2018 Singapore Premier League
Season | 2018 |
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2019 → |
The 2018 Singapore Premier League (also known as the Great Eastern Hyundai Singapore Premier League) is the inaugural season of the Singapore Premier League, the top-flight Singaporean professional league for association football clubs. The season begins on 31 March 2018,[1] and is scheduled to conclude in October 2018. Albirex Niigata (S) are the defending champions.
This is the first time that the league was rebranded to a new name. From 2018 season onwards, the league will be known as the Singapore Premier League.
Each team will receive $888,200 if they meet key performance indicators that will be made known to them before the March 31 kick-off. This represents a "19 per cent reduction from the 2017 season", but funding for the league has been secured for the next five years.[2]
A major overhaul from the new FAS management is being made for this season.
An emphasis on youth development from the ground up is underway. All for the purpose to improve the standard of Singapore football....
Rules
The following key changes are being made to the rules for the 2018 season:[3]
- It is compulsory for each of the S-League's six local clubs to recruit at least six Under-23 footballers for their squad, with a minimum of three Under-23 players to feature in the starting 11 for each match. The first U-23 player must be replaced by another, if the substitution occurs in the 1st half. Beyond this, any U-23 players can be replaced by any other players.
- Depending on the squad size, each team is to sign at least eight local players aged 24 to 30. A 25-man squad will need to have nine local U-23 players and 10 local players aged 24 to 30.[4]
- Introduction of age quotas, with teams allowed to sign only two to six players above the age of 30, depending on squad size. For example, for squad between 19 and 22 players, there must be minimum of six under-23 players and 8 under-30 players. This will apply to all club except Young Lions and Albirex Niigata (S).
- Young Lions can sign a maximum of 33 players for the season.
- The foreign player quota for clubs will be reduced from three to two with no age restriction placed on them.
- Albirex Niigata (S) has age restrictions imposed by the FAS for the new season. The squad will be made up of 50% of U23 players, 50% of U21 players and one player of any age. This is excluding 2 Singapore U-23 players which they can choose to sign.[5][6]
- The S-League lineup for 2018 will remain the same and Young Lions is set to compete in 2018.
- The Prime League will be scrapped with the National Football League (NFL) set to be installed as the second-tier competition.
- Yo-yo test will replace the current mandatory 2.4 km test, and players will be tested three times a year in the pre-season, midseason and off-season.
- All matches will be played during weekends at 5.30pm.
Teams
A total of 9 teams compete in the league. Albirex Niigata (S) and DPMM FC are invited foreign clubs from Japan and Brunei respectively. Despite large criticism and discussion against the Young Lions project, the Young Lions will continue to compete till 2019 for the purposes of training and preparing for the 2019 SEA Games. [7] The criticism mainly focused on the poor performances every season by the largely youth team made up of Singapore Football's brightest prospects. Season-long consecutive losses against the rest of the more mature teams inflicts serious long-term consequences on the morale of the players, considering that most of these players are in the developmental ages of their footballing career. The new age restrictions imposed on the rest of the Singapore Premier League clubs could be seen as giving the Young Lions a better advantage in terms of seniority, but most critics and fans of Singapore football are still wanting the FAS to abolish the FAS-managed Young Lions and have them developed under the guidance of genuine local clubs.
