SINGAPORE: The Singapore Premier League is set to feature 10th clubs again after Tengah Football Club revealed that they have received in-principle approval from the Football Association of Singapore to compete in the upcoming 2024/2025 season.
“We’re thrilled to announce that Tengah FC is gearing up for an incredible season ahead! We’re proud to announce that Tengah FC has received the in-principle approval by FAS to compete in the Singapore Premier League 2024/25 season! Get ready to witness our team’s passion, dedication, and skill as we take on some of the best teams in the league,” posted the club on their official Facebook page on Saturday, Feb 17.
Tengah FC was formed in 2017, and their bid to become a Singapore Premier League club is fronted by their club’s president, Louis Amalorpavanathan.
When FAS requested interested clubs to participate in the Singapore Premier League in Dec, one of the proposed financial requirements was that ‘interested club shall not be entitled to any subvention and must demonstrate sustainable revenue source.’
“We’re set to make waves as the second football club ever to storm into the SPL without any grants from FAS! That’s right, we’re breaking barriers and rewriting the playbook,” added Tengah FC on Facebook.
Other than managing the football club, Tengah also has a basketball club, and both their football and basketball teams participated in community activities such as the Limbang Sports Day 2023.
“Boys from our Tengah Football Club and Tengah Basketball Club came together to help at the Limbang Sports Day 2023 on 23 September. This is a good opportunity for the boys to connect and contribute to the community and in the process learn how to be a responsible citizen. It is indeed heartening to see the enthusiasm and commitments from the boys in serving the community and we believe a fantastic experience for them as they interact with Guest of Honour DPM Lawrence Wong,” explained the club.
Last year saw nine clubs competing in the Singapore Premier League, with Albirex Niigata (S) claiming their sixth league title, while Lion City Sailors and Tampines Rovers finished the season in second and third place, respectively.
Balestier Khalsa and Geylang International had a decent campaign, and they were in a commendable fourth and fifth place, while Hougang United and Brunei DPMM were in seventh and eighth position. Tanjong Pagar United and the developmental club Young Lions filled the bottom two places.
There are changes to the league’s calendar, and this year’s Singapore Premier League season will kick-off on May 4, featuring the traditional Community Shield match, followed by the league proper matches a week later, concluding in May 2025. Subsequently, the 2025-26 season will align with AFC Club Competitions, starting in August 2025 and concluding in May 2026, setting the timeline for subsequent seasons.
There will also be an interim pre-season tournament from Feb 23 to Apr 21, played in a single-round modified league format, with 20 matches played across five game weeks, with rankings based on accumulated points. But it will feature only eight clubs that participated in last season’s Singapore Premier League, without including Brunei DPMM.