LIONSXII - BECAUSE EVERY FAN IS A LION

Born in the year 2012, the LionsXII is a team created for the Singapore die-hard football fans. It is made up of 11 fired up players and every fan of Singapore football - after all, the fan is the 12th Lions on the pitch. The Lions roar again in the Malaysian Super League, after a long wait of 17 years.

Singapore's greatest rivals are traditionally Selangor, with the two playing each other in 15 of the first 19 Malaysia Cup finals. Selangor hold the record for most victories with 32, while Singapore won the tournament 24 times. Singapore also has a significant rivalry with Johor, as the two are separated by the Straits of Johor, while both Kedah and Pahang enjoy rivalries with the Lions as well.

Due to geographical reasons, other Malaysian teams consider the Lions as a rival and fancy getting a good result when the Lions are in town.


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Photo credits: Goal.com

Jalan Besar Stadium - The Lions' Den
Opened: 1932
Seating capacity: 8,000 Roaring Lions


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Honours:
Malaysia Cup Winners: 1921, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1928 (shared), 1929 (shared), 1930, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1937, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1955, 1960, 1964, 1965, 1977, 1980, 1994
M-League Champions: 1994
Malaysia Semi-Pro League Champions: 1979, 1981, 1985
FAM Cup Winners: 1964, 1967
Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Cup: 1989
FAS Premier League Champions: 1995


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Photo credits: SingaporeSports.sg

Players to watch out for:

SHAHRIL 'SHARK' ISHAK - Captain and Playmaker
HARISS '100%' HARUN - Vice-captain and Midfielder
SHAHDAN 'SILKY' SULAIMAN - Midfielder
FIRDAUS 'FAST' KASMAN - Midfielder
AGU 'EL NINO' CASMIR - Forward
KHAIRUL 'KILLER' AMRI - Forward
IZWAN 'MAGIC' MAHBUD - Goalkeeper
BAIHAKKI 'KILAT' KHAIZAN - Defender
SHAIFUL 'ERASER' ESAH - Defender
JUMA'AT 'JJ' JANTAN - Defender
ISA 'HARD MAN' HALIM - Defender
THE FANS - The 12th Lion!


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Target:
Malaysia Super League: Top 5 Finish
FA Cup: Final
Malaysia Cup: Final


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Malaysia Super League:

Jan 10 Home 1 vs 2 Kelantan (L)
Jan 14 Away 0 vs 0 Kedah (D)
Jan 17 Home 2 vs 1 KL (W)
Jan 21 Away 1 vs 0 Sabah (W)
Jan 28 Home 0 vs 1 Terengganu (H)
Feb 7 Away 1 vs 1 Selangor (Bukit Jalil Stadium)
Feb 11 Home 3 vs 1 Negeri Sembilan (H)
Feb 14 vs Perak (Perak Stadium, Ipoh)
Mar 3 vs Felda United (H)
Mar 17 vs Sarawak (Negeri Sarawak Stadium, Kuching)
Mar 31 vs T-Team (H)
Apr 7 vs Johor FC (Pasir Gudang Stadium, Johor Baru)
Apr 14 vs PKNS (Petaling Jaya Stadium, Kelana Jaya)
Apr 17 vs PKNS (H)
May 5 vs Kelantan (Sultan Muhammad IV Stadium, Kota Baru)
May 12 vs Kedah (H)
May 15 vs Kuala Lumpur (Hang Jebat Stadium, Malacca)
June 16 vs Sabah (H)
June 19 vs Terengganu (Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah Stadium, Kuala Terengganu)
June 23 vs Selangor (H)
June 26 vs Negeri Sembilan (Tuanku Abdul Rahman Stadium, Paroi)
June 30 vs Perak (H)
July 3 vs Felda United (Hang Jebat Stadium, Malacca)
July 7 vs Sarawak (H)
July 10 vs T-Team (Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah Stadium, Kuala Terengganu)
July 14 vs Johor FC (H)


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FA Cup:

Feb 18 vs UiTM (A)


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Malaysia Cup:


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Guide to Harimau Muda home games @ Yishun Stadium (and how to get to Jalan Besar Stadium too):

S-League match info:
Kick-off: 7.30PM (Depending on weather conditions)
Adult ticket price: S$5/6
Food/drink prices: S$1.50/2 per item

By car/motorcycle: Traveling time estimated at 15 to 20 mins.
Take note that foreign-registered vehicles are permitted to drive into Singapore for 10 days in a calendar year without paying Vehicle Entry Permit fees, although toll charges still apply. After the 10-Vehicle Entry Permit free days have been utillised, drivers will have to pay the prevailing VEP fees for subsequent days if they continue to use or drive their vehicles into Singapore.

