Warriors FC

Warriors Football Club is a Singaporean professional football club that last played in the Singapore Premier League, the top division of football in Singapore. Before they officially changed their name on 20 January 2013,[1] they were previously known as the Singapore Armed Forces Football Club (SAFFC) since their establishment on 16 February 1996. Despite their name back then, membership of the Armed Forces was not a prerequisite for players representing the team, and several international players have played for them.

Warriors FC
Full nameWarriors Football Club
Nickname(s)The Warriors
Founded1975
(as Singapore Armed Forces Sports Association)

1996
(as Singapore Armed Forces FC)

2013
(as Warriors FC)
GroundJurong East Stadium
Capacity2,700
ChairmanPhilip Lam Tin Sing
20197th of 9
WebsiteClub website

Using a rhino as club mascot was their second suggestion after the S.League rejected their initial proposal of having a warrior as being out of line with the policy of clubs having animal mascots.[2]

Warriors F.C. is currently the most successful club in the history of the S.League, having won the title a record nine times: in 1997, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2014[3] and finishing second in 4 seasons: 1996, 1999, 2001, 2005 in the 22 years since the inception of the S.League.

The Warriors was based in Jurong Stadium till 2000 before moving to their home ground Choa Chu Kang Stadium in 2001. In light of the preparation of the 2015 SEA Games, the Warriors had to vacate Choa Chu Kang Stadium and will instead play their home matches at the Woodlands Stadium for the 2015 season instead. Warriors will move to their Jurong East Stadium in 2019 season and shared with Albirex Niigata Singapore FC.

History

1975–2006

The Singapore Armed Forces Sports Association (SAFSA) football team was formed in 1975 to provide talented footballers serving National Service with opportunities to play competitive football. That year, they won the President's Cup, a feat they repeated in 1978, when they also captured the National Football League title to complete The Double. Their Under-19 team won the national Under-19 title in 1979, 1980 and 1983, while the 1981 season of the National Football League saw the SAFSA football team emerge as champions without losing a game. The President's Cup was captured again in 1984 and 1986, the latter time as part of a second Double, as they also won the National Football League on goal difference. In 1990, the Pools Cup went to the SAFSA football team and their convincing displays led to their selection as one of eight clubs to compete in the newly formed S.League.[4]

Singapore Armed Forces FC's entry into the S.League in 1996 also resulted in the withdrawal of SAFSA from the NFL. SAFSA would not participate in the local football leagues again till 1999, when they rejoined the National Football League.

SAFFC finished second in 1996, 1999 and won the league in 1997 and 1998.

Former Singapore international Fandi Ahmad took over from Mladen Pralija in 1999.

Three coaches were at the reins during this period, each lasting only one season. SAFFC finished second in 2005 but otherwise outside the top two.

2006–present

Richard Bok took over as club head coach in 2006 & led the Warriors to 4 consecutive championship 2006, 2007, 2008 & 2009.

In 2008, Armed Forces became the first Singapore club to achieve the "double" back-to-back, after winning both the S.League and the Singapore Cup in 2007 and 2008.

In Asian Football Confederation Club competition, he led Armed Forces to 2 Quarter Finals in 2007 & 2008. In 2009, Armed Forces qualified into the AFC Champions League group stage by defeating Thai Champion PEA FC and PSMS Medan of Indonesia in the East playoff thus Armed Forces making Singapore football history by being the first club from Singapore to qualified for the highest club competition in Asia.

Squad 2010

Armed Forces were drawn in a group with J.League champions Kashima Antlers, K.League champions Suwon Samsung Bluewings and Chinese Super League runners-up Shanghai Shenhua, and despite being confirmed as the group losers after a 5–0 loss to Kashima Antlers in Japan, they won their first ever point in the competition with a 1–1 draw against Shanghai Shenhua at home.

In 2010, Armed Forces qualified for their second consecutive AFC Champions League group stage by defeating Sriwijaya of Indonesia 3–0 at Jalan Besar stadium in Singapore and won on penalty in the East playoff Final with Muangthong United F.C. of Thailand in Singapore. Armed Forces were group with former Champion Gamba Osaka of Japan, Henan Jianye of China and again Suwon Samsung Bluewings of Korea. Armed Forces got their first ever away points with a draw against Chinese Super League side Henan Jianye in Henan, China. Thus equalling their 1 point in 2009. In the return leg on 13 April 2010 at Jalan Besar stadium in Singapore, Armed Forces record their first ever historical AFC Champions League win with a 2–1 victory over Henan Jianye. Eventually finishing 3rd in the group ahead of Chinese Super League team Henan Jianye putting Armed Forces and Singapore football on the map in Asia Football.

