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Calcutta Football League

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Calcutta Football League
Organising bodyIndian Football Association (West Bengal)
Founded1898; 126 years ago (1898)
CountryIndia
Divisions7
Number of clubs26 (Premier Division)
160+ (overall)
Level on pyramid5–10
Promotion toVarious
Relegation toVarious
Domestic cup(s)IFA Shield
League cup(s)Trades Cup
Most championshipsEast Bengal (39 titles, Premier Division)[1]
TV partnersZee 24 Ghanta
Zee5 (OTT platform)
IFA TV (YouTube)
Current: 2024 (Premier Division)

The Calcutta Football League (CFL) is a ladder-based football competition in the Indian state of West Bengal, organised by Indian Football Association (WB) as part of the state leagues. It is the oldest football league in Asia.[2][3]

The CFL is divided into CFL Premier Division, CFL 1st Division, CFL 2nd Division, CFL 3rd Division, CFL 4th Division, CFL 5th Division A, and CFL 5th Division B with promotion and relegation between them.[4] [5]CFL has more than 160 mostly Kolkata-based clubs and units. Started in 1898, this league is the oldest football league in Asia and one of the oldest football competitions in the world.[6][7] CFL currently consists of a seven-tier pyramid system,[6] with more than 8,500 directly registered players of IFA participating in CFL every year, making it one of the biggest leagues in the country.

History

[edit]

Early years (1890s–1910s)

[edit]

In 1898, IFA introduced a two-tiered football league in Calcutta on the lines of English Football League in England and Wales.[5] Until 1937, CFL was a major tournament with participation open to every team across the nation but after the establishment of AIFF, CFL became a regional competition.

The British Indian Army garrison stationed at Fort William played an instrumental role in shaping the Calcutta Football League by putting forth numerous teams alongside other European settlers.[8] The Army teams won all but twelve of the titles until 1933. On eight of those twelve occasions the title was claimed by Calcutta and the rest by Dalhousie. Native teams were barred from participating for the first 15 seasons, and only clubs designated for civil servants, merchants, missionaries and other European nationalities made up the rest of the league, in a clearly designed exercise to exclude Indians of any religion.[9]

In 1914, IFA permitted only two native clubs, Mohun Bagan and Aryan, in the Second Division of CFL. Mohun Bagan had a successful campaign and earned promotion to the Premier Division in their debut season, whereas Aryan was promoted to the top division two years later. From 1917 to 1920, the Second Division was won by two other native clubs, namely Kumortuli Club (in 1917, 1918 and 1919) and Town Club (in 1920), but their promotions were denied due to the allowance of only two native clubs to play in each tier.[10][11]

Uprise of native dominance (1920s–1947)

[edit]

1921 saw the rise of East Bengal who began their CFL journey in the Second Division in place of Tajhat Club who had withdrawn from the league. Three years later East Bengal finished the Second Division as the joint-winners with Cameroons B and since Cameroons A was in the Premier Division, East Bengal got the opportunity for promotion. As two native clubs were already playing in the Premier Division, East Bengal's promotion was to be rejected as well. At this, the club called for amendments and in the following General Meeting of IFA, the nine British teams conveyed their approval, while Mohun Bagan and Aryan opposed it. Eventually the rule regulating the promotion of native clubs was abolished by majority.[11]

Mohammedan SC, the first native Indian team to win the league.[4]

Even though the native clubs got more opportunities yet the British dominance continued till 1933. In 1934, Mohammedan won the title in their debut season and became the first native club to win CFL.[12][13] The club went on to win the league six out of seven times from 1935 to 1941, with 1939 being the only exception when they did not participate and Mohun Bagan went away with their first league title that year.[10][14]

Post-independence era (1947–1970s)

[edit]
Nikhil Nandy (L) tackling Muhammad Umer during a 1956 Calcutta League match between Mohammedan & Eastern Railway

In the post-independence years, many other state leagues were introduced and various clubs from other states rose in glory, but CFL was still considered to be one of the top leagues in the nation and provided innumerable young talents. The league matches were mostly played in monsoon and matches involving the Big Three of Calcutta (Mohun Bagan, East Bengal and Mohammedan) regularly attracted more than 30,000 spectators.[10] From 1934 to 1981, Eastern Railway was the only club outside of the Big Three to win the title in 1958.[15][16]

