Petaling Jaya City F.C.

Petaling Jaya City FC
Full name Petaling Jaya City Council Football Club
Nickname(s) The Black Widows
Founded 1992
Dissolved 2007
Ground MPPJ Stadium
Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Ground Capacity 25,000
Owner Petaling Jaya City Council

Petaling Jaya Municipal Council Football Club or Majlis Perbandaran Petaling Jaya Football Club, (Malay: Kelab Bolasepak Majlis Perbandaran Petaling Jaya) or more commonly known as the initials MPPJ FC is a defunct Malaysian football club, which was based in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia. They used to play in the top division of Malaysian football, the Malaysia Super League. The club won the Malaysia Cup in 2003.

The club represented the Majlis Perbandaran Petaling Jaya (MPPJ) – the Petaling Jaya Municipal Council and the city of Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia. Their home stadium was the 25,000 capacity MPPJ Stadium. Despite the commercially motivated nickname of "The Black Widows", they were more fondly known as "the blue half of Selangor", comparing them to the more illustrious Selangor state team (which is a giant in Malaysian football, and dons a red and yellow kit, the colours of the state flag).

Towards the end of their existence in Malaysian football, the club were renamed as Petaling Jaya City Council Football Club or Majlis Bandaraya Petaling Jaya Football Club, (Malay: Kelab Bolasepak Majlis Bandaraya Petaling Jaya) shortened to MBPJ FC after the grant of Petaling Jaya status to city status on 20 June 2006.

History

Beginnings, ascent and success

In the 1990s, MPPJ FC moved up along the ranks of the lower leagues, winning the Selangor state league in 1999.[1] From 2000 to 2002, the club played in the nationwide amateur championship FAM Cup. MPPJ FC were promoted to Malaysia Premier League II in 2003, then the second level of Malaysia football league.

The pinnacle of their success was when the club won the Malaysia Cup in 2003, beating Sabah 3–0 with a hat-trick by the arrow-shooting, 50-goal a season, saint ('el Santo') of MPPJ FC, Juan Manuel Arostegui. In doing so, they became the first club side to win the competition (all previous winners had been sides representing state football associations).

In the next year's Malaysia Cup, the club failed to defend their title when they were knocked out at the group stage.[2] But MPPJ FC continued their ascent in the league when they were promoted to the top tier league, the newly rebranded Malaysia Super League in 2005. In their first year, they finished 5th of the 8-team league.

Decline and demise

From the top of Malaysian football, MPPJ FC suffered a startling and abrupt demise following financial problems in 2006, which were rumoured to be the result of irregularities involving the municipality.

At the start of the season, the club were nicknamed by media and fans as the 'Chelsea' of Malaysia, with big budgets towards players transfers and salaries, and also attracting big name players (local and foreign) into the team.[3] But as the season went on, the club failed to deliver on and off the pitch, with MPPJ FC only placed 5th of the 8-team league, the same as previous year. With key players deserting the team due to non-payment of salaries and bonuses, Malaysia witnessed a tumultuous end to the only club side in Malaysia which ever won the Malaysia Cup, when MPPJ FC pulled out of the league and failed to register for the 2007 season.[4][5][6]

Currently MBPJ FC only existed as in youth development of football, entering youth leagues across Selangor and Malaysia.[7]

Honours

Winners (1): 2004
Winners (1): 2003
Winners (1): 2004
Winners (1): 2004

Former head coaches


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