SPL roars into 24th season, but old habits die hard

Home United. Tampines Rovers. Geylang International. Warriors FC. As Singapore's traditional football powerhouses lace up their boots in preparation for their 24th Singapore Premier League (SPL) campaign, the annual tinge of excitement and anticipation that heralds the beginning of a new season is this time mixed with a slight sense of despondency.

A stuttering pre-season campaign has seen local clubs concede a total of 41 goals in 14 games to regional rivals from Thailand, Malaysia and Cambodia, while netting just 10 themselves.

Off the pitch, the 2019 season has seen the atmospheric Hougang Stadium and the footballing cathedral that is Bedok Stadium, among others, shuttered for perhaps the final time, as the Football Association of Singapore's (FAS) new stadium-sharing initiative kicks in.