Melaka United F.C.: Difference between revisions

| image = mufcMelaka_United.imagepng

| image size = 200px

<br /> Pelanduk (''The Mousedeer'')

| chrtitle = CEOOwner

| chairman = [[Melaka Football Association]]

| league = [[Malaysia M3Super League]]

| season = [[20232022 Malaysia M3Super League |20232022]]

| position = [[Malaysia M3Super League]], 710 th of 1412 (relegatedejected)

| current = 2023 Melaka United F.C. season

'''Melaka United Football Club''' ({{IPAc-en|m|ə|ˈ|l|ɑː|k|ə}}) was a Malaysian[[Malaysia]]n defunctprofessional [[Association football|football]] club based in [[Malacca]] that competed in the [[Malaysia Super League]]. They were owned by Kenteam Sdn Bhd, which is one of main [[nitrile glove]] producers in [[Malaysia]]. The club's home ground has been the [[Hang Tuah Stadium]], before moving to [[Hang Jebat Stadium]] in [[Paya Rumput]], [[Krubong]] in 2005. The club represented the state of [[Malacca]] in Malaysian [[association football|football]] competitions. They reached the top division in Malaysian football after back-to-back promotions as champion of the [[2015 Malaysia FAM League]] and [[2016 Malaysia Premier League]].<ref name="MUFC2015FAMLeagueChampion">[http://www.stadiumastro.com/Arena/Berita/Penuh.aspx?id=167172&title=melaka-united-layak-ke-liga-perdana Melaka United layak ke Liga Perdana] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151225183037/http://www.stadiumastro.com/Arena/Berita/Penuh.aspx?id=167172&title=melaka-united-layak-ke-liga-perdana |date=25 December 2015 }}</ref><ref>[http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/310438 Melaka United juarai Piala Liga FAM]</ref><ref name="MUFC2016PremierLeagueChampion">{{Cite web |url=http://www.stadiumastro.com/ms/article/2016/09/09/melaka-kembali-ke-liga-super-selepas-10-tahun?category=liga-perdana |title=Melaka kembali ke Liga Super selepas 10 tahun &#124; Berita Liga Perdana &#124; Stadium Astro |access-date=26 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160917202955/http://www.stadiumastro.com/ms/article/2016/09/09/melaka-kembali-ke-liga-super-selepas-10-tahun?category=liga-perdana |archive-date=17 September 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Malacca has sent a football team to play in [[Malaya Cup]] since its inaugural season in [[1921 Malaya Cup|1921]].<ref name="MCup1921">[https://www.rsssf.org/tablesm/malay21.html ] Malaysia 1921</ref> In 1924, the team has been registered and now managed by the newly formed governance body of Malacca football, the [[Melaka Football Association|Malacca Amateur Football Association (MAFA)]].<ref name="MCup1924">[https://www.rsssf.org/tablesm/malay24.html ] Malaysia 1921</ref> Since then, the football team has been competing in Malaya Cup and [[Malaysia FAM Cup|FAM Cup]] consistently. MAFA biggest achievement when they reached the final 1957 and 1958 [[Malaysia FAM Cup|FAM Cup]] led by [[Robert Choe]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thestar.com.my/metro/community/2015/08/28/merdeka-memories-former-national-sportsman-remembers-tunku-and-laments-state-of-malaysian-football|publisher= [[The Star (Malaysia)|The Star]]|title=Merdeka memories|date=28 August 2015|access-date=31 August 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920074920/https://www.thestar.com.my/metro/community/2015/08/28/merdeka-memories-former-national-sportsman-remembers-tunku-and-laments-state-of-malaysian-football|archive-date=20 September 2020|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>[https://www.rsssf.org/tablesm/malaycuphist.html#FA of Malaysia Cup Malaysia - List of Cup Winners - FA of Malaysia Cup - RSSSF]</ref>

In 1979, the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) changed the format of [[Piala Malaysia]] when they introduced the league stage that acts as the qualifying round for the knockout stage of Piala Malaysia.<ref name="MalaysiaCup1979">[https://www.rsssf.org/tablesm/malay79.html ] Malaya Cup 1979</ref><ref name="MSPFL1989">{{cite journal|doi=10.1080/00036849500000015 | volume=27 | title=The demand for Semi-Pro League football in Malaysia 1989–91: a panel data approach | journal=Applied Economics | year=1995 | pages=131–138| last1=Wilson | first1=Peter | last2=Sim | first2=Benson }}</ref> It was intended primarily as a qualifying tournament for the final knock-out stages of the Piala Malaysia where teams compete in a one-round league before advanced to the knock-out stage.<ref name="MalaysiaCup1979"/>

The football league in Malaysia has only officially started in 1982, after the introduction of league winners trophy. The league has been known as [[Liga Malaysia (1982-1988)|Liga Malaysia]].<ref name="MalaysiaCup1981">[https://www.rsssf.org/tablesm/malay81.html ] Malaya Cup 1981</ref><ref name="MSPFL82">[https://www.rsssf.org/tablesm/malay82.html ] Malaysia 1982</ref> Malacca football team continued to compete in the league and has become the champion of the league during its second season in 1983? which has been the only time the Malacca team become a champion of the top-tier league in [[Malaysian football league system|Malaysian football]].

