| Singapore Premier League | |
| Pixels: | 200 |
| Country: | Singapore (8 teams) |
| Other Countries: | Brunei (1 team) |
| Founded: | (as S. League) (as Singapore Premier League) |
| Organiser: | Football Association of Singapore (FAS) |
| Teams: | 9 |
| Levels: | 1 |
| Domest Cup: | Singapore Cup Singapore Community Shield |
| Champions: | Albirex Niigata (S) (6th title) |
| Most Successful Club: | Warriors FC (9 titles) |
| Tv: | 1 Play Sports (live streaming) Mediacorp Singtel TV Starhub J Sports |
| 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 have been the most successful club with 9 titles, followed by Albirex Niigata Singapore (6), Tampines Rovers (5), Lion City Sailors (3), 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.
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.
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.
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.
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 national 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.
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]
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.
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.
| 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. |
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.
| Team | Founded | Based | Stadium | Years active | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Team | Years | Based | Stadium | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003–2005 | Taman Jurong | Jurong Stadium | Chinese club | |
| 2004–present | Jurong East | Jurong East Stadium | Satellite club of Albirex Niigata of Japan | |
| 2006 | Yishun | Yishun Stadium | African expatriate team | |
| 2007 | Queenstown | Queenstown Stadium | Satellite club of Liaoning of China | |
| 2007–2009 | Yishun | Yishun Stadium | Korean expatriate team | |
| 2008 | Queenstown | Queenstown Stadium | Satellite club of Dalian Shide of China | |
| 2008–present | Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei | Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium | Club based in Brunei | |
| 2010 | Yishun | Yishun Stadium | Satellite club of Beijing Guoan of China | |
| 2010–2011 | Queenstown | Queenstown Stadium | French expatriate team | |
| 2012 | Yishun | Yishun Stadium | Malaysian youth national teams playing as clubs | |
| 2013–2015 | – Johor Bahru– Malacca (2015) | – Pasir Gudang Stadium– Hang Jebat Stadium | ||
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 the Singapore Premier League.
| 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 | |
| 2019–present | AIA | AIA Singapore Premier League |
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.
The league has seen five 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]
| Club | Winners | Runners-up | Winning years | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warriors | 1997, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2014 | |||
| Albirex Niigata (S) | 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2022, 2023 | |||
| Tampines Rovers | 2004, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2013 | |||
| Home United | 1999, 2003 | |||
| DPMM | 2015, 2019 | |||
| Geylang International | 1996, 2001 | |||
| Lion City Sailors | 2021 | |||
| Étoile | 2010 | |||
| Tanjong Pagar United | ||||
| Super Reds |
See main article: Singapore Premier League Awards Night.
| Season | Name | Club | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 |  Egmar Gonçalves | Home United | |
| 2005 | Mirko Grabovac | Tampines Rovers | |
| 2007 | Aleksandar Đurić | Singapore Armed Forces |
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.
| width='20' | Pos | Club | width='55' | No. of Seasons | width='40' | Pld | width='50' | W (PK) | width='30' | D | width='30' | L | width='30' | GF | width='30' | GA | width='30' | GD | width='30' | 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 | align='left' | 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 | 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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. | |
| 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. |