Toll charges of cars and other vehicles are priced at S$1 to S$1.20 for cars entering via Causeway, S$3.50 to S$3.70 for cars entering via Second link. Vehicle Entry Permit Charges for cars are priced at S$20, while motorcyclists have to pay S$4. The journey from Woodlands Checkpoint to Yishun Stadium is approximately 15 mins depending on good traffic conditions. I strongly encourage Malaysian fans to carpool and make good use of the free VEP, not only will you reach there in a shorter time, it is economically cheaper and less tiring as compared to traveling via public transportation.

You might want to download a free turn-by-turn iPhone GPS app, I recommend Waze, to plan your route. Simply set your destination to "103 Yishun Avenue 1". Alternatively, you can set your route on a map via www.gothere.sg. In the search box, key in "Woodlands Checkpoint to Yishun Stadium". Select "By Driving" and the recommended route will be displayed.

Do remember to purchase your parking coupons and display them prominently upon arriving at the car park. Please read the car park's signboard carefully to determine the charges, which either be $0.50 per half an hour or $1.00 per half an hour.

Remember to plan your route home as well!


By public transport: Traveling time estimated at 50 to 60 mins, Fares estimated at S$3.80/one-way
Traveling via public transport in Singapore is indeed convenient and cheap, but it can get a little tricky for first-timers. If you decide to make the trip, here are 3 simple steps for you to watch the Harimau live in action! The trip to the stadium from Woodlands checkpoint is approximately 50 to 60 mins.



1a. From Woodlands Checkpoint: Bus 170, Bus fare S$0.80
After exiting from the immigration area, head to the bus bays. Follow the crowd and you will get there. Hop on Bus 170 to get to Kranji MRT station. Travelling time is estimated at 15 mins not including waiting time. (gothere.sg: Search "Woodlands Checkpoint to Kranji MRT", select "By Bus Only")

1b. From Woodlands Checkpoint: Bus 950, Bus fare S$0.80
After exiting from the immigration area, head to the bus bays. Follow the crowd and you will get there. Hop on Bus 950 to get to Marsiling MRT station. Travelling time is estimated at 20 mins not including waiting time. (gothere.sg: Search "Woodlands Checkpoint to Marsiling MRT", select "By Bus Only")

2. Traveling on the MRT lines: Go to Khatib, Train fare S$1.27/S$1.35
Despite Yishun Stadium being named after Yishun, the nearest MRT station is not Yishun but instead Khatib! Don't be confused and get yourself lost on match day. Hop on the Marina Bay-bound train to get to Khatib MRT station, and that will take you around 25 mins. (gothere.sg: Search "Kranji MRT to Khatib MRT" or "Marsiling MRT to Khatib MRT", select "By Train + Bus")

3. To get to Yishun Stadium: Walk/Bus, Bus fare S$0.80
Upon exiting the ticketing gates, you will notice there is a overhead bridge nearby. Cross that bridge and then walk towards your right along the 6-lane main road. After walking around 10 mins, you will spot the Yishun Stadium. Alternatively, you can also take a bus. After crossing the overhead bridge, turn left and you will see a bus-stop. Hop on Bus 39, 85, 851, 852, 854, 855, 857, 858, 965, 969 or 853C and alight one stop later. Personally though, I prefer to walk. (gothere.sg: Search "Khatib MRT to Yishun Stadium", select "By Bus Only")

**Do take note that fares shown might not be accurate.

Should you have any doubts, do refer to www.gothere.sg, search for "Woodlands Checkpoint to Yishun Stadium". To go back home, simply reverse the 3 steps.


To get to Jalan Besar Stadium:
Follow the above mentioned steps, but instead of alighting at Khatib MRT, head to Lavender MRT. From Kranji or Marsiling MRT, take the Marina Bay-bound train to City Hall MRT Station. Then cross over to the Green line, take a Pasir Ris-bound train and alight at Lavender MRT. Once there, Jalan Besar Stadium is only a 10-min walk.

Should you have any doubts, do refer to www.gothere.sg, search for "Woodlands Checkpoint to Jalan Besar Stadium" or "Lavender MRT to Jalan Besar Stadium" and select "By Train + Bus".


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This post has been edited by LionsXII: Feb 12 2012, 12:08 AM

Hi all,

Glad to see Malaysians welcoming us back. To be honest, most Singaporeans want to see our team in the Malaysia Cup as well. For many of us, with Lions XII, it is a dream come true. And we can't wait to live the dream, Number 25 can't be too far away!

The S-League has served us well. It has been there for years but falling attendance figures speak for themselves in regards for the local interest. I have always believe, to have a successful footballing city, passionate rivalry have to exist. The Liverpools have their Evertons, the Celtics have their Rangers and the Real Madrids have their Barcelonas.

