SINGAPORE, 9 OCTOBER 2020 – The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) is delighted to confirm that the current 2020 AIA Singapore Premier League (SPL) season is scheduled to resume on 17 October.

 

The approval to resume the SPL season was announced earlier today by the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY). Tanjong Pagar United will host Balestier Khalsa at Jurong East Stadium while Tampines Rovers play Hougang United at Our Tampines Hub next Saturday, 17 October. Then on Sunday, 18 October, the Lion City Sailors then welcome Geylang International at Bishan Stadium and the Young Lions face Albirex Niigata (S) at Jurong West Stadium to round off the weekend’s fixtures.

 

The 2020 season has been on hiatus since being suspended on 24 March this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent safe management measures. Teams were only allowed to resume training – albeit in small groups – in mid June. This was further extended to full training on 1 September, which was a significant step towards resuming competitive action.

With this approval to resume, the League is on track to be completed by the end of the calendar year. This will be made possible as the format of the tournament has been revised to two rounds from the original three, meaning that each club will face each other only twice. This year’s Singapore Cup has also been annulled in order to facilitate the League’s completion. 

 

The remaining matches will be played behind closed doors with only essential match-day personnel, including medical staff, to be present onsite. While SPL fans will not be allowed into the stadium venues, they will still be able to catch the action LIVE as every match will be broadcast on Singtel TV, StarHub TV and myCujoo as well as streamed online via the SPL and 1 Play Sports Facebook pages.  

 

 

As part of preparations for the SPL’s restart, a total of 223 players from the eight local-based clubs and SPL match officials underwent the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) swab test and all the results have come back negative. As part of the resumption protocols, these tests will be conducted every two weeks for the same group of personnel. 

 

FAS President Lim Kia Tong, said: “We are extremely pleased with the decision announced by MCCY on the resumption of the SPL. This is an outcome that the FAS and the SPL clubs, along with Sport Singapore and the relevant government authorities, have worked tirelessly towards in recent weeks. Our utmost thanks and appreciation go out to the various government agencies who have helped in making the resumption happen.  

 

“Since the league was suspended, our SPL players and staff have endeavoured to maintain their physical and match fitness and morale despite only being allowed to resume small-group training in mid-June and full training on 1 September. That marked a significant step towards resuming competitive action and now that there is a definitive timeline for resumption, I am sure they are all raring to go again. While we would have loved for supporters to be allowed into the stadiums so that they can cheer on their favourite teams, I am sure that they will understand the need for these precautions and that they will continue to support the SPL by watching the games on television or online. The FAS will ensure that all the necessary Covid–19 safe protocols are strictly adhered to, to ensure the smooth restart of the League and hopes it will pave the way for more local sports leagues and events to resume.”  

 

On the subject of reigning SPL champions Brunei DPMM’s participation status for this season, Mr Lim said: “Brunei DPMM FC has been an integral part of our League for years and their continued participation on its resumption is very much treasured. Currently, they are a part of the competition format on resumption. We have provided Brunei DPMM FC with an option of having their matches played in Singapore considering the recommended protocols. We await their response by Monday 12 October after which we will make the necessary preparations for the resumption. We remain hopeful that they will provide a favourable reply to our proposal.” 

 

The season will pick up from where it left off with Tampines Rovers at the top of the standings with nine points from four games, followed by Geylang International and Albirex Niigata (S) with six and five points respectively from three games each.

 

The full list of fixtures for the remainder of the 2020 SPL season can be found below and here:

(Accurate as of 9 October 2020)

