Two-tier S-League in 2014?

By Ali Kasim

Photo: SPH file picture

IT’S BEEN 16 years since the S-League kicked off.

In 1996, eight teams graced the inaugural season.

Two years from now, that number could double as the league expands to a two-tier format, allowing for a promotion-relegation system between a total of 16 teams.

This is the plan of S-League CEO Lim Chin as the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) looks towards developing S-League version 2.0.

Speaking to The New Paper yesterday, Lim said the plans for a two-tier league, titled S1-S2, are at a “very preliminary stage” and that the FAS plans to hold a “big meeting in April” to discuss the viability and various options with all football stakeholders.

S-League Show Week 2

Prime League Special Report: Hougang 2:1 Woodlands

By Jia Hui Chicharito

Photo: Great Eastern Yeo's

HGFC 2
Farhan Rahmat 7’, Megat Hikal 23’
WWFC 1
Danial Tan 51’

In their opening game of the Great Eastern Yeo’s Prime League season, Hougang United beat Woodlands Wellington 2-1 in a close-fought match at the Hougang Stadium on Saturday evening. It was however, by no means an easy victory for the Cheetah Cubs of Hougang United.

Hougang who dominated the first 45 minutes, took a comfortable two-goal lead into the break with goals from Farhan Rahmat and Megat Hikal. It was Woodlands who started the second 45 the stronger side, as Danial Tan reduced the deficit for the visitors early in the second half. However, they just could not find that elusive equaliser as Hougang clung on for all three points.

Hougang United players named S-League team of the week

The Goal.com team picks the best XI from Round 2 of S.League matches

Goalkeeper - Ng Jia Fa
Former National Football Academy trainee Ng Jia Fa was Hougang's second-choice goalkeeper up till his impressive performance in their last league fixture against the Young Lions. Having been unexpectedly fielded for his first full ninety minutes of the season, Ng Jia Fa made several brilliant saves, managing to maintain a clean sheet against his young opponents. If Ng Jia Fa was to maintain his current form through the season, Hougang United will definitely be a tough nut to crack.

S-League: CYL 0:3 HGFC

S-League
Friday 17 Feb 2012
Courts Young Lions 0 : 3 Hougang United
Jalan Besar Stadium

Hougang United - (Sobrie Mazelan 14', Jordan Webb 40', Stanislav Vidakovic 55')

Hougang simple lessons on football pushed them to second place

By Hougang Hools

CYL 0
   
HGFC 3
Sobrie Mazelan 14' , Jordan Webb 40', Stanislav Vidakovic 55'

It is a well known recipe for winning football game that to win any football game, is to attack as a unit and convert their chances into goals. And the Cheetahs did just that.

Coming against a new look Courts Young Lions team, and to put behind the misery of last week draw against Tanjong Pagar, Hougang United went to Jalan Besar Stadium as clear underdogs.

Nenad Bacina gave Diallo his first start of the campaign, after passing his Beep Test. Goalkeeper Ridzuan Fatah, who sustained a rib injury during the last game, was replaced by former Jaguar keeper Ng Jia Fa.

Hougang hand Young Lions second consecutive defeat

By Po Hui

Photo: ST He Photography

CYL 0 
  
HGFC 3
Sobrie Mazelan 14' , Jordan Webb 40', Stanislav Vidakovic 55'

The poor start to the Courts Young Lions’ Great Eastern-YEO’S S.League 2012 season continues as they succumbed to their second defeat in a row at Jalan Besar Stadium on Friday evening.

If their 0-1 loss to Woodlands Wellington last week was unlucky, though, the 0-3 defeat to Hougang United this time was a clear washout.

Match Preview: CYL vs Hougang

By Hougang Hools

Poster credit: Ian Su

Match Day: Friday, 17th Feburary, 2012
Venue: Jalan Besar Stadium, 7.45pm kick-off
Tickets: $5.00 (Adult), $ 1.00 (Student)

Having points split between Tanjong Pagar last Thursday, Hougang United will be looking for a positive outcome when they swipe paws with S-League side Courts Young Lions this Friday at the Jalan Besar Stadium.

