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Lion City Sailors FC

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Lion City Sailors
Full nameLion City Sailors Football Club
Nickname(s)The Sailors
Short nameLCS
Founded1945; 79 years ago (1945) (as Police Sports Association)
1997; 27 years ago (1997) (as Home United)
14 February 2020; 4 years ago (2020-02-14) (as Lion City Sailors FC)
GroundBishan Stadium
Capacity3,500
OwnerSea Limited
ChairmanForrest Li
ManagerAurelio Vidmar
LeagueSingapore Premier League
2020Singapore Premier League, 3rd of 8

Lion City Sailors Football Club, commonly referred to as Lion City Sailors, LC Sailors or simply Sailors or LCS, is a Singaporean professional football club based in Singapore. They compete in Singapore Premier League, the top tier of Singapore football league system. LCS is one of the most successful and, wealthiest football club in Singapore. Their home ground is Bishan Stadium.

History

The Police Sports Association was founded in 1945 to organise football activities for the Singapore Police Force. It sent two teams to compete in the Singapore Amateur Football Association League in the 1950s and 1960s, but neither team won any trophies. Under coach Choo Seng Quee, Police SA won the inaugural President's Cup in 1968, then reached and lost the next two finals. In 1979, it joined the National Football League, was placed in Division III, and immediately earned promotion to Division II. In 1980, Police SA won the Division II title, the President's Cup and the Boggars Cup. In 1985, it was national league champions, after setting a national record as the only team to go unbeaten for 17 consecutive games. The performances of Police SA led to its selection as one of eight teams to compete in the newly formed S.League.[1]

When the S.League was formed in 1996, the club was known as the Police Football Club. The following year, its name was changed to Home United to reflect the fact that the team represented not only the Singapore Police Force, but also other HomeTeam departments of the Singapore Ministry of Home Affairs such as the Singapore Civil Defence Force and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority.

Home United was two-time S.League winners and holders of a record six Singapore Cup trophies. It was the first club to achieve the S.League and Singapore Cup double in 2003.

The team's nickname was the "Protectors"; its mascot, a dragon; its home ground, the Bishan Stadium.

On 14 February 2020, the club was privatised for the first time in its history, when Singaporean billionaire Forrest Li announced that he had purchased a 100% stake in the club.[2] Home United Football Club was officially renamed Lion City Sailors Football Club, and its signature red kits and badge were replaced with white tops and a blue crest. LCS' main aim following its rebranding was to boost professionalism in Singaporean football, with becoming a Southeast Asian super club in the same mould as Malaysian giants JDT very much the long-term goal. [3]

On 21 January 2021, the Lion City Sailors created history by smashing the Singapore Premier League transfer-fee record with the signing of midfielder Diego Lopes from Portuguese top-flight side Rio Ave for 1.8 million euros on a three-year deal.[4]

Lion City Sailors Football Academy

Home United was the first and only S.League club to own and operate its own football academy. Located at 8 Mattar Road, HYFA comprises ten futsal courts, two full-size football pitches, an events plaza, staff offices, meeting rooms and a Sports Performance Centre.

According to its mission statement, HYFA will: help local, talented youths to achieve excellence in the sport of football as professional players, technical support staff, club administrators, or referees, in tandem with their academic pursuits; help them become law-abiding and responsible individuals; and help raise the standards for professional football clubs in Singapore so that Singapore qualifies for the World Cup.

In June 2020, numerous news sources announced the launch of the new the Lion City Sailors Football Academy and further plans on youth development and its investments.

Players

Squad

As of 27 January 2021[5]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
2 DF Singapore SGP Ho Wai Loon
3 DF Singapore SGP Tajeli Salamat
4 DF Brazil BRA Jorge Fellipe
5 DF Singapore SGP Amirul Adli
6 DF Singapore SGP Abdil Qaiyyim Mutalib
7 MF Singapore SGP Aqhari Abdullah
8 MF Singapore SGP Shahdan Sulaiman
9 FW Croatia CRO Stipe Plazibat
10 MF South Korea KOR Song Ui-young
11 FW Singapore SGP Hafiz Nor
14 MF Singapore SGP Gabriel Quak
18 GK Singapore SGP Hassan Sunny (captain)
No. Pos. Nation Player
19 MF Singapore SGP Naqiuddin Eunos
20 MF Singapore SGP Arshad Shamim U23
23 FW Singapore SGP Amiruldin Asraf U23
24 GK Singapore SGP Rudy Khairullah
25 MF Singapore SGP Haiqal Pashia U23
27 MF Singapore SGP Adam Swandi
28 MF Singapore SGP Saifullah Akbar
30 GK Singapore SGP Adib Hakim U23
— MF Brazil BRA Diego Lopes
— MF Singapore SGP Faris Ramli
— GK Singapore SGP Veer Karan Sobti

On Loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
12 MF Singapore SGP Iqram Rifqi (to Geylang International)
15 DF Singapore SGP Faizal Roslan (to Geylang International)
47 MF Singapore SGP Bill Mamadou U19 (to Young Lions FC)
52 GK Singapore SGP Putra Anugerah Sahrin U19 (to Young Lions FC)

Club officials

Management

  • Chairman: Forrest Li[6]
  • General Manager: Badri Ghent

Technical staff

  • Team Manager: Herwandy Hamid
  • Head Coach: Aurelio Vidmar
  • Assistant Coach: Noh Rahman
  • Goalkeeper Coach: Chua Lye Heng
  • Sports Performance Specialist: Shazaly Ayob
  • Sports Trainer: Fazly Hasan

Honours

League

  • 1985

Cup

  • 2019
  • 1980
  • 1968

Reserves

  • 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2009, 2014, 2016, 2017
  • 2013, 2015, 2016

Performance in AFC competitions

2001: Second round
2004: Semi-finals
2005: Quarter-Finals
2006: Group stage
2008: Quarter-finals
2009: Round of 16
2012: Round of 16
2014: Group stage
2017: Zonal Finalist
2018: Inter-zonal Semi-finals
2019: Group stage

AFC clubs ranking

As of 13 MARCH 2019.[7]
Current Rank Country Team
46 Tajikistan Istiklol
47 Jordan Al-Wehdat
48 Singapore Lion City Sailors
49 Iraq Al-Zawra’a
50 Turkmenistan Altyn Asyr

Sponsors

Kit Supplier Main Sponsors
Germany Puma Singapore Sea Limited

References

  1. ^ Malathi Das and Palakrishnan (1996), "S.League: the kick-off", Singapore Professional Football League Pte Ltd, p. 33
  2. ^ "Football: Singapore tech firm Sea takes ownership of Home United; club changes name to Lion City Sailors FC". CNA. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
  3. ^ "Inside Lion City Sailors - The making of Singapore's first superclub". Goal. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
  4. ^ Narendaren Karnageran (21 January 2021). "Lion City Sailors sign Rio Ave's Lopes in landmark S$2.9m transfer". The New Paper.
  5. ^ "SPL 2020 Club Guide: Lion City Sailors". Singapore Premier League. 27 February 2020. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
  6. ^ "Football: Singapore tech firm Sea takes ownership of Home United; club changes name to Lion City Sailors FC". CNA. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
  7. ^ "AFC Club Ranking 2019".

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