	Yishun Stadium	African expatriate team
Liaoning Guangyuan	2007	Queenstown	Queenstown Stadium	Satellite club of Liaoning of China
Yishun Super Reds	2007–2009	Yishun	Yishun Stadium	Korean expatriate team
Dalian Shide Siwu	2008	Queenstown	Queenstown Stadium	Satellite club of Dalian Shide of China
DPMM	2008–present	Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei	Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium	Club based in Brunei
Beijing Guoan Talent	2010	Yishun	Yishun Stadium	Satellite club of Beijing Guoan of China
Étoile	2010–2011	Queenstown	Queenstown Stadium	French expatriate team
Harimau Muda A	2012	Yishun	Yishun Stadium	Malaysian youth national teams playing as clubs
Harimau Muda B	2013–2015	– Johor Bahru – Malacca (2015)	– Pasir Gudang Stadium – Hang Jebat Stadium

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

Sponsorship

After an inaugural season with no sponsorship, the league was sponsored by Great Eastern from 2009 until 2018 where Yeo's and Hyundai become the joint sponsorship, during which time it was known as the Great Eastern-Yeo's S.League and the Great Eastern-Hyundai S.League. In 2019, Hong Kong-based multinational insurance and finance corporation sponsored the league as their main sponsor.

For the 2018 season, the league was rebranded as the Singapore Premier League.

Period	Sponsor	Brand
1996–2008	No sponsor	S.League
2009–2016	Great Eastern-Yeo's	Great Eastern-Yeo's S.League
2017–2018	Great Eastern-Hyundai	– Great Eastern-Hyundai S.League – Great Eastern-Hyundai Singapore Premier League
2019–present	AIA	AIA Singapore Premier League

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 seven clubs win the title since its inception. Warriors FC (formerly Singapore Armed Forces FC) hold the most titles at nine. In 2010, Étoile became the first foreign side to win the competition. ^[9]

Season	Winners	Runners-up
1996*	Geylang United	Singapore Armed Forces
1997	Singapore Armed Forces	Tiong Bahru United
1998	Singapore Armed Forces (2)	Tanjong Pagar United
1999	Home United	Singapore 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 Rovers	Home 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	Étoile	Tampines Rovers
2011	Tampines Rovers (3)	Home United
2012	Tampines Rovers (4)	DPMM
2013	Tampines Rovers (5)	Home United
2014	Warriors (9)	DPMM
2015	DPMM	Tampines Rovers
2016	Albirex Niigata (S)	Tampines Rovers
2017	Albirex Niigata (S) (2)	Tampines Rovers
2018	Albirex Niigata (S) (3) [10]	Home United
2019	DPMM (2)	Tampines Rovers
2020	Albirex Niigata (S) [11] (4)	Tampines Rovers
2021	Lion City Sailors	Albirex Niigata (S)
2022	Albirex Niigata (S) (5)	Lion City Sailors
2023	Albirex Niigata (S) (6)	Lion City Sailors

	Invited clubs

* 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	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	8	1999, 2003, 2021
DPMM	2	2	2015, 2019
Geylang International	2	1	1996, 2001
Étoile	1	0	2010
Tanjong Pagar United	0	3
Super Reds	0	1

	Invited clubs

Awards

Main article: Singapore Premier League Awards Night

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

Season	Name	Club
2001	Egmar Gonçalves	Home United
2002	Mirko Grabovac	Singapore Armed Forces
2003	Indra Sahdan Daud	Home United
2003	Aleksandar Đurić	Geylang United
2004	Egmar Goncalves	Home United
2005	Noh Alam Shah	Tampines Rovers
2005	Peres De Oliveira	Home United
2007	Agu Casmir	Gombak United
2008	Park Tae-Won [12]	Woodlands Wellington
2009	Ludovick Takam	Home United
2010	Mohd Noor Ali [13]	Woodlands Wellington
2014	Qiu Li [14]	Balestier Khalsa
2020	Jordan Webb	Tampines Rovers

200 S.League goals

Season	Name	Club
2004	Egmar Gonçalves	Home United
2005	Mirko Grabovac	Tampines Rovers
2007	Aleksandar Đurić	Singapore Armed Forces

300 goals

Season	Name	Club
2010	Aleksandar Đurić	Tampines 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 2024/25 season.

