Back in the day, Institutional clubs like Maroons FC (then called Prisons FC), Simba FC and Coffee FC formed the core of the top tier league in Uganda. Besides Express FC and SC Villa that came later, there were not so many individual clubs that had the muscle to compete at the same level as the Institutional teams.
Actually, between 1968 when the league started up to 1982 when SC Villa began their dominance, the only non-institutional club that won the league was Express FC (1974 and 1975).
League Winners between 1968-1982
- 1968: Prisons FC
- 1969: Prisons FC
- 1970: Coffee United SC
- 1971: Simba FC
- 1974: Express FC
- 1975: Express FC
- 1976: KCC FC
- 1977: KCC FC
- 1978: Simba FC
- 1979: Uganda Commercial Bank FC
- 1980: Nile Breweries
- 1981: KCC FC
- 1982: SC Villa
Additionally, only three non-institutional clubs have managed to win the league. That is; Express FC, SC Villa and Vipers SC.
However, majority of the government parastatals closed business in the 1990s while those that still existed did not find sports (in this case football) as a priority and they decided to stop funding these teams. That is how teams like Bank of Uganda, UTC, State House, Coffee among others collapsed.
At the time, such clubs were basically used as PR tools for those institutions and a way of paying back to communities through sports. But we need to appreciate that modern football has called for clubs being independent, business entities and feeding off football money.
And for clubs like Police FC, success can be burdensome. Football followers will always judge their current state against the standards of their most resounding past successes – at least those in their supporting memory. It should be noted that Police FC won a league title in 2005 and went ahead to claim the CECAFA Club Championship a year later.
Since then, they have not been competitive and have often found themselves fighting relegation. Despite being one of the best playing teams in the division this, Police FC under Abdallah Mubiru are still engulfed in the battle to fend off the relegation monster with just a point above the red zone. The biggest challenge has been largely lack of motivation with players going months minus pay.
While appearing on NBS’s The Score on Sunday, Police FC Chairman Asan Kasingye conceded he has a meagre budget on which the club operates.
“The budget to these clubs is meagre, Police FC receives UGX 20M every quarter which is UGX 60M a season, absolutely not enough to run the club,”
Last season, Police FC produced the league’s top scorer in Juma Balinya while Ben Ocen is in contention to win this season’s gong. He has 12 goals to his name, one behind leading scorer, Steven Mukwala.
Match 1: Onduparaka FC 3-0 Police FC (Walkover)
Police FC didn’t show up
Match 2: Police FC 0-2 BUL FC
Police FC Starting XI
- Davies Mutebi
- Tonny Kiwalaze
- Arafat Galiwango
- Joseph Ssentume
- Henry Katongole
- Samuel Kayongo
- Andrew Samson Kigozi
- Yusuf Ssozi
- Timothy Oyamo
- Ben Ocen
- Mubarak Nsubuga
Match 3: Police FC 0-0 Mbarara City FC
Police FC Starting XI
- Hillary Jomi