On 20 January 2013, Armed Forces announced that they had changed their name to Warriors Football Club ahead of the 2013 S.League season.[1]

Alex Weaver, in his first full season as coach of Warriors FC, clinched the 2014 S.League title on the last day of the competition for the Warriors. With Brunei DPMM leading the table until the last day, the Warriors scored a 1–0 win over Albirex Niigata Singapore FC and they received a favour from Tampines Rovers FC, who beat Brunei DPMM FC 2–1 to hand Warriors FC their first title in 5 years and their 9th title in the league's 19 years history.

Seasons

Season Name Changed League Pos. P W D L GS GA Pts Singapore Cup League Cup
1996-1 Singapore Armed Forces FC S.League 4th 14536272518
1996-2 1st 14950321432
1997 1st 161213421137
1998 1st 201442461746 Runners-up
1999 2nd 221471632449 Winners
2000 1st 221642531552 Runners-up
2001 2nd 3324271014674 Third place
2002 1st 3326611043784 Quarter-finals
2003 3rd 33202–56683769 Group stage
2004 4th 2714310454845 Quarter-finals
2005 2nd 271575544152 Semi-finals
2006 1st 302082713668 Quarter-finals
2007 1st 332544953879 Winners Withdrew
2008 1st 332454853477 Winners Quarter-finals
2009 1st 302217733167 Round of 16 Runners-up
2010 4th 3316512564153 Round of 16 Quarter-finals
2011 3rd 332139743966 Quarter-finals Quarter-finals
2012 7th 249510434132 Winners Semi-finals
2013 Warriors FC 7th 279810383835 Preliminary Group stage
2014 1st 271656533553 Preliminary Group stage
2015 5th 2711412405137 Quarter-finals Group stage
2016 7th 247710393928 Preliminary Group stage
2017 5th 24978333634 Preliminary Runners-up
2018 Singapore Premier League 5th 247710323528 Quarter-finals
2019 7th 246513405622 Runners-up
  • The 1996 season of the S.League was split into two series. Tiger Beer Series winners Geylang United defeated Pioneer Series winners Singapore Armed Forces in the Championship playoff to clinch the S.League title.
  • 2003 saw the introduction of penalty shoot-outs if a match ended in a draw in regular time. Winners of penalty shoot-outs gained two points instead of one.
Cups Champions Championship years Runners-up Runners-up years
Singapore Cup 4 1999, 2007, 2008, 2012 3 1998, 2000, 2019
Singapore League Cup 0 2 2009, 2017
Singapore FA Cup 4 1997, 2006, 2008, 2017 1 1996
President's Cup 3 1975, 1984, 1986 0
Singapore Charity Shield 3 2008, 2010, 2015 1 2013

Performance in AFC competitions

2009: Group stage
2010: Group stage
2015: Second Qualifying Rounds
1999: First round
2000: Second round
2002: First round
2007: Quarter-finals
2008: Quarter-finals
2013: Group stage
2015: Group stage
1998: Second round
2001: First round

AFC clubs ranking

As of 25 February 2018.[5]
Current Rank Country Team
126Warriors FC
127Dordoi Bishkek
12825 April
129Than Quảng Ninh
130Salam Zgharta

Player of the Year Award

SeasonName!
1996 Ivica Raguž
2000 Mirko Grabovac
2002 Therdsak Chaiman
2007Aleksandar Đurić
2008Aleksandar Đurić
2011 Mislav Karoglan
2014Hassan Sunny

Top scorers

SeasonNameGoals
1996 Jure Ereš28
1999 Mirko Grabovac23
2000 Mirko Grabovac19
2001 Mirko Grabovac39
2002Mirko Grabovac34
2007Aleksandar Đurić37
2008Aleksandar Đurić28
2009Aleksandar Đurić28
2011 Mislav Karoglan33

* Mirko Grabovac was a naturalised Singapore player from 2002 until he renounced his Singapore citizenship in 2008.

* Aleksandar Đurić was a naturalised Singapore player from 2007

Sponsors

  • 2018 Official Kit Supplier: Umbro

References

  1. "SAFFC renamed as Warriors FC". ESPN Star. Archived from the original on 16 February 2013.
  2. http://www.safwarriors.com.sg/home/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=10&Itemid=11
  3. http://www.sleague.com/Web/main.aspx?ID=693b0933-5803-4580-a1bf-c0504756b2ee,,&TargetPageID=
  4. Malathi Das and Palakrishnan (1996), "S.League: the kick-off", Singapore Professional Football League Pte Ltd, p. 38
  5. "AFC Club Ranking (25th February 2018)". globalfootballranks.com. Asian Football Confederation. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
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