Pos	Club	No. of Seasons	Pld	W (PK) [c]	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	Tampines Rovers	28	720	389 (3)	145	183	1,425	909	+516	1,318
2	Warriors a	24	654	371 (2)	121	160	1,407	865	+542	1,238
3	Home United	24	654	357 (2)	123	172	1,309	853	+456	1,198
4	Geylang International a	28	720	294 (3)	145	289	1,131	1,127	+4	1,043
5	Albirex Niigata (S)	20	534	275	118	139	1,022	735	+287	985
6	Balestier Khalsa	28	720	211 (2)	158	371	994	1,396	−402	756
7	Woodlands Wellington c	19	531	167 (4)	120	240	743	930	−187	623
8	Young Lions	19	567	141 (1)	109	316	683	1,123	−440	529
9	Tanjong Pagar United	15	404	136 (2)	85	172	583	692	−109	492
10	Gombak United	12	346	114	88	144	462	528	−66	432
11	Hougang United f	13	321	113	65	143	508	571	−63	379
12	DPMM d	9	225	103	48	74	414	333	+81	357
13	Jurong Town	7	179	70 (7)	29	73	261	274	−13	253
14	Sembawang Rangers	8	207	53 (5)	47	102	256	409	−149	216
15	Lion City Sailors g	4	87	57	15	15	273	117	+156	186
16	Super Reds	3	96	41	20	35	144	146	−2	143
17	Étoile f	2	66	42	11	13	119	59	+60	132
18	Clementi Khalsa	4	110	22	29	59	150	261	−111	95
19	Sinchi b	3	87	22 (6)	13	46	109	167	−58	88
20	Harimau Muda B	3	81	23	14	44	90	150	−60	83
21	Harimau Muda A	1	24	13	3	8	37	23	+14	42
22	Beijing Guoan Talent e	1	33	10	6	17	30	49	−19	31
23	Liaoning Guangyuan	1	33	8	5	20	33	63	−30	29
24	Sporting Afrique (Africa)	1	30	5	9	26	36	59	−23	24
25	Dalian Shide Siwu	1	33	5	7	21	26	75	−55	22
26	Paya Lebar Punggol	1	27	1	1	25	23	78	−55	4

• a: Does not include the title playoff match at the end of 1996 Season. Geylang United defeated Singapore Armed Forces 2–1 to clinch the S.League title.
• b: Sinchi FC had 3 points deducted for gross misconduct in 2005.
• c: Woodlands Wellington had 6 points deducted for match walkout in 2007.
• d: 2009 results involving DPMM were annulled due to a FIFA ban so season its not calculated.
• e: Young Lions and Beijing Guoan Talent had 5 points deducted each for gross misconduct in 2010.
• f: Étoile and Hougang United had 5 points deducted each for pre-match brawl in 2011.
• g: Lion City Sailors is part of a new entity club from the 2020 season onwards.

Records and statistics

Team records

• Most titles: 9, Warriors
• Most consecutive title wins: 4, Warriors (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009)
• Biggest title-winning margin: 23 points, 2018; Albirex Niigata (S) (66 points) over Home United (43 points)
• Smallest title-winning margin: 1998 season; 0 points and +5 goal difference
  • – SAFFC (+29) over Tanjong Pagar United (+24) Both finished on 46 points, but SAFFC won the title with a superior goal difference, the only time that goal difference has decided the League title in history.
• Most points in a season: 84 points, SAFFC (2002)
• Most wins in total: 389, Tampines Rovers
• Most wins in a season: 26, SAFFC (2002)
• The biggest home win: 9–0
  • SAFFC 9–0 Sembawang Rangers (15 June 2002)
  • Tampines Rovers 9–0 Tanjong Pagar United (16 March 2004)
• The biggest away win: 1–10
  • Young Lions 1–10 Lion City Sailors (13 August 2022)
• Matches with most goals: 4–9
  • Hougang United 4–9 Lion City Sailors (26 August 2022)
• Most defeats in total: 371, Balestier Khalsa
• Most defeats in a season: 25, Gombak United (2002)
• Most draws in total: 120, Woodlands Wellington
• Most goals scored in a season: 104
  • SAFFC (2002)
  • Home United (2003)
• Most goals conceded in a season: 103, Young Lions (2022)
• Fewest goals conceded in a season: 11, Tampines Rovers (2020)

• Matches with most bookings: 13, Étoile vs Woodlands Wellington (11 March 2010)
• Match days with most bookings: 37 yellow cards, 1 red card – 2010 season: Matchday 30
• Match day with most sending off: 4 red cards – 2015 season: Matchday 17
• Matches with most penalties: 4
  • Tanjong Pagar United vs Young Lions (1 October 2022)
  • Harimau Muda A vs Woodlands Wellington (15 April 2012)
• Matches with the highest number of spectators: 18,942
  • Albirex Niigata (S) 2–1 Tampines Rovers (at Singapore National Stadium on 31 March 2018)
• Match days with the most goals: 37 – 2002 season: Matchday 28
• Match days with the least goals: 11 – 2000 season: Matchday 11
• Most Golden Boot Winners: 9
  • SAFFC (1996, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2007, 2008, 2009)
• Most Golden Gloves Winners: 8
  • Albirex Niigata (S) (2012, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2023)

