Commonwealth League

This article is for the top flight of Haesanite association football. For the baseball league subdivision, see Haesanite National League.

Commonwealth League

국가 축구 리그
Abbreviation	HCL
Formation	1883
Founded at	Suyang, Haesan
Type	Association Football League
Headquarters	Suyang, Haesan
Website	hcl.hn

The Commonwealth League (Korean: 국가 축구 리그) is the top flight of Haesanite association football, founded in 1883 and held continuously since 1969.

League Structure

The league is composed of 20 teams from across Haesan. Three points are awarded for a win, one for a drawn match, and zero for a loss. Each team in the league plays 38 matches across a season, at home and on the road against every other team in the league. The bottom two teams are relegated to the Seollim Hana League, and the 18th place team in the Commonwealth League plays the 3rd place team in the Hana League in a home-and-away promotion series at the conclusion of the season where the winner will play in the Commonwealth League and the loser will play in the Hana League the following season. Unlike other top-flight leagues, the Commonwealth League has a unique tiebreak system, where all teams with the same number of points are first compared on the basis of points earned in head-to-head matches against the other teams they are tied with, then on the basis of goal differential in those ties, and only then by goal difference overall. If teams remain tied, then tie break match(es) may be scheduled, or if the tie is inconsequential (i.e. qualification for Hesperidan competition, the league lead, or relegation is not at play) then the two teams can agree to waive the match and remain tied in the standings, although this has never occurred.

History

Origins: 1883-1941

The Commonwealth League was founded as the Royal Association Football League of the Haesanite Colony in 1883 on the mandate of the Opthelian Royal Governate of the Orient, with the first match being played in Solesly on the grounds of the Palace of the Seven Duchesses between Suyang Dockworkers and Sinju Unified Athletes. The league was founded with six teams, nearly entirely comprised of industrial workers and not profession, who played each other home and away. Travel during the early years was difficult as even with cross-country rail lines, often times travel to and from the northern teams in Anfa and Levesque was delayed by poor weather conditions or hazards on the tracks throughout the various mountain passes along the route. As such, games were often unpredictable spectacles, and even without dedicated start times, matches still drew tens of thousands of spectators.

By the time of Haesanite independence, the league had greatly expanded, and clubs had developed passionate fan bases. The league was renamed to the Association Football League of the Haesanite Commonwealth, a name that would later be officially contracted into the Commonwealth League. The post independence period saw teams from the north of the country like Club Cité, CF Riverain, and Levesque CF dominate the league, winning 15 of 17 Commonwealth Shields between 1921 and 1938. While very rarely a Maximusian, Slokasian, or Laeralian player would join a club, international players were exceedingly rare.

Political and Economic Upheaval: 1942-1971

After the April Coup led to the establishment of an authoritarian government in Haesan in 1942, the Commonwealth League found itself on the brink of collapse after the government decreed football an "uncouth sport" due to concerns about hooliganism and football associations being used as possible mechanisms for protest against authoritarian rule, instead funding the more "genteel and respectable" sport of baseball. As a result attendance declined as many feared reprisal if they were seen at football matches, and after already sustaining the effects of an economic downturn in the late 1930s, some clubs, even successful ones like CF Riverain, were forced to shut down. Matches were often shut down throughout the 1940s and early 1950s by police intervention, and no season from 1942 to 1960 saw all scheduled matches completed. Matches were often played behind closed doors, and some teams, especially Suyang City, routinely scheduled matches in darkness to avoid disruption. While the first Lagarde government had reduced restrictions on the game in the late 1950s and early 1960s, the league was cancelled for nearly from the 1963-64 season until the 1971-72 season due to the outbreak of the Great War.

Teams

Team	City	Team Nickname	Stadium	Capacity	First Season	Current Spell	Last Shield
Anmi FC	Anmi, Namhae	Archers	Anmi Muncipal Stadium	52,810	1883–1884	1987–	2006–2007
Astra Haseon FC	Haseon, Seocheon	Snowies	Haseon City Park	36,282	2012–2013	2024–	—
Byeolbam AC	Junyeol, Haebam	Starry Night	Byeolbam Stadium	25,755	2016–2017	2021–	—
Cheonpung Sanri AC	Sanri, Maehwa	Miners	Cheonpung Athletics Center	33,891	1997–1998	2017–	—
Club Cité d'Anfe	Anfa, Anfa	Burgundies	Stade Anfois	82,730	1883–1884	1883–	2022–2023
Coastal FC	Munseong, Namhae	Seagulls	Haeyang Chukgujang	40,491	1901–1902	2014–	1938–1939
Hansaeng Jeonyu FC	Jeonyu, Imyu	Silver Whales	Hansaeng Arena	41,925	1946–1947	2004–	1993–1994
Hyangsan Athletic FC	Hyangsan, Sugang	Camellias	Camellia Park	46,192	1883–1884	1978–	2017–2018
Hwagang Capitol FC	Hwagang, Hwagang CR	Nationals	Hwagang Capitol Stadium	58,281	1980–1981	2015–	1988–1989
Jeongmi Hanyeong FC	Hanyeong, Sinhan	Cranes	Jeongmi Park	38,075	1924–1925	2009–	1974–1975
Levesque CF	Levesque, Northlands	Guerriers du Lac	Parc du Nord	47,483	1883–1884	1961–	2001–2002
CF Marchal	Anfa, Anfa	Les Riverains	Stade Rivière Marchal	44,087	1924–1925	1988–	2011–2012
AFC Seorin	Suyang, Suyang	Metropolitans	Suyang Stadium	92,080	1901–1902	1997–	2023–2024
Seowon FC	Seowon, Sugang	Gardeners	Seowon Garden	26,499	1996–1997	2001–	—
Sinju AC	Sinju, Sinhan	Ghosts	Sinju Park	68,570	1883–1884	1943–	2014–2015
Sinju Gwanak FC	Gwanak, Sinhan	Spirits, Suburbans	Gwanak Arena	28,861	2023–2024	2023–	—
Southerly FC	Altina, Southern Maritimes	Palms	Caye Stadium	18,820	2020–2021	2023–	—
Suri Gyeongseong FC	Gyeongseong, Ryujang	Easterlies	Gyeongseong Park	37,494	1924–1925	2022–	—
Suyang City FC	Suyang, Suyang	Tridents, Blues	Marsh Ground	66,463	1883–1884	2005–	2020–2021
Union Constantia FC	Constantia, Southern Maritimes	Sailors	Union Stadium	23,473	2024–2025	2024–	—