Coach Nenad Bacina had expressed his disappointment for not bagging the opening win against the Jaguars but he did reserve praises for his players afterall, commenting on their composure towards the game.

Courts Young Lions on the other hand are still in need for some fine tuning despite debuting new faces Sherif El-Masri and ex-Hougang midfielder Aqhari Abdullah.

The home side went down 1-0, no thanks to a Woodlands Wellington penalty capitalised by striker Moon Soon Ho. Rams find themselves in third place after the first round.

S-League Show Week 1

Hougang Hools greet Mr. Lim Chin at opening match day

 

 

Photos: Great Eastern Yeo's 

More pictures from Chris

Hougang HOOLs @ Hougang United v. Tanjong Pagar United

Video: Chris Harvey

(15:18 mins)

Hougang, Tanjong Pagar share spoils

By Liga Singapura

Photo: Great Eastern Yeo's S-League

HGFC 1
Jordan Webb 23'
TPUFC 1
Takaya Kawanabe 28'

Hougang United and Tanjong Pagar played out a 1-1 stalemate in their 2012 Great Eastern YEO’s S-League opener at the Hougang Stadium on Thursday night.

Hougang, who recorded their highest ever league finish of seventh last season, drew first blood in the 23rd minute thanks to diminutive forward Jordan Webb but Japanese midfielder Takaya Kawanabe leveled proceedings for the Jaguars just five minutes later.

Tanjong Pagar coach Terry Pathmanathan hailed his side's character after fighting back from a goal down to claim their maiden point of the new campaign.

"We conceded the first goal, but we didn't collapse, and within (five minutes), we got one back," Pathmanathan was quoted as saying by The New Paper after the encounter.

"Unlike last year, we didn't get hammered in our opening game, and our players will grow in confidence."

Cheetahs tactician Nenad Bacina was disappointed that his charges failed to pick up a victory.

"I think we controlled the game, especially in the first half, and deserved more than one point," Bacina commented to The New Paper.

"We will go out to win our next game against the Young Lions." - ESPNSTAR

S-League: HGFC 1:1 TPUFC

S-League
Thursday 9 Feb 2012
Hougang United 1 : 1  Tanjong Pagar
Hougang Stadium

Hougang United - (Jordan Webb 23')

Tanjong Pagar United - (Takaya Kawanabe 28')

Hougang thwarted in first-day victory bid

By Hugo Ng

Photos: Great Eastern Yeo's S-League

HGFC 1

Jordan Webb 23'
TPUFC 1
Takaya Kawanabe 28'

The opening night of the 2012 season brought the Jaguars of Tanjong Pajar United to Hougang United’s home ground at Hougang Stadium.

That, of course, triggers memories of the corresponding fixture last year, which yielded a heart-stopping 4-3 thriller that still sits in the back of many fans’ minds, and they could be forgiven for expecting something similar in this ‘catfight’.

Hougang did what they could, dominating large parts of the game, but in the end the storyline did not play out as they would have hoped, as the visitors put up a valiant display to secure a 1-1 draw.

Hougang United FC 2012 Squad

Hougang United FC set for S-League opener

By Hougang Hools

Photo: PoHui

The pride of the north-east goes into Thursday's match opener against S-league side Tanjong Pagar United with 5 pre-season wins and earning a draw against SAFFC. Promising results but a cautious approach for a squad that has seen it's squad re-shuffled despite a good showing in 2011.

Hougang United's new head coach Nenad Bacina warned about complacency during a press release but also acknowledges a good pre-season overall is a boost for his lads. The former Woodlands coach also said that his revamped team looks to emulate former Cheetahs coach Aide Iskandar's success of a 7th position or better.

"We will take a match-by-match approach and as long as the players approach each game with a professional attitude and play with heart, at the end of the day the result will come." - Nenad Bacina

Hougang United FC - Meet-And-Greet Session

Video: S-League
(3:46mins)

Bacina looks to build on inherited foundation

Kenneth Tan
info@sleague.com

Photo: Nigel Chin

They were the surprise package of the 2011 season, having undergone a name change and experienced a huge transformation in their fortunes.

