Balestier Khalsa (Singapore)

Balestier Khalsa FC is a football club from Singapore who were formed from a merger in 2002 to compete in the S.League. The merger came from the following clubs:

Balestier Central FC was formed on the 10th October 1898 as Fathul Karib FC, playing in the Farrer Park area of the island. The club lifted the Singapore Cup in 1958, before changing their name to Balestier United Recreation Club in April 1975, at which point they joined the inaugural National League. 

In 1988, Balestier joined the Singapore Premier League, which was the forerunner to the S.League. The national cup was won once more in 1992. As a founder member of the S.League in 1996, the club changed its name to Balestier Central.

Toa Payoh Stadium

Clementi Khalsa FC served the Sikh community of Singapore, playing out of Clementi Stadium as they joined the S.League in 1999. Following the merger, the club took up residence at Toa Payoh Stadium and won the League Cup Plate in 2012 after a decade of average league finishes. They went one better in September 2013 as DPMM were hammered 4-0 as the League Cup was won.

The experienced Croatian coach Marko Kraljević took over team affairs in the 2014 season with the first-ever marquee signing, the Croatian striker Goran Ljubojević, providing the goals, while the team was runners-up in the FA Cup, losing on penalties to Singapore Recreation Club.

Bishan Stadium, home to Balestier from 2024

The final of the League Cup was reached the following season, ending in defeat to Albirex Niigata. Sixth place in the 2018 league season was a marked improvement, before the arrival of new coach Khidhir Khamis in February of the following year. The club moved into Bishan Stadium in 2020 under returning coach Kraljević.

Toa Payoh Stadium became Balestier's home again in 2021, as Peter de Roo was put in charge of team affairs a year later as the side finished fourth, a performance that was repeated in 2024-25 after the club had moved into Bishan Stadium. Kraljević began a third spell as coach in June 2025.

Balestier Khalsa FC will play in the Singapore Premier League in the 2025-26 season.

My visit

Toa Payoh Stadium

Wednesday 29th October 2014

Few things in life give me as much satisfaction as a day off in a new area with a travel pass and information about local football. I needed no second invitation to go out and explore. Determined to keep to a strict budget and live like a local, I’d eaten chicken and rice at a small café at Aljunied station. 

Getting to Toa Payoh necessitated a couple of changes, which took some getting used to, as did standing on the left of the escalator rather than the right, as in London. Eventually, I arrived and was soon out in the searing heat. Fortunately, the stadium didn’t seem too far away according to my pre-printed map. 

Indeed, I thought it was closer than I thought, only to find out the first towering stand and floodlights belonged to an adjoining swimming complex. The Toa Payoh Stadium was just a little further. The gates were open, and locals were using the athletics track around the pitch as well as a pleasant path inside the arena.

The Main Stand ran the full length of one side. Like most structures in Singapore, the majority was taken up by large smooth concrete steps, but only the centre had proper plastic seating. The far side had a section of open seating, as did both curves behind the goal. I walked all the way around the arena to take advantage of all angles for photos. 

It really was a stunning day, but the humidity was soon taking effect. I wasn’t upset to catch a bus back to the interchange, even though it was a short distance. The water inside the complex was really appreciated. I was underway on my first groundhop in Singapore, and first impressions were good!

Unfortunately, on my return to the UK, I had a bit of a disaster with my laptop, losing most of my Singapore pictures. Therefore, most images on this page have been taken from the internet.