Calcutta Football League#CFL 2nd Division

In 1898, IFA introduced a two-tiered football league in Calcutta on the lines of English Football League in England and Wales.{{cite news|url=http://www.goaldentimes.org/eastern-railway-ran-full-steam-1958/ |title=WHEN EASTERN RAILWAY RAN ON FULL STEAM (1958) |website=www.goaldentimes.org |publisher=Goalden Times |last1=Chakraborty |first1=Debojyoti |date=29 August 2017 |access-date=25 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211111162448/http://www.goaldentimes.org/eastern-railway-ran-full-steam-1958/ |archive-date=11 November 2021}} 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.{{cite web|url=https://lifestyle.livemint.com/news/talking-point/how-football-kicked-off-in-india-111645287939737.html|title=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|website=lifestyle.livemint.com|publisher=Livemint Delhi|date=8 June 2018|access-date=27 January 2022|first=Manu S|last=Pillai|location=Delhi, India|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220714153151/https://lifestyle.livemint.com/news/talking-point/how-football-kicked-off-in-india-111645287939737.html|archive-date=14 July 2022}} 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.{{Cite web|last=Andrew Flint|date=2015-11-11|title=A Tale of One City: Kolkata|url=https://thesefootballtimes.co/2015/11/11/a-tale-of-one-city-kolkata/|access-date=2021-03-16|website=These Football Times|language=en-GB|archive-date=9 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210709183002/https://thesefootballtimes.co/2015/11/11/a-tale-of-one-city-kolkata/|url-status=live}}

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.{{Cite web|first=Atanu|last=Mitra|url=https://www.redbull.com/in-en/how-asias-oldest-football-league-made-its-mark|date=8 November 2017|access-date=16 March 2021|title=How Asia's oldest football league made its mark|website=www.redbull.com|publisher=RedBull|archive-date=9 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210709181447/https://www.redbull.com/in-en/how-asias-oldest-football-league-made-its-mark|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|date=2012-08-18|title=Kingfisher East Bengal FC{{!}}Legacy-History|url=http://eastbengalfootballclub.com/legacy.php|access-date=2021-03-16|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120818124203/http://eastbengalfootballclub.com/legacy.php|archive-date=18 August 2012}}

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.

File:1940 league winning mohammedan sporting team.jpg, the first native Indian team to win the league.{{cite web|url=https://ekolkata24.com/offbeat-news/glorious-football-history-of-mohammedan-sporting-club/|title=ব্রিটিশকে হারিয়ে ডুরান্ড জয়ী, পাকিস্তানকেও গোল দিয়ে চিরকালীন নজির মহামেডানের|website=ekolkata24.com|date=1 September 2021|access-date=2 March 2022|language=bn|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220302125909/https://ekolkata24.com/offbeat-news/glorious-football-history-of-mohammedan-sporting-club/|archive-date=2 March 2022}}|left]]

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.{{cite web|url=https://ifawb.org/cfl-winners/|title=List of Calcutta Football League Champions|publisher=IFA|access-date=3 July 2021|archive-date=28 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210128054127/https://ifawb.org/cfl-winners/|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/mad-about-football/articleshow/102933485.cms|title=Mad about football|access-date=22 February 2024|date=22 August 2023|agency=TNN|website=timesofindia.indiatimes.com|publisher=The Times of India|location=Kolkata|first1=Nilesh|last1=Bhattacharya|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230823180930/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/mad-about-football/articleshow/102933485.cms|archive-date=23 August 2023}} 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.

File:Nikhil_Nandy_tackling_Muhammad_Umer_during_a_1956_Calcutta_League_match_between_Mohammedan_SC_&_Eastern_Railway_FC.jpg (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. From 1934 to 1981, Eastern Railway was the only club outside of the Big Three to win the title in 1958.{{cite web|url=http://archives.anandabazar.com/e_kolkata/2013/december/anache_kanache.html|title=ইস্টার্ন রেলওয়ে ফুটবল ক্লাব — ১৪১ বছরের পুরনো একটি ক্লাবের ইতিহাস ও ঐতিহ্য|trans-title=Eastern Railway Football Club — History and heritage of a 141-year-old club|website=archives.anandabazar.com|publisher=Anandabazar Patrika|language=Bengali|date=21 December 2013|access-date=24 March 2023|location=Kolkata|first=Rajat|last=Karmakar|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220127103722/http://archives.anandabazar.com/e_kolkata/2013/december/anache_kanache.html|archive-date=27 January 2022}}{{cite web|url=https://www.anandabazar.com/sports/cfl-2019-resembles-1958-league-matches-1.1044901|title=আটান্নর মতো কড়া লড়াই দেখা যাচ্ছে এই লিগেও|trans-title=A tough fight like 1958 is also being witnessed in this season's league|language=bn|website=abandabazar.com|publisher=Anandabazar Patrika|location=Kolkata|date=13 September 2019|first1=Hariprasad|last1=Chattopadhyay|archive-date=26 September 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220926054109/https://www.anandabazar.com/sports/cfl-2019-resembles-1958-league-matches-1.1044901}}

