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Full Article: S.League Title Defense Successes!

With SAFFC becoming the only 3rd team to defend the league title, let us look back on how the other defending champions fared in the next season:

1996: NA
1997: Geylang (lost title with 3 rounds to go, finished 5th out of 9)
1998: SAFFC (defended title on last day on GD)
1999: SAFFC (lost title with 1 round to go, finished 2nd out of 12)
2000: Home (lost title with 4 rounds to go, finished 4th out of 12)
2001: SAFFC (lost title on last day, finished 2nd out of 12)
2002: Geylang (lost title with 6 rounds to go, finished 3rd out of 12)
2003: SAFFC (lost title with 6 rounds to go, finished 3rd out of 12)
2004: Home (lost title with 2 rounds to go, finished 2nd out of 10)
2005: Tampines (defended title with 1 round to go)
2006: Tampines (lost title with 4 rounds to go, finished 2nd out of 11)
2007: SAFFC (defended title on last day)

Geylang of 2001 & SAFFC of 2002 were the most dismal defending champs, sureendering their titles with 6 rounds to go in the next season. In terms of finishing position, Geylang of 1996 was the worst though, managing just 5th in 1997.

2005's Tampines was the most comfortable holder, having won the title with 1 round to go. The other 2 successful title defenses (by SAFFC) only happened on the last day of the season (one of them even on G/D!).