Even if the India’s name in world football today does not even fit in the top 100 list of countries, still if we look back India’s footballing history it could stand tall with most of the top footballing nations today. One of the oldest chapters of Indian club football which is even today more structured than most of the Indian club football league is Calcutta Football League Oldest Football league in ASIA.
History of Calcutta Football League
Calcutta Football League Oldest Football league in ASIA. The first season of Calcutta Football League was played on 1898 during the British Indian era. Initially it was a two-tiered football league in Calcutta. The initial few seasons were excluded for any Indian religion, it was actually designed for clubs designated with missionaries, civil servants, merchants, and other European nationalities.
IFA (Indian Football Association Calcutta) was then the only football association in India run by British government was the governing body of Calcutta Football League. In 1914 when IFA allowed only two native clubs to participate in the 2nd tire of the league when Mohunbagan along with Aryan entered in to Calcutta Football League Oldest Football league in ASIA. Mohunbagan got promoted to the premier division on the very next season and followed by Aryan in next couple of years.
Introduction Of More Native Clubs
After 1920 there were major changes in the structure of Calcutta Football League where more native clubs got chances to participate in the League. In 1921 when one of the today’s legendary Kolkata football club East Bengal got their chance to participate in the League’s second division after three years from EastBengal’s first appearance in the league, they got promoted to the premier division.
To promote Eastbengal to premier division Indian Football Association Calcutta has to abolish the rule of keeping only two native club in the premier division of the League. Although to change the rule for including more native clubs IFA had to face opposition from many clubs including the two native clubs Mohunbagan along with Aryan.
Although native participation in Calcutta Football League started from 1914 but British dominance continues as no native club was able to win the premier division of the League. On In 1934, Mohammedan got there first chance to participate in the tournament and surprised everyone by winning the title in their debut season and became the first native club to win CFL.
National To Regional movement
From 1898 to 1936 Calcutta Football League was only football league in India authorized by Indian Football Association Calcutta and any club through out India was open to participate in the League.
After the introduction of AIFF (All India Football Federation) starting 1937 Calcutta Football League became a regional football league where clubs around Calcutta can participate in the league.
After Independence of India
Many other states started with their own leagues but still Calcutta Football League was considered as one of the most competitive and successful leagues in the country. The reason for the success of the league was around the big three clubs of calcutta Mohun Bagan, East Bengal and Mohammedan. On the other hand, it could also be said that the big three club’s success was due to the Calcutta Football League Oldest Football league in ASIA.
Till late 1970s the CFL matches attracts big numbers of crowd average attendance of matches were more than 25000. With time big three clubs of Calcutta became more bigger in compare to other clubs due to their fan following and funding.
After Independence the entire league is mostly dominant by the big three clubs of modern Kolkata Mohun Bagan, East Bengal and Mohammedan. East Bengal has won the league for record 39 times followed by another Kolkata giant Mohun Bagan who won 30 times and Mohammedan who won it for 14 times. There are only two other clubs who has the privilege of winning the Calcutta Football League Oldest Football league in ASIA Eastern Railway wone once in 1958 and in recent time in 2019 Peerless surprised everyone by winning the league.
Structure of current Calcutta Football League
IN the current format of Calcutta Football League there are total 6 senior division of football league where there is also one 7th division of CFL which represents youth development league. There are promotion and relegation in the league. The winner of the premier division get promotion to I-League3 and other divisions mostly 2 teams get promoted and 2 teams gets relegated each season.
In Premier division 26 teams participate which is divided into two groups of 13 each where they compete in a single-leg round robin tournament. There form each group will top three will be selected for a single-leg round robin tournament and the team with most points will be declared as winner. On the other hand, bottom 3 of each group will compete in a different single-leg round robin tournament from which bottom 4 teams will relegate CFL 1st division.
Calcutta Football League after introduction of NFL/I-League and ISL
The popularity of Calcutta Football League has definitely seen a dip after introduction of NFL (National Football league) which was later converted as I-League by AIFF. Competition for the clubs now became more competitive as these challenges were no more regional it became a national tournament. The big three clubs from Kolkata Mohun Bagan, East Bengal and Mohammedan started representing NFL/I-League and then into the top tire of Indian football Indian Super League.
Fans engagement eventually shifted to national level league rather than the regional league. Although the big three clubs continue their participation on Calcutta Football League Oldest Football league in ASIA but they kept their first senior team away from Calcutta Football League generally reserve team or youth teams started participating in Calcutta Football League.
Although in recent time after All India Football Federation introduced ISL and I-League more competitive national wide leagues still due to the rich football heritage of Kolkata and Kolkata’s loave for football and their favourite clubs Calcutta Football League is one of the most successful league in India. Which not only give entertainment to fans but also produced may footballing legends for the country.