Geylang United Football Club is a professional football club from Singapore, currently playing in the S.League. The club is based in Bedok and their home ground is Bedok Stadium. Their mascot is an eagle, and hence the team is also known as "the Eagles".The club was founded initially under the name International Contract Specialists in 1973. It changed its name to Geylang International in 1975, and then to Geylang United in 1996.
Prior to the formation of the S.League, the club played in Singapore's National Football League (from 1975-1987) and Premier League (from 1988-1995). They were the dominant team in Singapore during this period, winning nine Premier League titles. The club set a Singapore Football record by winning 6 Premier League titles in a row between 1988 and 1993. The league and Singapore Cup double was also achieved in both 1990 and 1991.
The club were founder members of the S.League in 1996, and captured the inaugural championship title that year. In its inaugural season, the S.League competition was split into two series. In each series, the eight teams in the league played each other home and away, and the table-topping teams from each of the two series then met each other in a season-ending play-off match to determine the champions. Captained by Singapore's most famous football star Fandi Ahmad, Geylang won the first series. The second series was won by Singapore Armed Forces Football Club (SAFFC). Geylang beat SAFFC 2-1 in the season-ending play-off match to be crowned the first S.League champions, with Mohammad Khakpour scoring one of the best free kicks to be seen in the S.League in that match. One week later, the Eagles completed the double by beating SAFFC again, this time on penalties, in the Singapore FA Cup final.
The club captured the S.League title for a second time in 2001 under South Korean coach Jang Jung, the defensive wall of Lionel Lewis, Hasrin Jailani, Winston Yap, Zulkarnaen Zainal, winger Noor Ali, key midfielder Billy Bone plus star strikers Aleksandar Duric and Brian Bothwell.
Geylang finished 6th in both the 2007 and 2008 S.League seasons, and have undergone a major overhaul for the 2009 season in hopes of finishing within the Top 4.
Competitive Record
S.League Record
2008 - 6th place
2007 - 6th place
2006 - 10th place
2005 - 8th place
2004 - 7th place
2003 - Runners-up
2002 - 3rd place
2001 - Champions
2000 - 3rd place
1999 - 4th place
1998 - 3rd place
1997 - 5th place
1996 - Champions (Series 1: Champions; Series 2: 5th place; beat SAFFC 2-1 in the championship final)
Pre-S.League championship titles
Premier League: 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992 & 1993
National Football League: 1975, 1976 & 1977
Singapore Cup Record
2009 - Qualified for Quarter-finals
2008 - First Round
2007 - First Round
2006 - First Round
2005 - First Round
2004 - Semi-finals
2003 - Runners-up
2002 - 3rd place
2001 - Runners-up
2000 - 3rd place
1999 - Quarter-finals
1998 - First Round
1997 - Runners-up
Singapore League Cup Record
2009 - Quarter-finals
2008 - First Round
2007 - Did not take part
Other cup tournament wins
Singapore FA Cup: 1996
President's Cup: 1976, 1978, 1990, 1991 & 1995
Performance in AFC Competitions
AFC Champions League: 1 appearance
2002-03: Qualifying East - 3rd Round
Asian Club Championship: 4 appearances
1989: Qualifying Stage
1990: Qualifying Stage
1991: Qualifying Stage
1998: First Round
AFC Cup: 1 appearance
2004: Semi-Finals
Asian Cup Winners Cup: 2 appearances
1990/91: First Round
1991/92: First Round
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