Global F.C.

History

It was founded in March 2000 when a group of football enthusiasts from Tacloban formed a weekly football practice as their leisure activity. They then started participating in minor tournaments around Manila. The founders hired the team's players from employees at the company Autre Porte Technique Global, then joined the 2009 UFL Cup, which was created to determine the composition of teams that would play in the league. Global concluded their campaign by finishing in the plate cup knockout stages, sending them to Division II. During the following years, Global began to compete in national and international competitions, including the AFC President's Cup and National Men's Club Championship.

The team started in the 2010 United Football League, which they won and remained undefeated over the entire season. Their victories led to promotion into Division I for the first time. In 2012, Global captured their first Division I title on goal difference. Their victory meant that they automatically qualified for the 2013 AFC President's Cup, making them the first Filipino club to do so. However, they were eliminated in the group stages. They also played in the United Football League Cup, which they have won once (in 2010). Global has also won the National Men's Club Championship once (in 2011).

Foundation and early years

The club was founded in March 2000 when a group of football enthusiasts from Tacloban formed a weekly football practice as their leisure activity. The group played their first weekly football games behind the Quezon City hall, and later moving to the Sunken Garden football field inside the University of the Philippines Diliman. Then they began to participate in minor tournaments around Manila, including the Alaska Cup, the Kia Cup, and Ang Liga, under the name "Laos F.C." After hiring football players from employees at a railway company Autre Porte Technique Global, they decided in 2009 that the club would be renamed to Global Football Club. Dan Palami, the chief executive officer of the railway company, was hired as the owner of Global.

Eventually, they joined the 2009 UFL Cup, with Smartmatic as their corporate sponsor. Global competed in Group B and finished third at the group stages, advancing them to the plate cup single-elimination tournament. Because of this, they would play at Division II in the United Football League. Global is one of the founding club members in the competition.

2010–2013

In 2010, Global made its debut in the inaugural season of the United Football League (UFL) as a Division II team. They went undefeated throughout the season to secure a promotion to Division I. They were also victorious in the league cup after defeating Philippine Air Force in the finals. Franklin Muescan, the current head coach of that time then led his team to a second-place finish in their first appearance in the top-tier 2011 United Football League. After an opening match against Stallion in the 2011 UFL Cup, the owner of the team, Dan Palami, hired Australian Graeme Mackinnon as head coach. Global would be later eliminated by the Philippine Air Force in the semi-finals. Global also made their first appearance at the 2011 National Men's Club Championship after it was established in the same year. They won over San Beda FC in the finals making the first champion of the tournament.

Global then finished the 2012 league season tied with Kaya but claimed their first Division I title in goal difference. Because of their victory in the league, Global advanced to the 2013 AFC President's Cup and was the first Filipino football club to qualify for the tournament since its inception in 2005, but they were eliminated early in the group stages. Global began to compete at the 2012 UFL Cup in the second group and finished unbeaten. Global survived the knockout stages and Stallion won the trophy over an "upset" against them.

Graeme Mackinnon resigned as the coach for Global at the end of the 2012 UFL season because of family concerns about the destruction of Tropical Storm Washi in Mindanao where his family lived. After a month-long search for a replacement, former Ayr United manager Brian Reid was signed for the position. He was in charge of the club's campaign in the President's Cup. In the fourth season of the UFL, Global finished second, three points beneath the top, resulting in Stallion winning the championship trophy. The team began to compete at the 2012–13 National Men's Club Championship, where they lost in the quarter-finals to Ceres. Eventually, Global was invited to play in the 2013 Singapore Cup as a guest club, together with fellow UFL side Loyola Meralco Sparks. As a result, they became the second Philippine club to reach the semifinals of the tournament. However, Global would lose to Tanjong Pagar United.

Manson years (2014–2016)

They won both the 2014 season and the FA Cup on the same year.

2017 onwards

A slot was allocated for the Philippines in the preliminary stage of the 2017 AFC Champions League. Global as winners of the 2016 UFL season represented the country in the tournament. Global fails to qualify for the group stage after losing to Brisbane Roar by 6-0 in the second round of the qualification phase, and was relegated to the group stage of the 2017 AFC Cup.

Global was confirmed in November 2016 to be one of the teams to participate in the inaugural season of the Philippines Football League. On December 30, 2016 it was reported that Global planned to adopt the name "Global Queen City FC" as a nod to the defunct Cebu-based team that participated in the UFL, the Cebu Queen City United F.C.. Global owner, Dan Palami also expressed openness to investments from Cebuanos in the same report. The club changed its name to Global Cebu FC.

Crest history

The first team emblem was used from 2000 to 2011, during which time the club was known as Global-Smartmatic F.C. The logo was a simple crest with the words "Global F.C." in front of a wireframe globe. The second logo, the revamped club logo, was used for a year during the latter portion of the 2011 UFL season. The crest was blue with yellow borders, displaying "Global F.C." on top and the year "2000" at the bottom. In the middle was a yellow gold globe. The third crest, the current logo of the team, removed the foundation date and replaced it with the text "Global Football Club" around the globe.

Grounds

The club's home ground since 2017, when they joined the PFL, is the Cebu City Sports Complex. Global actually has played in the stadium in 2013, when they played their group stage matches there in the 2013 AFC President's Cup. The stadium has a seating capacity of about 10,000. Before the club joined the Philippines Football League, Global did not have its own football ground. Instead, they played in neutral venues across the Philippines, such as the McKinley Hill Stadium in Taguig and the Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila (considered as the national stadium of the country) when they were still in the UFL.

Sponsors

On 29 August 2013, the Colombian Autocar Corporation, the exclusive distributor of Kia Motors in the Philippines, held a contract signing event with Dan Palami to renew their partnership for another year. Kia Motors is the club's major sponsor and transportation provider of the team. AtletA Sportswear, a local manufacturer of activewear, is the club's official supplier of match kits, training kits, and casual wear. LGR Athletic Wears was the former creator of the match kits; as they were responsible in selling the kits in the mainstream market for the first time. Melmac Sports Management is the official marketing agency of the team.

League

Cup

International competitions

First team squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Former players

Current club officials

Head coaches

Since the appointment of Global head coach Filipino Franklin Muescan, there have been five other recognized head coaches. The first head coach from outside the Philippines was Australian coach Graeme Mackinnon. The current head coach is Toshiaki Imai, who replaced Japanese American coach Kenichi Yatsuhashi who mentored the team for just ten days.