Slokaisian Premier League
| Liga Premier Slokaisian | |
 | |
| Abbreviation | SPL |
|---|---|
| Formation | 2001 |
| Founded at | San Fernando, Slokais Islands |
| Type | Association Football League |
| Headquarters | San Fernando, Slokais Islands |
| Website | SPL.si |
The Slokaisian Premier League (Spanish: Liga Premier Slokaisian) is the top flight of association football in Slokais Islands, created in 2001 as a level above the Liga 1.
History[edit | edit source]
In 1999, the Slokais Islands Football Association began discussing creating a more elite version of the first division. In previous seasons, a few clubs had dominated, leading to smaller clubs having little to no chance of winning the league. In 2000, the Slokasian Premier League was created by the league's first commissioner, Henry Montez. Montez designed an 8-team league system, with the top 8 teams from the 2000-2001 season being the league's first members. Due to the limited number of teams with just 8, the SPL operated from August to January playing 15 matches which allowed for greater participation and focus on the Association Cup and various Provincial Championships
During the league's first seasons, Northrock United and New Liverpool FC dominated often finishing first and second every season. After 2008, the league was expanded to a 12-team system and a full seasonal schedule to better align with other leagues around the world, additionally relegation was expanded to guarantee a spot for the Liga 1 Champion. This meant, there was a second season in 2008, lasting from January to May, known as SPL Rush, which included experimental rules such as penalties if a match was tied after 90 minutes. This led to Pindai United, winning there first and only league title.
Structure[edit | edit source]
The SPL is made of 12 teams, with 1-2 teams being relegated and one to two teams being promoted every season from Liga 1. The SPL season is divided into two main phases; the League phase consists of 33 games, with each team playing each other 3 times (home, away, and a rotating home/away game). From there, the top-6 teams enter the Leaders Phase while the bottom 6 enter the Playoff Phase. The Leaders Phase consists of 10 matches, with each team playing each other twice (home and away). The top 3 teams the Phase, including the SPL Champion qualify for the UHFA Elite Championship and the 4th and 5th-placed teams make the UHFA Competitors League. In the Playoff Phase, teams play 10 additional games, including a concurrent Showdown Sunday at 1:00 PM on the final day of the season. The 12th-placed team is relegated automatically to Liga 1, with the 11th-placed team playing against the winner of the Liga 1 Promotion Playoff. Additionally, every team makes the League Cup (known as the Gatling Beer League Cup since 2018), the Association Cup which consists of all professional and semi-pro clubs with SPL teams entering in later rounds. Additionally, all SPL clubs are in various Provincial Championships which are dictated by local FA's although SPL teams are allowed to field U-21 teams in early stages to help with load and game management.
Teams receive 3 points for a win, 1 for a tie, and 0 for a loss. Tiebreaks between teams are first calculated by goal difference, then goals scored, then fair play points (Yellow Cards + Red Cards). If two teams remain tied on points before tiebreakers at the end of a season with either the title or relegation on the line, a single match is played between the two teams, if the match remains tied after extra time, penalties are taken. The season occurs yearly from September to May with breaks for international club or national team competitions.
Rules[edit | edit source]
The SPL operates under standard international footballing rules in terms of the game itself. Video Assistant Referee (VAR) was introduced in the 2020-2021 Season and is managed by an independent panel of referees who communicate decisions to match officials via a designated monitor area. 5 substitutes are allowed per team, per match with a requirement that at least two academy players must feature in every squad or face financial penalties. The most consequential SPL league rule is on the inclusion of foreign players. As part of an effort to develop domestic talent for the national team in 2014, no more then 8 players on a squad at one time can be foreign. Critics have argued this has prevented large transfers of some foreign players and has hindered development and popularity in some foreign markets. Since the rule's introduction, proponents of the rule have argued the rule has led to greater parity between teams as larger clubs no longer but experienced foreign players but must rather focus on cultivation of local talent.
