Football: S-League matches in 2016 season to be played on Thursday to Saturday

Tampines Rovers players celebrate after scoring a goal against Courts Young Lions on Sept 27, 2015. PHOTO: THE NEW PAPER

SINGAPORE - Clubs and fans can expect some semblance of uniformity in the upcoming S-League season, where most matches will be played from Thursday to Saturday.

There was no fixed pattern to matches last season, with some clubs waiting up to two weeks in between games. The SEA Games, which Singapore hosted last June, coupled with the haze, also led to postponed games and a scramble to finish the season on time.

For the new campaign, however, only three match days fall outside of the Thursday to Saturday - on May 4 (Wednesday), June 14 (Tuesday) and June 15 (Wednesday).

Warriors FC coach Jorg Steinebrunner believes the new fixture calendar was "a step forward" for the league. He said: "It's more structured, which gives us more rhythm and consistency in terms of training and preparation. Last season was challenging, things got a little frantic at some point, so this is certainly a step forward."

The league's curtain raiser, which doubles up as the Community Shield, is on Feb 13, and pits defending champions Brunei DPMM against RHB Singapore Cup holders Albirex Niigata. The last round of fixtures will be played on Oct 28.

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