Malaysia Cup The HMS Malaya Cup— as this soccer competition was originally called— was inaugurated on 1 October 1921, when the captain of a British battleship, HMS Malaya, presented two trophies to commemorate rugby and soccer matches played during the battleship’s stay in Malayan waters in 1920.

Singapore was a founder member of this tournament, as were Selangor, Perak, Negri Sembilan, Malacca and Johor. Singapore played in each cup final from 1921 to 1941. It won the cup on 12 occasions, lost seven times and drew twice.

Between 1948 and 1966, Singapore played in 11 finals (winning 7 and losing 4). After 1967, when the competition was renamed the Malaysia Cup, Singapore played in ten finals (winning three and losing seven). Singapore withdrew from the competition after winning the 1994 final, as it was felt that the time had come to establish a professional league in Singapore. However, this withdrawal is widely seen as having caused a decline in spectator interest in local soccer.

Photo credit: Singapore Press Holdings/ The Straits Times