| Team | City | Stadium | Founded | Joined League | Titles | Last Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Liverpool FC | New Liverpool | New Liverpool Stadium | 1905 | 2001 | 8 | 3rd: UHFA Elite Championship |
| San Fernando FC | San Fernando | Promenade Stadium | 1905 | 2001 | 1 | 7th |
| Southland Athletics | Southland | Crawford Road | 1941 | 2001 | 0 | 4th: UHFA Competitors League |
| Kaijan City Dragons | Kaijan City | Kaijan National Stadium | 1975 | 2001 | 1 | 5th: UHFA Competitors League |
| Northrock United | New Liverpool | SunTech Stadium | 1938 | 2001 | 9 | 2nd: UHFA Elite Championship |
| Ambonar United | Xulin | Dah Garai Stadium | 1945 | 2002 | 2 | Champions: UHFA Elite Championship |
| Weston Road Wolves | Weston | XI Park | 1927 | 2001 | 1 | 4th: UHFA Competitors League |
| Atlético Ciudad Victoria | Victoria City | Estadio Municipal | 1952 | 2008 | 1 | 6th |
| San Jose Titans | San Jose | HMG Park | 1990 | 2001 | 1 | 10th |
| Docklands FC | Kaijan City | D2 Arena | 2008 | 2015 | 0 | 11th |
| Acadia Oaks United | San Lucas | Talk Social Stadium | 1974 | 2014 | 0 | 9th |
| Salvador City Pythons | San Fernando | Midway Road Park | 1980 | 2019 | 0 | 8th |
Seasons[edit | edit source]
| Season | Champions | League Cup Champion | Top Scorer (Goals) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Northrock United (1) | San Fernando FC (1) | Martin Juarezara (21) Southland Athletics |
| 2003 | New Liverpool FC (1) | New Liverpool FC (1) | Martin Juarezara (19) New Liverpool FC |
| 2004 | Northrock United (2) | Northrock United (1) | Louis Henderson (27) Northrock United |
| 2005 | Northrock United (3) | Pindai United (1) | Tied: Louis Henderson, Shen Yu-Jiou (20) |
| 2006 | New Liverpool FC (2) | New Liverpool FC (2) | Louis Henderson (22) Northrock United |
| 2007 | Northrock United (4) | Northrock United (2) | Martin Juarezara (24) New Liverpool FC |
| 2008 | Pindai United (1) | New Liverpool FC (3) | Shen Yu-Jiou (15) Pindai United |
| 08-09 | New Liverpool FC (3) | San Fernando FC (2) | Sergio Rosales (20) New Liverpool FC |
| 09-10 | Northrock United (5) | Northrock United (3) | Louis Henderson (32) Northrock United |
| 10-11 | Kaijan City Dragons (1) | New Liverpool FC (4) | Ali Bin Zaed (22) Kaijan City Dragons |
| 11-12 | New Liverpool FC (4) | Northrock United (4) | Sergio Rosales (19) New Liverpool FC |
| 12-13 | Northrock United (6) | Northrock United (5) | Cho Young-Jin (20) Northrock United |
| 13-14 | San Fernando FC (1) | New Liverpool FC (5) | Sergio Rosales (25) New Liverpool FC |
| 14-15 | Northrock United (7) | Northrock United (6) | Cho Young-Jin (23) Northrock United |
| 15-16 | New Liverpool FC (5) | New Liverpool FC (6) | Ali Bin Zaed (22) Kaijan City Dragons |
| 16-17 | Atlético Ciudad Victoria (1) | Southland Athletics (1) | Joseph Monejo (20) Atlético Ciudad Victoria |
| 17-18 | New Liverpool FC (6) | Northrock United (7) | Theodore Zavala (22) New Liverpool FC |
| 18-19 | San Jose Titans FC (1) | Weston Road Wolves (1) | Paulo Fedak (18) Docklands FC |
| 19-20 | Northrock United (8) | San Fernando FC (3) | Quentin Henderson (20) San Fernando FC |
| 20-21 | New Liverpool FC (7) | Docklands FC (1) | Theodore Zavala (19) New Liverpool FC |
| 21-22 | Northrock United (9) | Northrock United (8) | Johnthan Kai-Yuen (27) Acadia Oaks United |
| 22-23 | Weston Road Wolves (1) | Northrock United (9) | Quentin Henderson (21) Northrock United |
| 23-24 | New Liverpool FC (8) | Southland Athletics (2) | Theodore Zavala (25) New Liverpool FC |
| 24-25 | Ambonar United (1) | Ambon United (1) | Theodore Zavala (20) New Liverpool FC |
| 25-26 | Ambonar United (2) | New Liverpool FC (7) | Tied: Collin Kinnley New Liverpool FC, David Jimyrajong Ambonar United (18) |