S.League

The S.League is a Singaporean professional league for men's association football clubs. At the highest level of domestic football competition in Singapore, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by nine clubs, it consists of three rounds in which each team plays every other team once. Clubs from Brunei, China, France, Japan and Korea have been invited to take part in the league to raise its level of competitiveness and profile.

The S.League is run by the Football Association of Singapore. Seasons run from February to October, with teams playing 24 matches each, totalling 108 matches in the season. It is currently sponsored by Great Eastern Life and YEO'S, and thus officially known as the Great Eastern YEO'S S.League for sponsorship reasons.

Since the inception of S.League in 1996, a total of 6 clubs have been crowned champions. Warriors have been the most successful club with 9 titles, followed by Tampines Rovers (5), Geylang International (2) and Home United (2). Étoile (1) became the first foreign club to win the competition in 2010. The current champions are Brunei DPMM, who won the title in the 2015 season.

History
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 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 the professional S.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.

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, Singapore Armed Forces, 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 Singapore Armed Forces 2-1 in the end of season Championship Playoff to be crowned the 1st S.League champions. 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 FC, 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.

Foreign Clubs

The FAS decided to invite foreign clubs to the league to improve diminishing interest. Sinchi FC, a side composed of Chinese players became the first foreign club to participate in 2003. Shi Jiayi and Qiu Li went on to become naturalised Singapore players.

J.League club Albirex Niigata entered their feeder club in the 2004 S.League. The club proved to be one of the most successful foreign sides in the S.League, drawing on the support of Japanese expats. They still play in the S.League as of 2016.

Sporting Afrique FC, a club made up of African players, and Super Reds FC, a side composed of 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 FC (2007), Dalian Shide FC (2008) and Beijing Guoan FC (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 FC 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 FC 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.

Malaysia national youth sides Harimau Muda A and Harimau Muda B were the most recent sides to join the S.League following an agreement between the Football Association of Singapore and Football Association of Malaysia to send their representative sides into their respective domestic competitions. Singapore side LionsXII returned to the Malaysian competitions in 2012.

20th season

The league took on a number of changes for the 2015 season in order to increase its competitiveness. 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. The league returned to a three-round format used from 2001 to 2011. The foreign player quota remained at five per club but incentives were given to those who signed an under-21 player. The passing time for the mandatory 2.4 km fitness test was lowered from 10 mins to 9 mins 45 s. 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.

Competition Format
Competition

Teams received three points for a win and one point for a draw. No points were awarded for a loss. The champion is crowned at the end of the season. Teams are ranked by total points, then goal difference, goals scored, and then number of wins. If still equal, the same tiebreakers are used on head-to-head records between the teams, followed by better fair play record. There is no relegation or promotion system in the league. Clubs enter the S.League by invitation of the Football Association of Singapore.

Qualification for Asian competitions

S.League winners qualify for the AFC Champions League and Singapore Cup winners qualify for the AFC Cup. 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 club in the league if a foreign club wins any of the two competitions.

Clubs
A total of 25 clubs have played in the S.League from its inception in 1996 up to and including the 2014 season. The following 9 clubs are competing in the S.League during the 2016 season.

Current clubs
A total of 25 clubs have played in the S.League from its inception in 1996 up to and including the 2014 season. The following 9 clubs are competing in the S.League during the 2016 season.

The five clubs in bold above: Balestier Khalsa, Geylang International, Home United, Tampines Rovers, and Warriors have played in all 20 seasons of the S.League as of 2015.

Woodlands Wellington and Hougang United will merge for the 2015 season, however the club name will remain as Hougang United.

Former clubs

 * Tanjong Pagar United (1996–2004, 2011–2014; known as Tiong Bahru United from 1996 to 1997.)
 * Woodlands Wellington (1996–2014)
 * Sembawang Rangers (1996–2003)
 * Jurong (1997–2003)
 * Gombak United (1998–2002, 2006–2012)
 * Clementi Khalsa (1999–2002)
 * Sinchi (2003–2005)
 * Paya Lebar Punggol (2005)
 * Sporting Afrique (2006)
 * Super Reds (2007–2009)
 * Liaoning Guangyuan (2007)
 * Dalian Shide Siwu (2008)
 * Beijing Guoan Talent (2010)
 * Étoile (2010–2011)
 * 🇲🇾 Harimau Muda A (2012)
 * 🇲🇾 Harimau Muda B (2013–2015)

Years in brackets indicates seasons active in the S.League.

Past champions
The S.League has seen five clubs win the title since its inception. Warriors FC (formerly SAF FC) hold the most titles at nine. In 2010, Étoile FC became the first foreign side to win the competition.

* The inaugural season of the S.League was split into two series. The winners of each series completed in a Championship play-off in which Geylang United defeated Singapore Armed Forces to claim the first S.League title.

Performance by Clubs
Teams in bold are part of the S.League.

Awards
Note nationality of players at presentation of award. A number of foreign players were naturalised to play for Singapore later in their career.

Top Scorers
* Mirko Grabovac was a naturalised Singapore player from 2002 until he renounced his Singapore citizenship in 2008. ^ Goals in all domestic competitions, including the S.League and Singapore Cup.

Source:

Young Player of the Year
* Fahrudin Mustafić held Serbian citizenship before being naturalised to play for Singapore in 2007.

100 S.League goals
Aleksandar Đurić became a naturalised Singapore player in 2007.

200 S.League goals
Mirko Grabovac was a Singaporean when he won the 200 S.League Goals award in 2005.

All-time S.League Table
The all-time S.League table is a cumulative record of all match results, points and goals of every team that has played in the S.League since its inception in 1996. The table that follows is accurate as of the end of the 2014 season. Teams in bold are part of the 2016 S.League.


 * 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 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 Brunei DPMM were annulled due to a FIFA ban.
 * 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.