Over the years, the league competition has gained important stature in its own right. From 1982 until 1988 the league has an amateur status and continues its purpose as qualifying round for Piala Malaysia. Only in 1989 it is changed to a new format as [[Liga Semi-Pro]] (MSPFL), introduced by FAM as a way towards fully professional status. The inaugural season of MSPFL consisted of nine teams in Division I and eight teams in Division II.<ref name="MSPFL89">[https://www.rsssf.org/tablesm/malay89.html ] Malaysia 1989</ref> Malacca has been put in Division II from 1989 to 1992 seasons.

MSPFL was the nation's top-tier league until it was succeeded by the Liga Perdana (1994–97). In its inaugural season, 16 teams competed. The teams were based from all states in Malaysia including Malacca, Kuala Lumpur and addition of two teams from [[Singapore]] and [[Brunei]].<ref name="MLeague94">[https://www.rsssf.org/tablesm/malay94.html ] Malaysia 1994</ref>

In 1998, Liga Perdana was divided into two divisions consist of [[Liga Perdana 1]] and [[Liga Perdana 2]].<ref name="mpl1and2">http://ww1.utusan.com.my/utusan/info.asp?y=1998&dt=0111&pub=Utusan_Malaysia&sec=Sukan&pg=sp_01.htm {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180302113751/http://ww1.utusan.com.my/utusan/info.asp?y=1998&dt=0111&pub=Utusan_Malaysia&sec=Sukan&pg=sp_01.htm |date=2 March 2018 }} Pemain Malaysia bebas ke Brunei</ref><ref>http://ww1.utusan.com.my/utusan/info.asp?y=1998&dt=0613&pub=Utusan_Malaysia&sec=Sukan&pg=sp_03.htm {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180302112509/http://ww1.utusan.com.my/utusan/info.asp?y=1998&dt=0613&pub=Utusan_Malaysia&sec=Sukan&pg=sp_03.htm |date=2 March 2018 }} Demam Piala Dunia rasuk Liga Perdana</ref> During 1998, Liga Perdana 1 consist of 12 teams while Liga Perdana 2 had 8 teams.<ref name="mpl1and2"/> Malacca competed in Liga Perdana 2 from 1998 until 2000, before achieving promotion to Liga Perdana 1 for 2001 season.<ref name="MLeague98">[https://www.rsssf.org/tablesm/malay98.html ] Malaysia 1998</ref>

Malacca competed in Liga Perdana 1 from 2001 until 2003.<ref name="MLeague2001">[https://www.rsssf.org/tablesm/malay01.html ] Malaysia 2001</ref><ref name="MLeague2002">[https://www.rsssf.org/tablesm/malay02.html ] Malaysia 2002</ref> Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) decided to privatise the league for 2004 season onwards, when the [[Liga Super]] was formed.

Teams in Liga Perdana 1 and Liga Perdana 2 were put through a qualification and playoffs to be promoted into the Liga Super. Malacca failed to qualify and was put into a new second-tier [[Liga Premier]] for the 2004 season.<ref name="MLeague2003">[https://www.rsssf.org/tablesm/malay03.html ] Malaysia 2003</ref>

The club has been in an up and down performance in Malaysia Premier League since the league inception. They played for three seasons and were promoted to the top-tier Malaysia Super League.<ref name="MLeague2004">[https://www.rsssf.org/tablesm/malay04.html ] Malaysia 2004</ref><ref name="MLeague2005">[https://www.rsssf.org/tablesm/malay05.html ] Malaysia 2005</ref><ref name="MLeague2006">[https://www.rsssf.org/tablesm/malay06.html ] Malaysia 2006</ref>

After a successful season in second division, the club has been promoted to the top-tier division, the Liga Super for [[2006–07 Liga Super|2006-07 season]].<ref name="MLeague2007">[https://www.rsssf.org/tablesm/malay07.html ] Malaysia 2007</ref> The club has splurged a big budget to buy players while removing majority of squsdsquad from the previous winning season, in order to create a more competitive team.

