Enterprise Football League

Enterprise Football League
Current season, competition or edition:
Current sports event Enterprise Football League 2008
SportFootball
Founded1982
Ceased2009
No. of teams4
Country Republic of China

The Enterprise Football League (Chinese: 企業足球聯賽), formerly known as the National Football League (Chinese: 全國足球聯賽) or the National First Division Football League (Chinese: 全國甲組足球聯賽), was the highest-ranked football league in the Republic of China (Taiwan). It was governed by the Chinese Taipei Football Association (CTFA) and considered semi-professional. The competition was ended in 2009 following a change in regulations and a merger into the Intercity Football League.

History

The National Football League was founded by the Chinese Taipei Football Association (CTFA) in 1982 after popular interest motivated by 1982 FIFA World Cup. The CTFA planned to include it as part of the annual football season along with the other three cup competitions: Chung Cheng Cup (中正盃), Li Hui-tang Cup (李惠棠盃), and CTFA Cup (足協盃). The first league season featured 7 teams: Flying Camel, Taipei City Bank, Taiwan Power Company, Thunderbird, Lukuang, Taiwan Provincial College of Physical Education, and Taipei Physical Education College.[1]

After 2006, the CTFA changed the name of the league to the Enterprise Football League in an attempt to attract more attention and financial support from successful Taiwanese enterprises. Fubon Financial became the major sponsor, and therefore the league was also known as the Fubon Enterprise Football League (Chinese: 富邦企業足球聯賽). The number of teams participating in the league was also reduced from eight to four by excluding college and high school teams in an attempt to make the league more professional. Nevertheless, there are currently only two semi-professional clubs remaining: Tatung F.C. and Taiwan Power Company F.C.

In November 2007, the CTFA announced that they would not hold further Enterprise Football League seasons after 2009.[2] The Intercity Football League replaced the Enterprise Football League to become the top-ranked league in Taiwan.

Teams

Team Location Number of appearances Record streak First appearance Most recent appearance Best result (season)
Chinese Taipei U-23 *
2008 name: Fubon Financial
Tsoying, Kaohsiung 3 3 2006 2008 3rd (2006, 2007)
I-Shou University *
2008 name: E-United Group
Kaohsiung County 1 1 2008 2008 -
Ming Chuan University *
2008 name: Bros Sports
Taipei City 5 4 2001-02 2008 3rd (2001–02, 2004)
National Sports Training Center * Tsoying District, Kaohsiung 25 25 1983 2008 2nd (1984, 1991, 2007)
National Taiwan College of Physical Education *
2008 name: Molten Tso I
Taichung City 23 22 1983 2008 3rd (1997, 2002–03)
Taipei Physical Education College *
2008 name: Hun Sing
Songshan District, Taipei 23 22 1983 2008 6th (2005)
Taiwan Power Company F.C. Fongshan City, Kaohsiung County 25 25 1983 2008 1st (1987, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2004, 2007)
Tatung F.C. Taipei City 21 21 1986 2008 1st (2005, 2006)

* Not a club team.


Results

Season Champion Runner-up Third place Fourth place
2008
Details
Taipower Tatung Taiwan PE College
(as Molten Tso I)
Taipei PE College
(as Hun Sing)
2007
Details
Taipower NSTC
(as Kenting Chateau)
Chinese Taipei U-23
(as Fubon Financial)
Tatung
2006
Details
Tatung Taipower Chinese Taipei U-23
(as China Steel)
NSTC
(as Fubon Financial)
2005
Details
Tatung Taipower NSTC Ming Chuan University[broken anchor]
2004
Details
Taipower Tatung Ming Chuan University[broken anchor] Taiwan PE college
2002/03
Details
Taipower Tatung Taiwan PE college Ming Chuan University[broken anchor]
2001/02
Details
Taipower Tatung Ming Chuan University[broken anchor] Taiwan PE college
2000/01
Details
Taipower Tatung Wei Dan Taiwan PE College
1999
Details
Taipower Tatung Lukuang Taiwan PE college
1998
Details
Taipower Taipei City Bank Flying Camel Taiwan PE College
1997
Details
Taipower Tatung Taiwan PE College Taipei City Bank
1996
Details
Taipower Tatung Taipei City Bank Flying Camel
1995
Details
Taipower Tatung Taipei City Bank Lukuang
1994
Details
Taipower Taipei City Bank Lukuang Flying Camel
1993
Details
Flying Camel Taipower Taipei City Bank Tatung
1992
Details
Taipower Tatung Flying Camel Lukuang
1991
Details
Taipei City Bank Lukuang Taipower Tatung
1990
Details
Taipower Taipei City Bank Lukuang Tatung
1989
Details
Taipei City Bank Flying Camel Lukuang Taipower
1988
Details
Flying Camel Taipower Lukuang Taipei City Bank
1987
Details
Taipower Flying Camel Taipei City Bank Lukuang
1986
Details
Taipei City Bank Flying Camel Lukuang Taipower
1985
Details
Flying Camel Taipei City Bank Lukuang Taipower
1984
Details
Flying Camel Lukuang Taipei City Bank Taipower
1983
Details
Flying Camel Taipei City Bank Taipower Lukuang

Performance by team

Team Winners Runners-up Winning Years
Taipower 15 4 1987, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2004, 2007, 2008
Flying Camel 5 3 1983, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1993
Taipei City Bank 3 5 1986, 1989, 1991
Tatung 2 9 2005, 2006
NSTC (Lukuang) 0 3

Promotions and relegations

Year Promotions Relegations
1983 Jinwen None
1986 Tatung Jinwen
1987 Kun Shan Taiwan PE College
1988 Jing-feng, Taiwan PE College Taipei PE College, Thunderbird
1989 Taipei PE College, Jinwen Jing-feng, Kun Shan
1990 Jing-feng, Thunderbird Taipei PE College, Jinwen
1991 Maritime College Thunderbird, Taiwan PE College
1993 Thunderbird, Jun Li Construction None
1994 Taiwan PE College, Hai San Jing-feng, Thunderbird
1995 Thunderbird, Ming Chuan Taiwan PE College, Hai San

See also

Notes and references

  1. ^ There were actually 8 teams in Taiwan's first division football at the time. Besides the 7 participating teams, Loyal Camel was unable to register to for the competition due to a lack of funding.
  2. ^ 【城市聯賽】2009城市聯賽 升降級、屬地主義上路 (in Chinese). Chinese Taipei Football Association. November 25, 2008. Archived from the original on January 3, 2009.