The CFL had a long history of crowd trouble, and the burgeoning fanfare exacerbated it. The rapidly increasing off-the-field rivalry between the respective fans of Mohun Bagan and East Bengal saw one of the darkest days of Indian football when 16 fans lost their lives because of a stampede and rioting during a Kolkata Derby in CFL on 16 August 1980 in Eden Gardens. Since then the day is celebrated every year as the Football Lover's Day.[17][10]

Years of obscurity (1980s–2000s)

[edit]

In the 80s and 90s, the league caught many eyes with the rivalry between the two of Indian football's finest tacticians— P.K. Banerjee and Amal Dutta, besides the decades old rivalry among the Big Three.[18][10]

Due to the rise in financial demands and steady modernisation of the sport, the league became dominated by the Big Three clubs as the smaller clubs struggled to keep up with their economy. The league saw the beginning of a major downfall with the introduction of NFL (now I-League). The importance of regional competitions decreased as all the top clubs in the state were racing for the national honours. From the later 20th century, Mohammedan eventually lost its stronghold and, Mohun Bagan and East Bengal became the only dominant teams in the league. In the new century, the IFA revamped the competition into a six-tier competition with the seventh tier, called the nursery league, reserved for sub-junior teams. The top tier, Premier Division, was also divided into two groups so as to include more teams.

Resurgence (2010s–present)

[edit]
2023 Calcutta League match between East Bengal reserves and Railway FC

Starting in 2010, East Bengal won a record eight consecutive titles until their arch-rivals Mohun Bagan broke the streak in 2018. In 2018, the league's popularity had a sudden upsurge and recorded more than 15,000 spectators even in matches involving small clubs. Most news reports in the local media reverberated the popular feeling— "The passion of the 70s is back." Small clubs like Peerless and George Telegraph introduced some of the foreign talents that later went on to become big names in the country.[10]

In 2019, Peerless clinched the honour and became the second team outside the Big Three after Eastern Railway to win the league since 1958.[19] Since the independence of India, the CFL was never cancelled until 2020 when after a lengthy delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic it was decided to cancel the then CFL season.[20]

Structure

[edit]

With the season starting from 2023, the clubs/units were redistributed among the first six divisions and the last division was reserved only for youth teams.[6]

Calcutta Football League
Tier Division
1
(5 on Indian Football pyramid) 		CFL Premier Division

↑promote (I-League 3) ↓relegate 4

2
(6 on Indian Football pyramid) 		CFL 1st Division

↑promote 2 ↓relegate 2

3
(7 on Indian Football pyramid) 		CFL 2nd Division

↑promote 2 ↓relegate 2

4
(8 on Indian Football pyramid) 		CFL 3rd Division

↑promote 2 ↓relegate 2

5
(9 on Indian Football pyramid) 		CFL 4th Division

↑promote 2 ↓relegate 2

6
(10 on Indian Football pyramid) 		CFL 5th Division Group A

↑promote 2 ↓relegate 2

7
(11 on Indian Football pyramid) 		CFL 5th Division Group B

↑promote 2

Starting from 2023, 26 teams participate in the Premier Division, divided into two groups at the same pyramid level and compete in a single-leg round robin tournament.[21] The top three teams in each 13-team group will compete in a single-leg round robin tournament and the group leaders will be declared the champions. The top two teams, not already in the ISL or I-League are promoted to the I-League 3. The bottom three teams in each 13-team group also compete in a separate single-leg round robin tournament and the bottom four teams are relegated to the First Division.

Apart from the Premier Division A, most other divisions are competed by about 20 teams, and the format of the tournaments in the lower divisions isn't always the same. The top teams in respective divisions are promoted to the division higher to it and the bottom teams get relegated to the lower one.

The most successful clubs participating in the top-tier of the league includes East Bengal, Mohun Bagan and Mohammedan. However, since 1982, the league has been won by either East Bengal or Mohun Bagan until 2019 when Peerless made history by winning their maiden league title and becoming the first team outside the Kolkata's Big Three to win the league after a gap of 61 years since Eastern Railway had won.[22]

CFL Premier Division

[edit]
CFL Premier Division
Organising bodiesIndian Football Association
CountryIndia
Number of clubs26
Level on pyramid5
Promotion toI-League 3
Relegation toCFL 1st Division
Current championsMohammedan (14th title)
Current: 2024 CFL Premier Division

CFL Premier Division is the top-tier state level football league in the Indian state of West Bengal.