Matchday	Day	Date	Home Team	Away Team	M/No	Venue	Time	Remarks
5	Sat	17-Oct	Tanjong Pagar United FC	Balestier Khalsa FC	29	Jurong East	5.30pm	Bye for Brunei DPMM FC
			Tampines Rovers FC	Hougang United FC	30	Our Tampines Hub	5.30pm
	Sun	18-Oct	Lion City Sailors FC	Geylang International FC	31	Bishan	5.30pm
			Young Lions	Albirex Niigata FC (S)	32	Jurong West	5.30pm
6	Sat	24-Oct	Geylang International FC	Balestier Khalsa FC	17	Our Tampines Hub	5.30pm	Bye for Tampines Rovers FC
			Albirex Niigata FC (S)	Lion City Sailors FC	18	Jurong East	5.30pm
	Sun	25-Oct	Hougang United FC	Brunei DPMM FC	19	Hougang	5.30pm
			Young Lions	Tanjong Pagar United FC	20	Jurong West	5.30pm
	Mon	26-Oct
	Tue	27-Oct
	Wed	28-Oct	Lion City Sailors FC	Brunei DPMM FC	2	Bishan	7.45pm
7	Sat	31-Oct	Tampines Rovers FC	Albirex Niigata FC (S)	21	Our Tampines Hub	5.30pm	Bye for Balestier Khalsa FC
			Brunei DPMM FC	Geylang International FC	22	Bandar Seri Begawan	8.15pm
	Sun	1-Nov	Lion City Sailors FC	Young Lions	23	Bishan	5.30pm
			Tanjong Pagar United FC	Hougang United FC	24	Jurong East	5.30pm
	Mon	2-Nov
	Tue	3-Nov
	Wed	4-Nov	Albirex Niigata FC (S)	Brunei DPMM FC	9	Jurong East	7.45pm
8	Sat	7-Nov	Balestier Khalsa FC	Brunei DPMM FC	25	Bishan	5.30pm	Bye for Albirex Niigata FC (S)
			Geylang International FC	Tanjong Pagar United FC	26	Our Tampines Hub	5.30pm
	Sun	8-Nov	Hougang United FC	Lion City Sailors FC	27	Hougang	5.30pm
			Young Lions	Tampines Rovers FC	28	Jurong West	5.30pm
9	Wed	11-Nov	Brunei DPMM FC	Tanjong Pagar United FC	33	Bandar Seri Begawan	8.15pm	Bye for Young Lions
			Balestier Khalsa FC	Lion City Sailors FC	34	Bishan	7.45pm
			Hougang United FC	Albirex Niigata FC (S)	35	Hougang	7.45pm
			Geylang International FC	Tampines Rovers FC	36	Our Tampines Hub	7.45pm
10	Sun	15-Nov	Hougang United FC	Young Lions	37	Hougang	5.30pm	Bye for Tanjong Pagar United FC
			Brunei DPMM FC	Lion City Sailors FC	38	Bandar Seri Begawan	8.15pm
	Mon	16-Nov	Geylang International FC	Albirex Niigata FC (S)	39	Our Tampines Hub	7.45pm
			Balestier Khalsa FC	Tampines Rovers FC	40	Bishan	7.45pm
11	Sat	21-Nov	Tampines Rovers FC	Brunei DPMM FC	41	Our Tampines Hub	5.30pm	Bye for Hougang United FC
			Young Lions	Geylang International FC	42	Jurong West	5.30pm
	Sun	22-Nov	Lion City Sailors FC	Tanjong Pagar United FC	43	Bishan	5.30pm
			Albirex Niigata FC (S)	Balestier Khalsa FC	44	Jurong East	5.30pm
12	Wed	25-Nov	Geylang International FC	Hougang United FC	45	Our Tampines Hub	7.45pm	Bye for Lion City Sailors FC
			Tanjong Pagar United FC	Tampines Rovers FC	46	Jurong East	7.45pm
			Balestier Khalsa FC	Young Lions	47	Bishan	7.45pm
			Brunei DPMM FC	Albirex Niigata FC (S)	48	Bandar Seri Begawan	8.15pm
13	Sat	28-Nov	Lion City Sailors FC	Tampines Rovers FC	14	Bishan	5.30pm	Bye for Geylang International FC
			Albirex Niigata FC (S)	Tanjong Pagar United FC	49	Jurong East	5.30pm
	Sun	29-Nov	Young Lions	Brunei DPMM FC	50	Jurong West	5.30pm
			Hougang United FC	Balestier Khalsa FC	51	Hougang	5.30pm
	Mon	30-Nov
	Tue	1-Dec
	Wed	2-Dec	Brunei DPMM FC	Young Lions	16	Bandar Seri Begawan	8.15pm
14	Sat	5-Dec	Lion City Sailors FC	Albirex Niigata FC (S)	54	Bishan	5.30pm	Bye for Tampines Rovers FC
			Brunei DPMM FC	Hougang United FC	55	Bandar Seri Begawan	8.15pm
	Sun	6-Dec	Balestier Khalsa FC	Geylang International FC	53	Bishan	5.30pm
			Tanjong Pagar United FC	Young Lions	56	Jurong East	5.30pm
15	Wed	9-Dec	Hougang United FC	Tanjong Pagar United FC	57	Hougang	7.45pm	Bye for Balestier Khalsa FC
			Young Lions	Lion City Sailors FC	58	Jurong West	7.45pm
			Albirex Niigata FC (S)	Tampines Rovers FC	59	Jurong East	7.45pm
			Geylang International FC	Brunei DPMM FC	60	Our Tampines Hub	7.45pm
16	Sat	12-Dec	Brunei DPMM FC	Balestier Khalsa FC	61	Bandar Seri Begawan	8.15pm	Bye for Albirex Niigata FC (S)
			Tampines Rovers FC	Young Lions	62	Our Tampines Hub	5.30pm
	Sun	13-Dec	Tanjong Pagar United FC	Geylang International FC	63	Jurong East	5.30pm
			Lion City Sailors FC	Hougang United FC	64	Bishan	5.30pm
17	Wed	16-Dec	Balestier Khalsa FC	Tanjong Pagar United FC	65	Bishan	7.45pm	Bye for Brunei DPMM FC
			Albirex Niigata FC (S)	Young Lions	66	Jurong East	7.45pm
			Hougang United FC	Tampines Rovers FC	67	Hougang	7.45pm
			Geylang International FC	Lion City Sailors FC	68	Our Tampines Hub	7.45pm
18	Sat	19-Dec	Tanjong Pagar United FC	Brunei DPMM FC	69	Jurong East	5.30pm	Bye for Young Lions
			Lion City Sailors FC	Balestier Khalsa FC	71	Bishan	5.30pm
			Albirex Niigata FC (S)	Hougang United FC	70	Jurong East	5.30pm
			Tampines Rovers FC	Geylang International FC	72	Our Tampines Hub	5.30pm