Tanjong Pagar United took part in the S.League from 1996 to 2004, and from 2011 to 2014. The club withdrew from the league after the 2004 season because of financial problems, but returned in 2011, with several similar breaks meanwhile. The club has since returned from 2020 onwards.[1][2][3]
History
Early years and formation (1974–1996)
Prior to the formation of the S.League, the club were formed as Tiong Bahru Constituency Sports Club in 1975 and debuted in Division III of the National Football League, from which they were promoted as champions in 1978. This was followed by a second successive promotion in 1979, bringing the Jaguars to Division I. In 1982, they won the President's Cup and the following year, they were national league champions. They represented Singapore in the 1984 ASEAN Club Games, finishing third, then captured The Double in 1987.
The early 1990s saw further successes, as they were Pools Cup winners in 1991 and 1993, finished runners-up in the FAS Premier League from 1991 to 1993 and bagged the FA Cup in 1994.
S. League era (1996–2004)
Their strong performances led to their selection as one of eight clubs to compete in the newly 1996 S.League season, so they were renamed to Tiong Bahru Football Club and obtained a permanent home at the Queenstown Stadium.[4]
In the 2004 season, Tanjong Pagar United went through a period of difficult times where they sit at the bottom of the league table throughout the entire season. They manage to record a total of 4 wins, 5 draws and 18 losses thus seeing the club being dissolved at the end of the season due to financial problems where France defender Gimmy Bade was converted to the play in the forward position for some matches. At the end of the season, All of the club foreign players, Gimmy Bade and Jean-Marc Audemar, Benoît Salviat and Nicodeme Boucher eventually left the club.
Return of the club (2011–2014)
In the 2011 season, Tanjong Pagar United replaced Beijing Guoan Talent for the S.League spot and therefore returned to action after a six years hiatus. The Jaguars signed Korean duo Kim Seong-kyu and Kim Jong-oh, Japanese Takaya Kawanabe from J1 League side, Omiya Ardija and France player, Cyril Bagnost. The Jaguars finished the season with 3 wins, 5 draws and 27 losses finishing in 11th out of 12th position in the league.
In the 2013 season, Tanjong Pagar United reached an agreement with France head coach Patrick Vallee in which he signs France-Algerian forward duoIsmaël Benahmed and Kamel Ramdani, Brazilian-France goalkeeper Aurélien Hérisson, Moroccan Monsef Zerka and retaining Anthony Aymard for the season. The Jaguars season turned out pretty well where they finished in 6th spot out of 12th position in the league. In the 2014 season, The Jaguars signed Sébastien Etiemble to replace Ismaël Benahmed which left for USM Bel Abbès.
Second dissolvement (2015–2019)
The Jaguars also signed Germany youngster Lucas Jester for the Prime League squad. Tanjong Pagar United managed to finished in 9th spot out of 12th in the 2014 S.League which they had to dissolved the club at the end of the season due to another financial problems.
In 2017, the owners of Tanjong Pagar United stated their intent to return to Singapore Premier League for the 2019 season,[5] and in November 2017 applied to FAS to rejoin the league.[6] On the same month, the team also appeals to continue their jackpot operations, which is the source of club's income, after new regulations by the Ministry of Home Affairs forced the club to wind down their operations.[7] But after their appeals were rejected by Ministry of Home Affairs and were ordered to shut down their jackpot operations in April 2018,[8] as of September 2019, there were no further updates from the club regarding this intent.
On 26 April 2024, Tanjong Pagar United sign Zenivio from Cambodian club, Kirivong Sok Sen Chey in which he became the first Timorese player to play in the league. The club also signed former player Shodai Nishikawa for the 2024–25 season.
The Jaguars initially played their home games at the Queenstown Stadium since 1970 which can held up to a total of 3,800 spectators however as the Queenstown Stadium was occupied since 2010 by French club Étoile, Tanjong Pagar United was temporarily based at Clementi Stadium for the duration of the 2011 season. However, due to Étoile FC's withdrawal from the league by the end of the 2011 season, Tanjong Pagar United shifted back to Queenstown Stadium for the 2012 season. Ever since they reinstalled back into the league in 2020, they will share the Jurong East Stadium with Albirex Niigata (S) instead.
The 1996 season of the S.League was split into two series. Tiger Beer Series winners Geylang United defeated Pioneer Series winners Singapore Armed Forces in the Championship playoff to clinch the S.League title.
2003 saw the introduction of penalty shoot-outs if a match ended in a draw in regular time. Winners of penalty shoot-outs gained two points instead of one.
Tanjong Pagar United sat out the S.League from 2005 to 2010, and withdrew from the competition between 2015 and 2019.
