Perlis FA State Football Team

Perlis FA State Football Team, also known as Perlis FA, was a football team based in Kangar, Perlis, run and managed by the Perlis Football Association (PFA). The team was founded in 1963.
It was one of the 14 state teams of the Malaysian [football league system|Malaysian football] structure, before the Malaysian football league demanded all teams competing in the country's top two leagues to be run as professional clubs by 2021. Perlis FA was funded and run by a state football association that relied mostly on state government grants. There were plans to privatize the team after Ahmad Amizal Shaifit Ahmad was elected PFA president in 2018, but the move did not materialise because the association fell into financial crisis the following year. Their participation in the Malaysian football league was subsequently cancelled.

History

The team had a long-standing rivalry with Kedah FA, the two northern teams collectively known as the "Northern Derby". Their home was the 20,000-seat Tuanku Syed Putra Stadium, built in 1995 to replace the Dato' Sheikh Ahmad Stadium. Perlis had their first major success in the 2004 season, when they won the Malaysia Cup. They went on to win the Malaysian top-tier league, the Malaysian Super League, in 2005. They won another Malaysia Cup in 2006. In the Malaysia FA Cup, they were beaten finalist three times, in 2003, 2006 and 2007. The team had also won the Malaysian Charity Shield, also known as the Piala Sumbangsih, in 2007 and 2008. As for continental tournaments, 2006 was their debut playing in the AFC Cup. They did qualify for the 2010 edition of the AFC Cup, but withdrew from the competition.

Shahidan Kassim era

Perlis FA's most successful era was during the time when Shahidan Kassim was president of the Perlis Football Association from 1998 to 2013. His tenure as PFA president ended after the team has been struggling financially. The team served a two-year FIFA suspension for failing to settle salary arrears of players and coaches in 2019.

Crest and colours

Perlis played their home matches wearing primarily yellow shirts, which sometimes had touch of blue colour. The colours for the kit were inspired by the colours of the Malaysian state of Perlis flag, which is yellow and blue.

Supporters

The Perlis FA state team had supporters' group known as the Ultras Perlis – Brigate Gialloblu which was established in 2011. When attending matches played by Perlis FA, the group could be recognised by their black outfits while sporting yellow and blue scarfs.