Stadiums and locations
Team | Stadium | Capacity |
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Jurong East Stadium | 2,700 |
Balestier Khalsa | Toa Payoh Stadium | 3,896 |
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Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium | 28,000 |
Geylang International | Bedok Stadium | 3,864 |
Home United | Bishan Stadium | 6,254 |
Hougang United | Hougang Stadium | 3,400 |
Tampines Rovers | Our Tampines Hub | 6,000 |
Warriors FC | Choa Chu Kang Stadium | 4,268 |
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Jalan Besar Stadium | 8,000 |
Personnel and sponsors
Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Team | Head coach | Captain | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor |
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Hummel [9] | Canon |
Balestier Khalsa | ![]() |
Zaiful Nizam | Mawin | Jeep |
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Lotto | – |
Geylang International | ![]() |
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FBT [11] | Epson |
Home United | Aidil Sharin | Izzdin Shafiq [12] | Puma | Lionco Investments |
Hougang United | Philippe Aw[13] | Nurhilmi Jasni | Vonda | Green Rubber |
Tampines Rovers | ![]() |
Fahrudin Mustafić | Hummel [15] | – [16] |
Warriors FC | ![]() |
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Umbro | Rhino Sports / Armaggeddon |
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Fandi Ahmad | Taufiq Muqminin | Nike | Shopee |
Coaching changes
Team | Outgoing Head Coach | Manner of Departure | Date of Vacancy | Position in table | Incoming Head Coach | Date of appointment |
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Sacked [17] | 30 November 2017 | Pre-Season | ![]() |
1 January 2018 |
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Vincent Subramaniam | Redeployed [19] [20] | 14 December 2017 | Pre-Season | Fandi Ahmad [21] | 14 December 2017 |
Warriors FC | Razif Onn | Redeployed [22] | 1 January 2018 | Pre-Season | ![]() |
15 January 2018 |
Geylang International | Mohd Noor Ali | Redeployed [24] | 1 February 2018 | Pre-Season | ![]() |
1 February 2018 |
Foreigners
The foreign player quota for clubs will be reduced from three to two.[26]
In addition, Albirex was reported to have declared their intention to have Singapore players in their squad for 2018 and is understood that a proposal is being put together for Albirex to take in local players and they will be allowed to sign two Singaporean U-23 players.[27][28] Only DPMM are allowed to sign up to three foreigners. [29]
Players name in bold indicates the player was registered during the mid-season transfer window.
Club | Player 1 | Player 2 | Player 3 | Former Players |
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Balestier Khalsa | ![]() |
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Geylang International | ![]() |
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Home United | ![]() |
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Hougang United | ![]() |
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Tampines Rovers | ![]() |
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Warriors FC | ![]() |
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League table
Template:2018 Singapore Premier League table
Season statistics
![]() | This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (January 2018) |
Singapore Premier League Awards night winners
Awards | Winners |
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Player of the Year | TBC |
Young Player of the Year | TBC |
Coach of the Year | TBC |
Top Scorer Award | TBC |
Fair Play Award | TBC |
References
- ^ "New season to start in late March 2018".
- ^ "FAS president Lim Kia Tong calls for change of mindset to improve S-League".
- ^ "2018 changes".
- ^ "Age quota set in stone for 2018".
- ^ "Albirex hit with age restrictions too but Koh's calm".
- ^ "Announcement of 2018 Season's Players Regulation Issued by Football Association of Singapore".
- ^ "Young Lions to escape axe, will continue until 2019 SEA Games at least".
- ^ "Albirex captain and vice captain announced".
- ^ "Hummel to sponsor White Swan from 2016 to 2018".
- ^ "New Captain Appointed for the new season".
- ^ "FBT continue sponsorship".
- ^ "Izzdin the new captain for 2018".
- ^ "Aw gets 2nd year with Cheetah".
- ^ "Rabb on 3 years contract".
- ^ "Hummels the new sponsor for the Stags for 2018 and 2019".
- ^ "Tampines will not have a main shirt sponsor this year".
- ^ "Kean leaving Wasps".
- ^ "Weber the new DPMM Coach".
- ^ "SEA Games coach Richard Tardy to leave FAS as part of coaching changes".
- ^ "Subramaniam names FAS coaching instructor".
- ^ "Fandi to take charge of the Young Lions".
- ^ "Razif Oon redeployed as club eyes Mirko".
- ^ "Football: Mirko Grabovac permitted to begin coaching Warriors".
- ^ "Noor Ali joins Japanese side Yamaga".
- ^ "Noor Ali head to Japan for attachment".
- ^ "Foreigners cut".
- ^ "Albirex to have 3 local players?".
- ^ "Albirex to sign 2 local Singaporean".
- ^ "DPMM participation for 2018 season".
- ^ "Shahul the new keeper".
- ^ "Adam the 1st "local" signing".
- ^ "DPMM FC set to sign Iranian striker Mojtaba".
- ^ "McLean set for DPMM FC return".
- ^ "Ukraine striker join DPMM for 2018 charge".
- ^ "Yuki san recontract with the Eagles for 2018".
- ^ "Fumiya joins the Japanese revolution in Bedok".
- ^ "Song extends contract".
- ^ "Camara retained for 2018".
- ^ "Prime League foreign striker promoted".
- ^ "Adam Mitter the final foreigner in puzzle".
- ^ "Ryutaro Megumi extends his stay with the Stags!".
- ^ "Jordan Webb joins the Stags for his second stint".
- ^ "Kento retained as Mirko searched for new foreigner".
- ^ "Warriors announced the signing of Jonathan Béhé for the 2018 Season!".