- Tonny Kiwalaze
- Arafat Galiwango
- Joseph Ssentume
- Henry Katongole
- Samuel Kayongo
- Andrew Samson Kigozi
- Yusuf Ssozi
- Timothy Oyamo
- Ben Ocen
- Mubarak Nsubuga
Match 4: SC Villa 1-1 Police FC
Goal scored by Johnson Odongo
Police FC Starting XI
- Hillary Jomi
- Tonny Kiwalaze
- Arafat Galiwango
- Joseph Ssentume
- Henry Katongole
- Samuel Kayongo
- Andrew Samson Kigozi
- Yusuf Ssozi
- Hood Kaweesa
- Ben Ocen
- Ruben Kimera
Match 5: Kyetume FC 0-1 Police FC
Goal scored by Ben Ocen
Police FC Starting XI
- Hillary Jomi
- Dennis Rukundo
- Arafat Galiwango
- Joseph Ssentume
- Henry Katongole
- Samuel Kayongo
- Andrew Samson Kigozi
- Yusuf Ssozi
- Timothy Oyamo
- Ben Ocen
- Hood Kaweesa
Match 6: Express FC 5-3 Police FC
Police FC Starting XI
Goals scored by Ben Ocen, Timothy Oyamo and Tonny Kyamera (own goal)
- Hillary Jomi
- Dennis Rukundo
- Arafat Galiwango
- Joseph Ssentume
- Henry Katongole
- Samuel Kayongo
- Andrew Samson Kigozi
- Yusuf Ssozi
- Timothy Oyamo
- Ben Ocen
- Hood Kaweesa
Match 7: Police FC 1-3 Vipers SC
Goal scored by Hood Kaweesa
Police FC Starting XI
- Hillary Jomi
- Tonny Kiwalaze
- Arafat Galiwango
- Joseph Ssentume
- Sadat Kyambadde
- Samuel Kayongo
- Andrew Samson Kigozi
- Yusuf Ssozi
- Hood Kaweesa
- Ben Ocen
- Johnson Odongo
Match 8: Busoga United FC 2-1 Police FC
Goal scored by Andrew Samson Kigozi
Police FC Starting XI
- Davies Mutebi
- Tonny Kiwalaze
- Arafat Galiwango
- Joseph Ssentume
- Sadat Kyambadde
- Samuel Kayongo
- Andrew Samson Kigozi
- Yusuf Ssozi
- Hood Kaweesa
- Ben Ocen
- Pius Kagwa
Match 9: Police FC 2-1 Wakiso Giants FC
Goals scored by Pius Kaggwa and Ben Ocen
Police FC Starting XI
- Davies Mutebi
- Tonny Kiwalaze
- Arafat Galiwango
- Sylvester Ssemakula
- Henry Katongole
- Samuel Kayongo
- Andrew Samson Kigozi
- Yusuf Ssozi
- Timothy Oyamo
- Ben Ocen
- Mubarak Nsubuga
Match 10: Maroons FC 2-1 Police FC
Goal scored by Ben Ocen
Police FC Starting XI
- Davies Mutebi
- Tonny Kiwalaze
- Arafat Galiwango
- Joseph Ssentume
- Henry Katongole
- Samuel Kayongo
- Ben Kizito
- Yusuf Ssozi
- Fahad Kizito
- Ben Ocen
- Pius Kaggwa
Match 11: Police FC 0-1 URA FC
Police FC Starting XI
- Davies Mutebi
- Dennis Rukundo
- Arafat Galiwango
- Sylvester Ssemakula
- Henry Katongole
- Samuel Kayongo
- Pius Kaggwa
- Yusuf Ssozi
- Hood Kaweesa
- Ben Ocen
- Fahad Kizito
Match 12: KCCA FC 3-2 Police FC
Goals scored by Pius Kaggwa and Ben Ocen
Police FC Starting XI
- Davies Mutebi
- Dennis Rukundo
- Arafat Galiwango
- Sylvester Ssemakula
- Henry Katongole
- Samuel Kayongo
- Pius Kaggwa
- Yusuf Ssozi
- Hood Kaweesa
- Ben Ocen
- Fahad Kakooza
Match 13: Police FC 4-0 Tooro United FC
Goals scored by Andrew Samson Kigozi (brace), Ben Ocen and Musa Matovu
Police FC Starting XI
- Davies Mutebi
- Dennis Rukundo
- Arafat Galiwango
- Sylvester Ssemakula
- Henry Katongole
- Fahad Kakooza
- Andrew Samson Kigozi
- Yusuf Ssozi
- Ruben Kimera
- Ben Ocen
- Johnson Odongo
Match 14: Bright Stars FC 1-1 Police FC
Goal scored by Ben Ocen
Police FC Starting XI
- Davies Mutebi
- Dennis Rukundo
- Arafat Galiwango
- Sylvester Ssemakula
- Henry Katongole
