SINGAPORE — The upcoming 2024/2025 Singapore Premier League season will begin without the inclusion of a new football club, as Tengah Football Club, which was given an in-principle approval previously has decided to withdraw its application from the league. This was announced by both the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) and Tengah FC on Wednesday, Apr 3.
FAS in a statement said that they had concluded the process of evaluating potential clubs for the 2024/2025 Singapore Premier League season. It received several applications in which one club was given in-principle approval to participate in the upcoming campaign which is slated to begin in May.
“The shortlisted club entered into a due diligence process, which took longer than expected. Given the tight deadline prior to the commencement of the SPL in May 2024, the club has decided not to contest the 2024/25 season. Instead, it will focus on getting a team ready for the 2025/26 season,” mentioned FAS in the statement released on Wednesday evening.
FAS added that it remains committed to improving the SPL and will continue to explore opportunities to enhance Singapore’s top domestic football competition.
In a post on their own social media page, Tengah FC shared their ‘difficult decision’ to withdraw its application from the 2024/25 Singapore Premier League.
The club mentioned, “Although we were heartened to receive news from FAS that Tengah FC submission is in order, the short timeline before the start of the 2024/25 season has unfortunately left us with insufficient preparation time.”
When FAS put up a request in Dec for clubs to submit their proposals to become the league’s 10th team, one of the proposed financial requirements was that ‘interested club shall not be entitled to any subvention and must demonstrate sustainable revenue source.’
“We firmly believe that rushing into the SPL season under these conditions will not yield good results for anyone and we want to be accountable to our fans, stakeholders and partners,” added the club that have earned promotion to the Singapore Football League Division 2.
The 2024-25 season will kick off on May 4, featuring the traditional Community Shield match, followed by the league proper a week later, concluding in May 2025. The nine clubs that participated in last season’s campaign are league champion Albirex Niigata (S), Lion City Sailors, Tampines Rovers, Balestier Khalsa, Geylang International, Hougang International, Tanjong Pagar, Young Lions, Brunei DPMM.