But in the Singaporean League, what do we have? Woodlands vs who? Tampines vs who? Someone living in Woodlands don't really have any hatred for people in Tampines, do they? If you are not looking to beat someone with a passion, then where's the competitive spirit gonna spark? This is where Lions XII will fill the gap.

Watching Woodlands vs Tampines is like watching a kampung game, an inter-town league game at best. But playing against Malaysian States, who hates all-thing Singapore with a burning passion, we have some real rivalry to speak of.

And I guess we are all looking forward to that one. Only with a strong rivalry and an intense hatred for the other team, will supporters feel a sense of belonging and thumps their chest for every goal and victory.

No, he is playing for Gombak in the S-League. Hopefully after serving his National Service, he will link up with the LionsXII!

A little trivia:
Fareez's father, Mohd Farhan, even arranged a six-week long trial for the player at Croatian giants Dinamo Zagreb last February [2010], but the move did not work out because of administrative issues.

Dinamo wanted to keep Fareez, but were unable to sign him under new Fifa regulations in the wake of Chelsea's alleged tapping-up of French youngster Gael Kakuta in 2009.

This post has been edited by LionsXII: Jan 5 2012, 10:20 PM

Yes, I'm a Singaporean in Singapore!

I will try to inject a little Singaporean flavour into this wonderful forum. And yeah, if possible, I will try to get some photos up as well. (Though I am one who rather concentrate on the game than click my camera away...)

This post has been edited by LionsXII: Jan 5 2012, 10:23 PM

Just shoot, I will ans if I can. I still follow the S-League, but not as religiously as I used to.

Ok I just purchased my tickets for the Kelantan game. All I have to say is that, the turn out has been very encouraging. The queue was long, comparable to the ones for major national team matches. It took me an hour to get my hands on my precious tickets. All that waiting on a weekday afternoon!

Kelantan, the Lions will be waiting for you at Jalan Besar with a rocking full house.

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Added on January 6, 2012, 3:01 pmI saw the layout for the seating arrangement. The Away fans will sit opposite the grandstand nearer to the wall, the goalpost where Safi scored his first goal.

I reckon the capacity is anything in high hundreds but definitely lesser than a thousand.

This post has been edited by LionsXII: Jan 6 2012, 03:01 PM

As I have mentioned in the other thread:

FAS has allocated fix number of tickets to all MSL sides for JBS matches, and fans are encouraged to buy/book their tickets through their respective FAs. Unless contracted by the FAs themselves, it is close to impossible to get the tickets from private arrangement such as tour agency.

The Singaporeans/PR Only rule is applicable to PRE-MATCH SALES, but not to MATCH DAY SALES. Depending on ticket availability, non-Singaporeans/PRs are allowed to purchase tickets on MATCH DAY (After 5PM) itself.

LionsXII DO NOT specifically deny Malaysian fans to support their teams. The above mentioned arrangement is done due to segregated seating and also to ensure locals get their fair share of tickets.

"FAS will liaise directly with the respective visiting teams and the fans of these visiting teams will purchase their tickets directly from their respective teams." FAS Website

This post has been edited by LionsXII: Jan 6 2012, 04:35 PM

AWAY fans seat on top left, opposite the Grandstand, near the goalpost where Safi scored his first goal against Singapore.

Do make your presence felt then. The average fan is looking forward to the big game against Selangor though.

This game is shown live in Singapore, I hope it will be broadcasted free-to-air in Malaysia as well.

I read from an FB source that, 5% of the total ticket sales will be handed over to Kelantan FA, which will amount to 400 tickets. To fans of other MSL clubs, I don't expect the allocation figure to change so expect this amount to be handed to you as well.

Seems like it, since there is no other fit senior striker. Agu if he is motivated and consistent, he is sure good. We'll just have to see how to observe his attitude in the first few matches. Hope he want success as much as the fans do.

Khairul Amri will play mainly as an impact sub in the intial stage, till he gains full match fitness. But I do hope he will be back sooner rather than later. IMO, he is the best forward we have, lightning fast and absolutely lethal when fit.





Notice to MSL fans, Media today have confirmed in black and white: Foreigners are allowed to purchase tickets on Matchday.

S-League is good, but how much rivalry can there be between neighbourhood? The lack of rivalry is the No 1 reason why the Singaporean league will never take off.

On the other hand, in MSL, everyone seems to up the ante when they play against the Lions. Neutrals and even rival fans can support a MSL side when that particular side plays the Lions, just to see us beaten!

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Added on January 8, 2012, 6:49 pmThat was the plan, but now is more of a U28 side than U23 side. But only 16 Internationals, majority still U23.