CFL 1st Division

[edit]
CFL 1st Division
Organising bodiesIndian Football Association
CountryIndia
Number of clubs26
Level on pyramid6
Promotion toCFL Premier Division
Relegation toCFL 2nd Division
Current championsNew Alipore Suruchi Sangha
(2023)

CFL 1st Division is the 2nd tier state level football league in the Indian state of West Bengal.

Format (2024): Twenty-six teams are divided into two groups in the first phase, where each plays twelve matches in round robin format. Top three teams from the two groups shall proceed to the championship round, where each play five more matches to determine the champion. The bottom two teams from both groups play the relegation round. Top two teams of Championship round are promoted into "CFL Premier Division", and last two teams of relegation round are relegated into "CFL 2nd Division".

Season Champions Ref.
2019 Police AC [23]
2022 Army Red [24]
2023 New Alipore Suruchi Sangha [25]

CFL 2nd Division

[edit]
CFL 2nd Division
Organising bodiesIndian Football Association
CountryIndia
Number of clubs16
Level on pyramid7
Promotion toCFL 1st Division
Relegation toCFL 3rd Division
Current championsAdamas United Sports Academy
(2023)

CFL 2nd Division is the 3rd tier state level football league in the Indian state of West Bengal.

Format (2024): Sixteen teams are playing single round robin league format. Top two teams are promoted into CFL 1st Division, and last two are relegated into CFL 3rd Division.

Season Champions Ref.
2023 Adamas United Sports Academy [25]

CFL 3rd Division

[edit]
CFL 3rd Division
Organising bodiesIndian Football Association
CountryIndia
Level on pyramid8
Promotion toCFL 2nd Division
Relegation toCFL 4th Division
Current championsSouthern Athletic Club
(2023)

CFL 3rd Division is the 4th tier state level football league in the Indian state of West Bengal.

Season Champions Ref.
2023 Southern Athletic Club [25]

CFL 4th Division

[edit]
CFL 4th Division
Organising bodiesIndian Football Association
CountryIndia
Level on pyramid9
Promotion toCFL 3rd Division
Relegation toCFL 5th Division Group A
Current championsShyambazar United Club
(2023)

CFL 4th Division is the 5th tier state level football league in the Indian state of West Bengal.

Season Champions Ref.
2023 Shyambazar United Club [25]

CFL 5th Division Group A

[edit]
CFL 5th Division Group A
Organising bodiesIndian Football Association
CountryIndia
Number of clubs35
Level on pyramid10
Promotion toCFL 4th Division
Relegation toCFL 5th Division Group B
Current championsAriadaha Sporting Club
(2023)

CFL 5th Division Group A is the 6th tier state level football league in the Indian state of West Bengal.

Format (2024): Thirty five teams are divided into four groups. Eight teams are promoted to CFL 4th Division and six teams are relegated to CFL 5th Division Group B.

Season Champions Ref.
2023 Ariadaha Sporting Club [25]

CFL 5th Division Group B

[edit]
CFL 5th Division Group B
Organising bodiesIndian Football Association
CountryIndia
Number of clubs18
Level on pyramid11
Promotion toCFL 5th Division Group A
Current championsBeleghata Balak Brindo
(2023)

CFL 5th Division Group B is the 7th tier state level football league in the Indian state of West Bengal.

Format (2024): Eighteen teams are divided in two groups of nine, with each team playing other in the group once. Top three teams of two groups proceed to the Super Six round. Top four teams are promoted in CFL 5th Division Group A.