- Samuel Kayongo
- Ruben Kimera
- Andrew Samson Kigozi
- Johnson Ondongo
- Ben Ocen
- Fahad Kakooza
Match 15: Police FC 1-1 Proline FC
Goal scored by Ben Ocen
Police FC Starting XI
- Davies Mutebi
- Dennis Rukundo
- Arafat Galiwango
- Sylvester Ssemakula
- Henry Katongole
- Samuel Kayongo
- Pius Kaggwa
- Andrew Samson Kigozi
- Fahad Kakooza
- Ben Ocen
- Ruben Kimera
Match 16: Wakiso Giants FC 1-2 Police FC
Goals scored by Ben Ocen and Andrew Samson Kigozi
Police FC Starting XI
- Davies Mutebi
- Dennis Rukundo
- Arafat Galiwango
- Joseph Ssentume
- Henry Katongole
- Samuel Kayongo
- Pius Kaggwa
- Yusuf Ssozi
- Derrick Kakooza
- Ben Ocen
- Fahad Kizito
Match 17: Police FC 6-1 Express FC
Goals scored by Pius Kaggwa(brace), Derrick Kakooza(brace), Ben Ocen and Peter Mutebi (own goal)
Police FC Starting XI
- Davies Mutebi
- Dennis Rukundo
- Arafat Galiwango
- Sylvester Ssemakula
- Henry Katongole
- Samuel Kayongo
- Pius Kaggwa
- Yusuf Ssozi
- Hood Kaweesa
- Ben Ocen
- Fahad Kizito
Match 18: Police FC 1-0 Kyetume FC
Goal scored by Herman Wasswa
Police FC Starting XI
- Davies Mutebi
- Dennis Rukundo
- Arafat Galiwango
- Joseph Ssentume
- Henry Katongole
- Samuel Kayongo
- Pius Kaggwa
- Andrew Samson Kigozi
- Derrick Kakooza
- Johnson Odongo
- Fahad Kizito
Match 19: Proline FC 2-1 Police FC
Police FC Starting XI
- Davies Mutebi
- Dennis Rukundo
- Arafat Galiwango
- Joseph Ssentume
- Henry Katongole
- Samuel Kayongo
- Pius Kaggwa
- Johnson Odongo
- Derrick Kakooza
- Andrew Samson Kigozi
- Fahad Kizito
Match 20: Police FC 2-2 SC Villa
Goals scored by Fahad Kizito and Andrew Samson Kigozi
Police FC Starting XI
- Davies Mutebi
- Dennis Rukundo
- Arafat Galiwango
- Sylvester Ssemakula
- Henry Katongole
- Samuel Kayongo
- Pius Kaggwa
- Johnson Odongo
- Fahad Kizito
- Andrew Samson Kigozi
- Ruben Kimera
Match 21: Mbarara City FC 1-0 Police FC
Police FC Starting XI
- Davies Mutebi
- Dennis Rukundo
- Arafat Galiwango
- Joseph Ssentume
- Henry Katongole
- Samuel Kayongo
- Pius Kaggwa
- Ben Ocen
- Hood Kaweesa
- Andrew Samson Kigozi
- Fahad Kizito
Match 22: Police FC 1-2 Bright Stars FC
Goal scored by Hood Kaweesa
Police FC Starting XI
- Davies Mutebi
- Dennis Rukundo
- Arafat Galiwango
- Henry Katongole
- Samuel Kayongo
- Ruben Kimera
- Pius Kaggwa
- Ben Ocen
- Hood Kaweesa
- Andrew Samson Kigozi
- Fahad Kizito
Match 23: Tooro United FC 2-0 Police FC
Police FC Starting XI
- Davies Mutebi
- Dennis Rukundo
- Arafat Galiwango
- Allan Katwe
- Henry Katongole
- Samuel Kayongo
- Ben Ocen
- Johnson Odongo
- Hood Kaweesa
- Andrew Samson Kigozi
- Fahad Kizito
Match 24: Police FC 0-1 KCCA FC
Police FC Starting XI
- Davies Mutebi
- Dennis Rukundo
- Arafat Galiwango
- Joseph Ssentume
- Henry Katongole
- Samuel Kayongo
- Fahad Kakooza
- Johnson Odongo
- Hood Kaweesa
- Andrew Samson Kigozi
- Fahad Kizito
Match 25: URA FC 1-2 Police FC
Goals scored by Derrick Kakooza and Ben Ocen
Police FC Starting XI
- Davies Mutebi
- Dennis Rukundo
- Bashir Kabuye
- Joseph Ssentume
- Henry Katongole
- Samuel Kayongo
- Musa Matovu
- Ben Ocen
- Derrick Kakooza
- Andrew Samson Kigozi
- Timothy Oyamo