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Added on January 8, 2012, 6:50 pmI think LionsXII can match or even better the MSL's average attendance. What is it, 15K I believe?

This post has been edited by LionsXII: Jan 8 2012, 06:50 PM

Thanks for your well-wishes! I'll be at Jalan Besar this Tuesday!

But regarding that Selangor thing, nah... We'll up the ante ourselves when we are playing against you! If the Sultan of Selangor Cup results are to mean anything, you guys have to really watch out for us.

Seriously, this is THE MATCH all LionsXII's fans is looking forward to. Most Singaporeans still regard Selangor as the Archrival, a worthy opponent of the Lions.

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Added on January 8, 2012, 9:52 pmALL TICKETS are sold out as of 4PM today. Kelantan can expect one hell of a welcome party with the full house at JBS!

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Added on January 8, 2012, 9:57 pmYou know this big return, it brings back all the Uncles and Aunties from the Malaysia Cup days, and they are the ones who might just form the main core of the supporters from the Lions XII. Without much persuasion, I managed to get my dad to go down to the Lions match as well. Yes there were plenty of young kids who bought the tickets, but will they stick thru the season?

But I am confident this Lions XII project can sustain attendance figure of above 6,000 at any home matches, better than any S-League matches.

This post has been edited by LionsXII: Jan 8 2012, 09:57 PM

We are building new stadium now. But the Grand Old Dame have to make way due to space constraint. Else we would have kept it while the new hub is in construction.

If there is no further screw ups, the new sports hub should be ready for the 2014 season.

Just come back from stadium. First half belonged to the Lions, all attacking and action packed from the first whistle. Too bad Forwards couldn't capitalise else we could build a comfortable lead.

Second half was real disappointing. Obviously lack of stamina and lack of ideas. Sundram need to rectify this sooner. How can players in their 30s be so much fitter than these young Lions?

But overall I guess it is not too bad. If we can match Kelantan fitness and keep up with the performance in the first half then the lions should be fine. though much to be seen regarding their away performance

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Added on January 10, 2012, 11:30 pmReferee was real disappointing, and that is an understatement!! Penalty? What penalty?

This post has been edited by LionsXII: Jan 10 2012, 11:30 PM

Full house. Had a grand opening due to first match back in Malaysian football. Fans were great, but fell silent after Kelantan equalised. Some minor scuffle at the Away section I think, but security staff snuff it out before hell broke loose.

Second half we went after the ref la, after all the dubious call esp after the penalty. Kelantan fans wasn't that many but credits to them, I think they were quite well behaved. They didn't respond to the provocative actions by our side.

It's been awhile since I last saw a local football match generating so much interest. You know the fever is back when the subways are painted red before and after the game.

No doubt you guys played really well. Former star like Indra Putra still pulling some weight even after the young Lions pancit. I really like how the midfield can control and pass the ball around intelligently.

And you guys know how close the fans are to the players at JBS? Words said on the field can be clearly heard and vice versa? I think that is gonna bring a new perspective to matchday experience. We heckled and insult the Kelantan players just waiting for a reaction

Haha, not to mention the railings are gonna block the first row spectators view!

But the design is due to the limited space la. Ground floor is the washrooms. If the stand are to be build from ground level, there are simply not enough space for other facilities because of a road behind.

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Added on January 11, 2012, 2:47 pmCheck out the King George's Stand, just behind the goalposts. Best seat in the house to mindfark the opposition goalie.

This post has been edited by LionsXII: Jan 11 2012, 02:47 PM

True this, the Causeway Derby

To Jalan Besar:
From Woodlands MRT Station, take the Marina Bay-bound train to City Hall.
Once at City Hall, take the Pasir Ris-bound train to Lavender.
To go to the stadium, just follow the crowd! JBS is just 10-mins walk away.

Another alternative;
From Larkin Bus Terminal, take SBS Bus No. 170.
Go thru' checkpoints then alight at KRANJI MRT.
From Kranji MRT, go to City Hall then Lavendar. (See above).

To go back from JBS,
From Lavender, go to City Hall.
From City Hall, go to Kranji.
From Krangi, take 170 back to Larkin.

Another faster alternative;
If I'm not wrong, near Bugis MRT, which is one station away from Lavender,
there is Singapore-Johore express buses.
So you don't need make the one-hour train trip to Kranji to go home.
Just take express bus and relax, go to checkpoints and go home.

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Added on January 14, 2012, 10:46 amNo Kedah fans to make predictions? Any chances it's a full house at Alor Star tonight?

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Added on January 17, 2012, 7:33 amThere's confirmation last night that for the second game in a row, the Lions home game is a sell-out.

KL can expect a roaring full house at the JBS tonight!

This post has been edited by LionsXII: Jan 17 2012, 07:33 AM