Player records

• Most league appearances: 518
  • Daniel Bennett
• Most goals scored: 385
  • Aleksandar Đurić
• Most goals scored in one match: 5
  • Andrey Voronkov, 69 minute (against Balestier Khalsa on 13 April 2019 in a 7–1 win)
  • Reo Nishiguchi, 79 minute (against Young Lions on 1 October 2022 in a 8–1 win)
  • Tsubasa Sano, 83 minute (against Young Lions on 26 May 2017 in a 8–0 win)
• Most league titles won: 8
  • Aleksandar Đurić
• Top goal scorer in a single league season: 39
  • Mirko Grabovac (During the 2001 season)
• Most different clubs played for: 8
  • Farizal Basri (Tampines Rovers, Young Lions, SAFFC, Balestier Khalsa, Geylang United, Sengkang Punggol, Home United and Woodlands Wellington)
• Oldest player:
  • Alizanda Sitom, 46 years 9 months 26 days old (for DPMM vs Home United on 25 May 2017)
• Oldest outfield player:
  • Daniel Bennett, 44 years 9 months 13 days old (for Tanjong Pagar United vs Tampines Rovers on 20 October 2022)
• Oldest goal scorers:
  • Daniel Bennett ~ 44 years 7 months 27 daysold (On 3 September 2022vs Hougang United)
• Youngest player:
  • Nathan Mao, 15 years 5 days old (for Lion City Sailors vs Tampines Rovers on 31 March 2023)
• Youngest Goal scorers:
  • Hakeme Yazid Said, 16 years 5 months 25 days old (for DPMM vs Geylang International on 2 August 2019)
• Most seasons appeared in: 26
  • Daniel Bennett (every season from 1996 to 2022)
• Most Successful debuts:
  • John Wilkinson (scored 4 goals on his Geylang United debut against Home United on 1 March 2005)
• Most Unsuccessful debuts:
  • Stanely Ng (Red card within 4 minutes into his debut for Geylang United against Young Lions on 3 March 2011)
• Number of matches that a outfield player that haven't yet scored a goal: 219
  • Nor Azli Yusoff (for Young Lions, Balestier Khalsa, Gombak United, Hougang United, Home United, Tanjong Pagar United and Geylang International)

Manager records

• Most league title won by a coach: 4
  • Richard Bok (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009)
  • Kazuaki Yoshinaga (2017, 2018, 2022, 2023)
• Most matches by a coach: 123
  • Jörg Steinebrunner (with Woodlands Wellington, Sengkang Punggol, Geylang International and Warriors)

• Youngest Manager: 29 years 5 months 22 days
  • Gavin Lee (for Tampines Rovers vs Balestier Khalsa on 1 March 2020)
• Oldest Manager: 69 years 7 months 4 days
  • Radojko Avramović (for Home United vs Young Lions on 3 July 2019)
• Record transfers fee: Diego Lopes (€1.8 million transfer from Rio Ave on 21 January 2021)
• Record transfers fee received: Fazrul Nawaz (€45,000 transfer to Hougang United on 13 July 2018)

Top 10 all-time most appearance

Rank	Player	Years	Appearances	Goals
1	Daniel Bennett	1996–2001, 2002, 2003–2022	513	21
2	Yazid Yasin	1996–2016	476	0
3	Aleksandar Đurić	1999, 2000–2014	439	385
4	Indra Sahdan Daud	1996–2016	419	178
5	Fahrudin Mustafić	2002–2009, 2011–2018	332	45
6	Fazrul Nawaz	2004–2012, 2014, 2015–2021	312	145
7	Noh Alam Shah	1997–2006, 2012. 2014–2015	306	126
8	Jamil Ali	2001–2017	299	46
9	Yasir Hanapi	2008–2011, 2013–2017, 2018–present	296	44
10	Khairul Amri	2004–2009, 2013, 2016–2019, 2021–2023	270	128