Season Champions Ref.
2023 Beleghata Balak Brindo [25]

Sponsorship

[edit]
Period Sponsor Tournament name
1898–2004 None Calcutta Football League
2005–2014 Sahara India Sahara Calcutta Premier League
2015–2020 Officer's Choice Blue Officer's Choice Blue Calcutta Premier League[26]
2021–2023 Sister Nivedita University SNU Calcutta Football League[27]
2024-present Shrachi Group Calcutta Football League [28]

Media coverage

[edit]
Period TV broadcaster
1898–2004 N/A
2005 Tara Newz
2006 Kolkata TV
2007 Zee 24 Ghanta
2008 ABP Ananda
2009–2011 News Time
2012 Zee 24 Ghanta
2013–2015 Jalsha Movies
2016 News18 Bangla
2017 Kolkata TV
2018–2021 Sadhna News
2022–2023 InSports TV[29]
2024– Zee 24 Ghanta, Zee5

Champions of the top-most division

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By year

[edit]

Pre-independence era (1898–1947)

[edit]
Year Winner Note
1898 United Kingdom Gloucestershire Regiment
1899 British Raj Calcutta
1900 United Kingdom Royal Irish Rifles
1901 United Kingdom Royal Irish Rifles
1902 United Kingdom King's Own Scottish Borderers
1903 United Kingdom Sutherland Highlanders
1904 United Kingdom King's Own Regiment
1905 United Kingdom King's Own Regiment
1906 United Kingdom Highlander Light Infantry
1907 British Raj Calcutta
1908 United Kingdom Gordon Light Infantry
1909 United Kingdom Gordon Light Infantry
1910 British Raj Dalhousie
1911 United Kingdom 70th Company Royal Garrison Artillery
1912 United Kingdom Black Watch
1913 United Kingdom Black Watch
1914 United Kingdom Argyllshire Highlanders
1915 United Kingdom 10th Middlesex Regiment
1916 British Raj Calcutta
1917 United Kingdom Royal Lincolnshire Regiment
1918 British Raj Calcutta
1919 United Kingdom 12th Special Service Battalion
1920 British Raj Calcutta
1921 British Raj Dalhousie
1922 British Raj Calcutta
1923 British Raj Calcutta
1924 United Kingdom Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders
1925 British Raj Calcutta
1926 United Kingdom North Staffordshire Regiment
1927 United Kingdom North Staffordshire Regiment
1928 British Raj Dalhousie
1929 British Raj Dalhousie
1930 None Cancelled due to nationwide Satyagraha movement.[30]
1931 United Kingdom Durham Light Infantry
1932 United Kingdom Durham Light Infantry
1933 United Kingdom Durham Light Infantry
1934 British Raj Mohammedan First all-Indian club to win the league.[14]
1935 British Raj Mohammedan
1936 British Raj Mohammedan
1937 British Raj Mohammedan
1938 British Raj Mohammedan
1939 British Raj Mohun Bagan
1940 British Raj Mohammedan
1941 British Raj Mohammedan
1942 British Raj East Bengal
1943 British Raj Mohun Bagan
1944 British Raj Mohun Bagan
1945 British Raj East Bengal
1946 British Raj East Bengal
1947 None Cancelled due to Indian independence movement.
Source: IFA (WB)

Post-independence era (1947–present)

[edit]
Year Winner Note
1948 Mohammedan
1949 East Bengal
1950 East Bengal
1951 Mohun Bagan
1952 East Bengal
1953 None Abandoned midway due to riots in Calcutta.[31]
1954 Mohun Bagan
1955 Mohun Bagan
1956 Mohun Bagan
1957 Mohammedan
1958 Eastern Railway [32]
1959 Mohun Bagan
1960 Mohun Bagan
1961 East Bengal
1962 Mohun Bagan
1963 Mohun Bagan
1964 Mohun Bagan
1965 Mohun Bagan
1966 East Bengal
1967 Mohammedan
1968 None Mohun Bagan had won the league but due to an injunction from the Calcutta High Court, the league was declared null and void.[33]
1969 Mohun Bagan
1970 East Bengal
1971 East Bengal
1972 East Bengal East Bengal didn't concede a goal in the tournament.[34]
1973 East Bengal
1974 East Bengal
1975 East Bengal
1976 Mohun Bagan
1977 East Bengal East Bengal had won every match in the tournament.[35]
1978 Mohun Bagan
1979 Mohun Bagan
1980 None Called off due to stampede and riot in Eden Gardens on August 16.[17]
1981 Mohammedan
1982 East Bengal
1983 Mohun Bagan
1984 Mohun Bagan [36]
1985 East Bengal [37]
1986 Mohun Bagan
1987 East Bengal
1988 East Bengal
1989 East Bengal
1990 Mohun Bagan
1991 East Bengal
1992 Mohun Bagan
1993 East Bengal
1994 Mohun Bagan
1995 East Bengal
1996 East Bengal
1997 Mohun Bagan
1998 East Bengal
1999 East Bengal
2000 East Bengal
2001 Mohun Bagan
2002 East Bengal
2003 East Bengal
2004 East Bengal
2005 Mohun Bagan
2006 East Bengal
2007 Mohun Bagan
2008 Mohun Bagan
2009 Mohun Bagan
2010 East Bengal
2011 East Bengal
2012 East Bengal
2013 East Bengal
2014 East Bengal
2015 East Bengal
2016 East Bengal East Bengal had won every match in the tournament.
2017 East Bengal
2018 Mohun Bagan
2019 Peerless
2020 None Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic in India.
2021 Mohammedan
2022 Mohammedan
2023 Mohammedan
2024 East Bengal
Source: IFA (WB)

