United City Football Club is a Filipino professional football club based in New Clark City in Capas, Tarlac, that last competed in Philippines Football League (PFL), the top-tier league of football in the Philippines. From 2012 to 2020, the club was known as Ceres (founded as Ceres–La Salle; renamed Ceres–Negros in 2017, when it joined the PFL) and was associated with Ceres Liner, a bus company owned by Leo Rey Yanson, the club owner and chairman during that period. As Ceres, its home venue was Panaad Stadium in Bacolod, Negros Occidental.
As Ceres–La Salle, their first major success in the United Football League (UFL) was winning the UFL Division 2 title in 2014, earning them promotion to the first division. Since then, they have won the UFL FA League Cup (2014) and the UFL Division 1 title (2015). The club also won the PFF National Men's Club Championship twice (2012–13 and 2013–14). As Ceres–Negros, they won the PFL title in three consecutive seasons: 2017 through 2019, as well as the 2019 Copa Paulino Alcantara. In 2019, they completed the domestic double without a single loss.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic which affected Ceres Liner operations, Yanson was forced to sell the club through the help of Emirati-Philippine sports marketing firm MMC Sportz Asia. MMC negotiated the deal on behalf of the new owners who registered the entity as "United City Football Company Inc.", retained most of the Ceres players and renamed the club to "United City F.C."
In February 2023, United City was forced to withdraw from the PFL over financial and legal issues caused by the default of payments by its Singapore investor, Riau Capital Live.
History
Ceres (2012–2020)
Early years
United City was founded by Leo Rey Yanson in 2012 as Ceres–La Salle FC, with the cooperation of the University of St. La Salle of Bacolod. The club was initially composed of college and some Korean players, becoming primarily led by Philippines national team players. A notable early victory was at the inaugural Negros Men's Open Football Championships in January 2012, an 11–0 win against Bacolod United F.C. in the final.
United City's first national tournament was the 2012–13 PFF National Men's Club Championship, where they qualified for the round of 16 after sweeping their games in the Visayas regional eliminations in San Carlos. United City won the championship trophy with a 1–0 victory against Pasargad in the final. En route to the championship, they won matches against Stallion, Global and Kaya.
United Football League
After their victory in the PFF championship, Ceres expressed an intention to join the United Football League (UFL, the top-tier football league in the Philippines at that time). They were not able to play in the 2013 UFL season, however, and joined the league for the 2013 UFL Cup.
Ceres debuted in the UFL in the 2014 season in Division 2. The club dominated the division, and was promoted to Division 1 the following season. Ceres were considered serious contenders for the 2015 UFL Division 1 title in their first year, and clinched the championship with several regular-season games to play. They were unable to replicate their success in the 2016 season, and finished second.
First three seasons in the PFL
When the Philippines Football League supplanted the UFL as the Philippines' top-tier football league, Ceres was among the pioneer clubs of the 2017 inaugural season. Ceres renamed themselves the Ceres-Negros F.C., designating the Panaad Stadium in Bacolod as their home venue. Ceres-Negros won the championship in 2017, 2018 and 2019, and the 2019 Copa Paulino Alcantara title.
Issues at Vallacar Transit affected Ceres-Negros operations during the 2019 season, when the team's status was uncertain due to a Yanson family dispute about Vallacar's management. Although Ceres chairman Leo Rey Yanson lost control of Vallacar after four of his siblings staged a boardroom coup in July, he regained control of the company in August. Despite the turmoil, Ceres clinched the league title.
United City (2020–2023) Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and after the 2020 PFL season was postponed, rumors of Ceres–Negros' departure from the league (or disbanding) have circulated. The pandemic triggered a force majeure which terminated the contracts of all the club's players.