Malaysian Semi-Pro Football League
| Country |
 Malaysia |
|---|---|
| Confederation | AFC |
| Founded | 1979 |
| Folded | 1993 |
| Divisions | 1-2 |
| Number of teams | 17 |
| Level on pyramid | 1-2 |
| Domestic cup(s) | Malaysia Cup |
Malaysian Semi-Pro Football League (MSPFL) or Semi-Pro League is a semi-pro football league in Malaysia. It was established in 1979 as amateur competition before changes in 1989 as a semi-pro competition. The league consist of two divisions which where nine teams are in Division I and eight teams in Division II. It also served as the preliminary round for the Malaysia Cup. Under the new format, only the top six teams in Division I and the Division II champions and runners-up will be involved in the Malaysia Cup. Malaysia Cup was played from the quarter-final stage, scheduled for November after the league was finished. The Malaysia Cup quarter-final and semifinal matches will be played on a home and away basis.[1]
The league was the nation's top-tier league until it was succeeded by the formations of professional football league, Malaysia Premier League in 1994 by Football Association of Malaysia.
History
Origin
The concept of an annual competition between the states in Malaysia goes back more than 95 years. In 1967 the Malaya Cup was replaced by the Malaysia Cup but the essentially amateur ethos continued until the MSPFL was introduced by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) in 1979 as a 'halfway house' towards full professional status.[2] This football league competition involving the representative sides of the state football associations was first held in Malaysia in 1979. When it began, it was intended primarily as a qualifying tournament for the final knock-out stages of the Malaysia Cup. It was not until 1982 that a League Cup was introduced to recognise the winners of the preliminary stage as the league champions. Over the years, the league competition has gained important stature in its own right. From 1982 until 1988 the league is an amateur status and was just recognized as Malaysian League.
Semi-Pro league system (1989-1993)
In early days, Malaysian football league system consist of amateur league before the changes in 1989 when it was known fully as the Malaysian Semi-Pro Football League from 1989 to 1993.
Initially the only teams allowed to participate in the league were the state FA's sides, teams representing the Armed Forces and the Police, and teams representing the neighbouring countries of Singapore and Brunei (though the Football Association of Singapore pulled out of the Malaysian League after the 1994 season following a dispute with the Football Association of Malaysia over gate receipts, and has not been involved since).
In 1989 to 1993, Malaysian Semi-Pro Football League, the football league in Malaysia was divided into two levels:
- First Division: Malaysia League Division I
- Second Division: Malaysia League Division II
The inaugural season of MSPFL consisted of nine teams in Division I and eight teams in Division II. The Malaysian Police joined Division II in 1990. Games were played on a home and away basis for about four months roughly between the end of April or early May and the end of August or early September.
For the first season three points were awarded for a win, one for a draw and none for a loss, but in subsequent seasons this was changed to a 2,1,0 basis. At the end of the League competition the top three placed teams in both Divisions received prize money while two were relegated/promoted and a play off was staged between the eighth placed team in Division I and the third placed team in Division II. The top six teams in Division I and top two in Division II also proceeded to the quarter-finals of the Malaysia Cup.
With the advent of two divisions in Malaysian Semi-Pro Football League in 1989, Malaysia FAM Cup becomes the third-tier competition. In 1993, the format of the FAM Cup was changed to include a two-group league followed by the traditional knockout format.
1989 season
In 1989, the league consist of teams as below:
Division I: Pahang, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Kedah, Penang, Kelantan, Sarawak, Johor and Selangor.
Division II: Malacca, Armed Forces, Negri Sembilan, Perlis, Terengganu, Brunei, Sabah and Perak.
See also
References
- ↑ http://www.rsssf.com/tablesm/malay89.html Malaysia 1989
- ↑ http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00036849500000015 The demand for Semi-Pro League football in Malaysia 1989–91: a panel data approach