A slump in performance has caused the club struggling and fighting for relegation in their three seasons of Malaysia Premier League, from [[2007–08 Liga Premier|2008]] until [[2010 Liga Premier|2010]], before the dark era. The club has been relegated to the Malaysia FAM League for [[2011 Malaysia FAM League|2011 season]].<ref name="MLeague2008">[https://www.rsssf.org/tablesm/malay08.html ] Malaysia 2008</ref><ref name="MLeague2009">[https://www.rsssf.org/tablesm/malay09.html ] Malaysia 2009</ref><ref name="MLeague2010">[https://www.rsssf.org/tablesm/malay2010.html ] Malaysia 2010</ref>

The club has been relegated from [[2010 Malaysia Premier League]] to the Malaysia FAM League, despite being one of the bigger clubs within it.<ref name="MLeague2011">[https://www.rsssf.org/tablesm/malay2011.html ] Malaysia 2011</ref><ref name="2012MUFCSlump">http://www.sinarharian.com.my/edisi/melaka-ns/pemain-berbakat-berhijrah-punca-pasukan-bola-sepak-melaka-merosot-1.63326 Pemain berbakat berhijrah punca pasukan bola sepak Melaka merosot</ref> The club continued to compete and had been a consistent team in third-tier league for five straight seasons.<ref name="Melaka2012">http://ww1.utusan.com.my/utusan/Sukan/20121027/su_04/Sokongan-peminat-semakin-menurun---Kelab-Penyokong-Melaka Sokongan peminat semakin menurun - Kelab Penyokong Melaka</ref><ref name="MLeague2012">[https://www.rsssf.org/tablesm/malay2012.html ] Malaysia 2012</ref><ref name="MLeague2013">[https://www.rsssf.org/tablesm/malay2013.html ] Malaysia 2013</ref><ref name="MLeague2014">[https://www.rsssf.org/tablesm/malay2014.html ] Malaysia 2014</ref><ref name="MLeague2015">[https://www.rsssf.org/tablesm/malay2015.html ] Malaysia 2015</ref>

The club made a comeback to second-tier league, Malaysia Premier League, in 2016 after being promoted as champions of 2015 Malaysia FAM League. Before winning the FAM League, the club had experienced a 32-year trophy drought, where the last time Melaka United won the Malaysian top-tier league was in 1983. It was the league stage that served as the qualifying round for the Malaysian Cup.<ref name="Malaysia1983">[https://www.rsssf.org/tablesm/malay83.html ] Malaysia 1983</ref> During that time, [[Malaysia national football team|national]] footballer [[Soh Chin Ann]] was playing for Malacca<ref name="MUFCFAMLeague2015">[http://www.kosmo.com.my/kosmo/content.asp?y=2015&dt=0831&pub=Kosmo&sec=Sukan&pg=su_03.htm Melaka kembali warnai Liga M]</ref><ref>[http://www.bharian.com.my/node/78416 32 tahun ketandusan sebarang piala dalam arena bola sepak tempatan]</ref>

The club has previously been using the [[Hang Tuah Stadium]] as their home ground.It was still used as a training ground and home stadium for [[Melaka United F.C.#Development squad|development and youth]] squad, which mostly competed in [[Piala Presiden (Malaysia)|Piala Presiden]] and [[Piala Belia]].<ref name="U21Results">{{cite web|url=https://www.pengurusanbolasepakfam.org.my/livescore/index_game3?game_no=420 |title=SPMB |website=Pengurusanbolasepakfam.org.my |access-date=2016-12-23}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pengurusanbolasepakfam.org.my/livescore/resultBelia |title=SPMB |website=Pengurusanbolasepakfam.org.my |access-date=2016-12-23}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pengurusanbolasepakfam.org.my/pasukan/ligasuper2017 |title=SPMB |website=Pengurusanbolasepakfam.org.my |access-date=22 January 2017}}</ref>

|-

*; '''[[Liga Malaysia (1982-1988)|Liga Malaysia]] '''/ '''[[Liga Semi-Pro Divisyen 1]] '''/ '''[[Liga Perdana (1994–97)|Liga Perdana]] '''/ '''[[Liga Perdana 1]] '''/ '''[[Liga Super]]'''

: {{Gold1}} **'''WinnersChampions (1):''' 1983

*{{flagicon|INAMYS}} [[IlijaRobert SpasojevićChoe]]

*{{flagicon|MYS}} [[SafiqDollah RahimSalleh]]

*{{flagicon|MYS}} [[MohdV. Azizan Baba|Azizan BabaMurugan]]

*{{flagicon|MalaysiaMYS}} [[V.Amri MuruganYahyah]]

*{{flagicon|MalaysiaMYS}} [[NurshamilSafiq Abd GhaniRahim]]

*{{flagicon|MalaysiaMYS}} [[OngMohd KimAzizan SweeBaba|Azizan Baba]]

*{{flagicon|MalaysiaMYS}} [[AmriNurshamil YahyahAbd Ghani]]

* [http://footballmalaysia.com/portal/index.php/club/melaka-united/ Melaka United] at Football Malaysia]