Strugglers under the old label of Sengkang Punggol, the decision to rebrand themselves as Hougang United proved a profitable one as they managed to finish in a more-than-respectable seventh position in the Great Eastern-YEO’S S.League, the highest placing ever in their 14-year history.

It was a major improvement indeed; even in 2009, where they had arguably the best squad of all time consisting of national players in Aide Iskandar, Noh Rahman and Indra Sahdan, they could only finish second from bottom.

Hougang United Pre-Season Press Conference

Video: Chris Harvey
(21:18 mins)

Cheetahs want to be remembered for the right reasons

TNP Picture: Ariffin Jamar

Not many teams would conduct a clear-out of both players and staff after enjoying their best season.

But that's exactly what Hougang United did after recording their best-ever league finish, seventh, and a place in their first-ever cup final - the League Cup final which they narrowly lost on penalties to Albirex Niigata - last season.

Key players such as playmaker Carlos Delgado, captain Shariff Samat, No.1 and vice-captain Fadhil Salim and the club's second highest scorer Mohd Noor Ali have departed, along with head coach Aide Iskandar and his support staff.

"We might have lost kep players but we've brought in a few good ones as well" - Hougang captain Lau Meng Meng.

Only 10 of the class of 2012 remain and of the group, only four - Lau Meng Meng, Jordan Webb, Azhar Sairudin and Fazli Jaffar - were first-team regulars.

But chairman Bill Ng is in no doubt as to why he has changed a winning team.

Hougang United FC Press Conference 2012

By Hougang Hools

Hougang United Football Club held it's pre-season press conference at the Kovan Hub on Friday, 3rd Feb 2012.

Club manager Edwin Tan kick started the evening announcing WAGA as Hougang United's new apparel sponsor. Tan, who spoke on behalf of Chairman Bill Ng introduced Nenad Bacina as the new head coach and assistant coaches Hyrizan Jufri and Nahar Daud as the new technical team spear heading the Cheetahs campaign. S-League CEO Lim Chin was amongst the guests present.

Tan also introduced new signings, Croatian duo midfielder Antre Barac and centerback Stanko Vidakovic.

Head Coach Nenad Bacina then commented that Hougang United have since retained the services of 10 players from the previous season including newly appointed team captain Isaac Lau, Guinean forward Mamadou Diallo and Canadian winger Jordan Webb.

Hougang United FC to play at home ground in their opening match

Photo: TODAY

In the latest scheme of things, S-league has announced that Tanjong Pagar United FC will leave Clementi Stadium and return to play at Queenstown Stadium. Former champions Etoile FC who took up residence there have since vacated the premises. Tampines Rovers FC will however be uprooted from their Tampines Stadium to take up vacancy at Clementi Stadium. You can read more about it here. :/

The match between Tanjong Pagar United and Hougang United which was originally scheduled to be played at Clementi Stadium, Thursday 9th Feb, will now be played at Hougang Stadium instead. :)

HGFC CHAIRMAN’S NEW YEAR ADDRESS – YEAR OF 2012

It has been proven a challenging 2011 with much uncertainty worldwide, especially in the financial sector Europe in the second half of 2011. There are also many adverse, world changing events over the whole year.

Likewise in 2011, Hougang United Football Club (HGFC) faced great challenges.

HGFC’s mascot, Cheetah, has also faced great challenges to survive the year. Similar to a Cheetah in the great wilderness, we strived for excellence and our thirst for agility has brought us a closure to 2011. With our Cheetah’s superior, competitive and subtly aggressive characteristic, our belief that the Cheetah presents an accurate symbol of the Club’s ambitions has been proven in year 2011 and we hang on to the belief into the year 2012.

Hougang United FC Pre-Season Press Conference

Hougang United Football Club will hold a pre-season press conference/community outreach event.

The Hougang United players as well as the Hougang HOOLs will be there to mingle with the crowd and also to promote club merchandise. Do invite your friends and family to this football fanfare. :)
Details are as follows:

Date: Friday, 3rd Feb, 2012
Time: 7.00 PM
Venue: Kovan Hub, Blk 206 Hougang Street 21 (Near Kovan MRT)