By team

[edit]

The list only contains the names of the teams that have won the top-most division of the Calcutta Football League more than once.[12]

Club Titles Winning years
East Bengal 40 1942, 1945, 1946, 1949, 1950, 1952, 1961, 1966, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2024
Mohun Bagan 30 1939, 1943, 1944, 1951, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1959, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1969, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1997, 2001, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2018
Mohammedan 14 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1940, 1941, 1948, 1957, 1967, 1981, 2021, 2022, 2023
Calcutta FC 8 1899, 1907, 1916, 1918, 1920, 1922, 1923, 1925
Dalhousie 4 1910, 1921, 1928, 1929
United Kingdom Durham Light Infantry 3 1931, 1932, 1933
United Kingdom Black Watch 2 1912, 1913
United Kingdom Gordon Light Infantry 1908, 1909
United Kingdom King's Own Regiment 1904, 1905
United Kingdom North Staffordshire Regiment 1926, 1927
United Kingdom Royal Irish Rifles 1900, 1901
Peerless 1 2019

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]

Cited sources

  1. ^ Mukhopadhyay, Shoubhik (10 September 2015). "East Bengal & Calcutta Football League: A Sublime Romantic Saga - Hero I-League". i-league.org. I-League. Archived from the original on 25 September 2019. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
  2. ^ "FOOTBALL IN BENGAL". www.ifawb.com. The Indian Football Association (West Bengal). Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
  3. ^ Nag, Utathya (19 April 2023). "Calcutta Football League: East Bengal kings of Asia's oldest league competition — full winners list". olympics.com. The Olympics Football. Archived from the original on 5 May 2023. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
  4. ^ a b "ব্রিটিশকে হারিয়ে ডুরান্ড জয়ী, পাকিস্তানকেও গোল দিয়ে চিরকালীন নজির মহামেডানের". ekolkata24.com (in Bengali). 1 September 2021. Archived from the original on 2 March 2022. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  5. ^ a b Chakraborty, Debojyoti (29 August 2017). "WHEN EASTERN RAILWAY RAN ON FULL STEAM (1958)". www.goaldentimes.org. Goalden Times. Archived from the original on 11 November 2021. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
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  7. ^ Majumdar, Rounak (22 April 2019). "The Golden Years of Indian Football". www.chaseyoursport.com. Kolkata: Chase Your Sport. Archived from the original on 7 November 2020. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  8. ^ Pillai, Manu S (8 June 2018). "How football kicked off in India | As with the English language, when the British transported the sport to India, they didn't expect the 'natives' to beat them at it". lifestyle.livemint.com. Delhi, India: Livemint Delhi. Archived from the original on 14 July 2022. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
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  16. ^ Chattopadhyay, Hariprasad (13 September 2019). "আটান্নর মতো কড়া লড়াই দেখা যাচ্ছে এই লিগেও" [A tough fight like 1958 is also being witnessed in this season's league]. abandabazar.com (in Bengali). Kolkata: Anandabazar Patrika. Archived from the original on 26 September 2022.
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  37. ^ King, Ian; Morrison, Neil; Veroeveren, Piet; Cruickshank, Mark (30 May 2013). "India 1985 – Regional Leagues: Calcutta League". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 7 October 2022.

Further reading

[edit]
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