What is now FUFA Super League started as unofficial first division football competition in 1966 with Express FC, Bitumastic FC, Nsambya FC, Masaka FC, Coffee FC and Jinja FC.
It became the official league and it was renamed the National First Division League in 1968 with Prisons, Army, Express, Coffee, Jinja, Masaka, Mbarara and Mbale competing.
The league was spearheaded by late Balamaze Lwanga and Rev Polycarp Kibuuka Kakooza, who were then in Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) having picked the idea from England.
The aim of the league was to improve Uganda’s performances at the Africa Cup of Nations after poor shows in the 1962 and 1968 finals in Ethiopia.
Prisons, later in 1968 renamed Maroons FC were the inaugural league champions.
The league comprised Prisons, Army which became Simba FC in 1975, now defunct Coffee United SC from Kakira, Jinja FC, Masaka FC, Mbarara FC, Mbale FC and Express Red Eagles FC.
Four seasons later, political turbulence in Uganda affected the league and the 1972 and 1973 competitions could not end.
In fact the 1972 and 1973 league championships were annulled.
But Simba FC represented Uganda in the African Champions Cups of 1973 and 1974 which was probably because of they were the 1971 champions.
In 1974 the league was renamed National Football League and this title stood until 1982 when the league was trimmed to 10 teams and was renamed the Super League (shortened to Super Ten in that inaugural season).
KCCA FC was founded in 1963 and they made their debut in the first division of the Kampala and District Football League (KDFL) where they competed with Express FC, Army FC, Prisons, KDS, Railways, UEB and Nsambya.
The KDFL collapsed with the formation of the National Football League in 1968 but the two competitions ran concurrently with KDFL until 1971. The KDFL was then abandoned to allow room to a wider national competition with several divisions.
In terms of records the highest goal scorer in KDFL history was Ali Kitonsa of Express FC who scored 54 goals in 18 appearances during the 1964 season. Express FC defeated Kitegombwa 17-0 in the 1960 season although this result has probably been surpassed. This record of highest goals scored in the league was broken by SC Villa in 2003 when they beat Akol FC 22-0 at Mandela National stadium, Namboole. Akol was the team of the then FUFA president late Denis Obua.
In 1977, Express beat Simba 2-0 in a crucial league match but the Red Eagles were later accused of anti-government activities and were banned by the then Governor of the Central Province, Col. Abdallah Nasur.
It was largely believed that Col. Nasur was unhappy about his side’s 2-0 loss to Express FC. The ban was only lifted in 1979 after the then president Idi Amin’s regime collapsed.
In 2005 format of the league was changed to three groups of five following withdrawal of TOP Radio as sponsors. The top two teams in each group and the best two other qualified for championship play-off; the remaining 7 clubs entered into relegation play-off for 5 teams to be dropped. Police FC (Jinja) emerged champions.
Today the league has URA FC, Vipers SC, Kira Young FC, Soana FC, SC Villa, SC Victoria University, BUL FC, KCCA FC, Police FC, Bright Stars FC, Simba FC, Express FC, Proline FC, Masaka LC, Entebbe FC and CRO FC.
SC Villa is Uganda’s most successful football club in Ugandan league having won 16 titles. SC Villa had a humble beginning as Nakivubo Boys after breaking away from Express FC before it was renamed Nakivubo Villa in 1980.
In 1979, they won promotion to the top flight of Ugandan football hitherto dominated by Express FC, Simba FC and Kampala City Council FC.
Past champions
1966 Express FC
1967 Bitumastic
1968 Prisons FC
1969 Prisons FC
1970 Coffee United SC
1971 Army
1972 Annulled
1973 Annulled
1974 Express FC
1975 Express FC
1976 Kampala City Council FC
1977 Kampala City Council
1978 Simba FC
1979 Uganda Commercial Bank
1980 Nile Breweries FC
1981 Kampala City Council SC
1982 Nakivubo Villa SC
1983 Kampala City Council SC
1984 Nakivubo Villa SC
1985 Kampala City Council
1986 Nakivubo Villa SC
1987 Nakivubo Villa SC
1988 Nakivubo Villa SC
1989 Nakivubo Villa SC
1990 Nakivubo Villa SC
1991 Kampala City Council
1992 Nakivubo Villa SC
1993 Express FC
1994 Nakivubo Villa SC
1995 Express Red Eagles
1996 Express Red Eagles
1997 Kampala City Council FC
1998 SC Villa
1999 SC Villa
2000 SC Villa
2001 SC Villa
2002 SC Villa
2003 SC Villa
2004 SC Villa
2005 Police
2006 URA SC
2007 URA SC
2008 Kampala City Council FC
2009 URA SC
2010 Bunamwaya SC (Now Vipers SC)
2011 URA SC
2012 Express FC
2012/2013 KCC FC
2013/2014: KCCA FC
2014/2015: Vipers SC
2015/2016: KCCA FC
2016/17: KCCA FC
2017/18: Vipers SC
2018/19: KCCA FC
2019/20: Vipers SC
2020/21: Express FC
