Full name | Warriors Football Club |
---|---|
Nickname(s) | The Warriors |
Founded | 1975 |
Ground | Choa Chu Kang Stadium |
Capacity | 4,600 |
Chairman | Philip Lam Tin Sing |
Head Coach | Razif Onn |
League | S.League |
2016 | 7th |
Website | Club home page |
Warriors Football Club is a Singaporean professional football club that plays in the top-tier S.League. Before they officially changed their name on 20 January 2013, 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.
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.
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 and finishing second in 4 seasons: 1996, 1999, 2001, 2005 in the 21 years since the inception of the S.League.
The Warriors was based in Jurong Stadium till 2000 before moving to their current 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.
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.