As of 8 July 2024

Top 10 all-time top goalscorer

Rank	Player	Years	Appearances	Goals
1	Aleksandar Đurić	1999, 2000–2014	439	385
2	Egmar Gonçalves	1996–1998, 2000–2006	255	239
3	Mirko Grabovac	1999–2008	239	226
4	Indra Sahdan Daud	1996–2016	419	178
5	Fazrul Nawaz	2004–2012, 2014, 2015–2021	312	145
6	Peres de Oliveira	2001–2010	237	133
7	Khairul Amri	2004–2009, 2013, 2016–2019, 2021–2023	270	128
8	Noh Alam Shah	1997–2006, 2012. 2014–2015	306	126
10	Agu Casmir	2002–2007, 2008–2010, 2014–2015	212	125
9	Jordan Webb	2010–2020	243	101

As of 8 July 2024

Notable foreign player

• Foreigner that naturalised as a Singaporean is not counted in the list.
• Only applicable as a player and not as a coach after their retirement.

List of notable players that has played in the league

Player	Club	Years	Notes
Mohammad Khakpour	Geylang United	1995–1996	Khakpour went on to captain the Iran national team at the 1998 FIFA World Cup held in France.
Hamid Reza Estili	Geylang United	1996	Estili scored in Iran's 2–1 win over United States in the 1998 FIFA World Cup.
Mark Atkinson	Sembawang Rangers	1996	Atkinson was included in the New Zealand national team squad for the 1999 Confederations Cup held in Mexico. [15]
Émile Mbouh	Tiong Bahru United	1997	Mbouh appeared at both the 1990 and 1994 FIFA World Cup.
Ernie Tapai	Home United	1999–2000	Tapai was part of the Australia national team squad that claimed as runners-up at the 1997 FIFA Confederations Cup.
Lutz Pfannenstiel	Geylang United	1999–2000	Pfannenstiel holds the record for the first and only footballer to play professionally in each of the six recognized continental associations.
Grant Holt	Sengkang Marine	2001	Holt went on to play for Norwich City where he won the Norwich City Player of the Year award in three consecutive seasons, helping Norwich to back-to-back promotions, and became the sixth highest goalscorer in their history. Following his retirement from football Holt became a professional wrestler, signing with the World Association of Wrestling.
O. J. Obatola	Gombak United	2006–2009	Obatola went on to become the top goalscorer in Gombak United history where he would than sign with MLS club Portland Timbers in 2010.
Frédéric Mendy	Home United	2011–2013	Mendy went on to play in the top division league in Portugal with Estoril and also won the Portugal second division league title with Moreirense. He also played in the 2017 and the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations tournament with Guinea-Bissau.
Ken Ilsø	Home United	2015–2016	Former player at FC Midtjylland, Fortuna Düsseldorf and VfL Bochum
Jermaine Pennant	Tampines Rovers	2016	Former Arsenal and Liverpool player where he played the full match for Liverpool in the 2007 UEFA Champions League Final
Volodymyr Pryyomov	DPMM	2018	Won the 2009 UEFA Cup Final with Shakhtar Donetsk
André Moritz	Hougang United	2022	Moritz helped Crystal Palace returns back to the English Premier League after an eight-year absence by defeating Watford 1–0 in the 2013 Championship play-off final. He also notable scored a goal from the whistle of the kick off, with a 45-yard screamer from the half-way line to give Hougang a 3–2 victory against Geylang International
Diego Lopes	Lion City Sailors	2021–2023	Lopes is the most expensive and the first multimillion-dollar player signing in the league history with a Singapore record transfer fee of SGD $2.9 million
Kim Shin-wook	Lion City Sailors	2022	Shin-wook was part of the South Korea national team squad that participated in the 2014 and the 2018 FIFA World Cup. He also was included in the 2011 and the 2015 AFC Asian Cup tournament.
Tadanari Lee	Albirex Niigata (S)	2022–2023	Tadanari scored the winning goal during the 2011 AFC Asian Cup Final which helped Japan won their fourth trophy. Tadanari also has played his trade at Southampton and also won the 2017 AFC Champions League with Urawa Red Diamonds.
Bailey Wright	Lion City Sailors	2023–present	Wright was part of the Australia national team in the 2014 and the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He also played in the last group stage fixtures against Denmark in the 2022 edition. Wright was also included in the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup where he featured in all of the match.

See also

• Singapore Cup
• Singapore League Cup
• Singapore Community Shield
• Singapore National Football League
• Sports in Singapore
• Football in Singapore
• List of football clubs in Singapore
• Women's Premier League (Singapore)
• Singapore Premier League Award winners

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. 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. 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.
15. "1999 FIFA Confederations Cup squads", Wikipedia, 28 June 2024, retrieved 30 June 2024

External links

• Official website
• League at FIFA (archived 14 June 2007)