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.

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.{{Cite web|last=Sengupta|first=Somnath|date=2011-07-04|title=Tactical Evolution of Indian Football (Part Three) : PK Banerjee -...|url=http://www.thehardtackle.com/2011/tactical-evolution-of-indian-football-part-three-pk-banerjee-amal-dutta-nayeemuddin/|access-date=2021-03-16|website=Thehardtackle.com|language=en-US|archive-date=14 July 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714062345/http://www.thehardtackle.com/2011/tactical-evolution-of-indian-football-part-three-pk-banerjee-amal-dutta-nayeemuddin/|url-status=live}}

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.

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.

In 2019, Peerless clinched the honour and became the second team outside the Big Three after Eastern Railway to win the league since 1958.{{Cite web|last=Sharma|first=Amitabha Das|title=Peerless wins Calcutta Football League title as East Bengal presents a 'no-show'|url=https://sportstar.thehindu.com/football/calcutta-football-league-cfl-2019-title-winner-final-peerless-east-bengal-calcutta-customs-mohun-bagan-mohammedan-sporting-menendez/article29585184.ece|access-date=2021-03-16|website=Sportstar|date=3 October 2019 |language=en|archive-date=28 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210328120136/https://sportstar.thehindu.com/football/calcutta-football-league-cfl-2019-title-winner-final-peerless-east-bengal-calcutta-customs-mohun-bagan-mohammedan-sporting-menendez/article29585184.ece|url-status=live}}

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.{{Cite web|title=No Calcutta Football League This Season, Decide Premier Division Clubs|url=https://ifawb.org/no-calcutta-football-league-this-season-decides-ifa/|access-date=2021-03-23|website=Indian Football Association (West Bengal)|date=25 February 2021|language=en|archive-date=26 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210226180538/https://ifawb.org/no-calcutta-football-league-this-season-decides-ifa/|url-status=live}}

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.

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.{{cite web|url=https://thefangarage.com/articles/19091-calcutta-football-league-cfl-goes-bigger-than-ever-for-its-historic-125th-season|title=Calcutta Football League (CFL) goes bigger than ever for its historic 125th season|website=thefangarage.com|publisher=The Fan Garage|location=Kolkata|date=5 June 2023|access-date=6 June 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230606060715/https://thefangarage.com/articles/19091-calcutta-football-league-cfl-goes-bigger-than-ever-for-its-historic-125th-season|archive-date=6 June 2023}} 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.{{cite web|title=ifawb.com|url=http://www.ifawb.com/fixture.php|website=www.ifawb.com|access-date=3 September 2015|archive-date=5 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905071017/http://www.ifawb.com/fixture.php|url-status=live}}

{{Infobox football league

| name = CFL Premier Division

| logo =

| pixels =

| organisers = Indian Football Association

| country = India

| folded =

| divisions =

| teams = 26

| promotion = I-League 3

| relegation = CFL 1st Division

| levels = 5

| league_cup =

| confed_cup =

| champions = East Bengal (40th title)

| current = 2024–25 CFL Premier Division

}}

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

{{Infobox football league

| name = CFL 1st Division

| logo =

| pixels =

| organisers = Indian Football Association

| country = India

| folded =

| divisions =

| teams = 26

| promotion = CFL Premier Division

| relegation = CFL 2nd Division

| levels = 6

| league_cup =

| confed_cup =

| champions = New Alipore Suruchi Sangha

| season = 2023

| current =

}}

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

Format (2024-25): 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".

{{Infobox football league

| name = CFL 2nd Division

| logo =

| pixels =

| organisers = Indian Football Association

| country = India

| folded =

| divisions =

| teams = 16

| promotion = CFL 1st Division

| relegation = CFL 3rd Division

| levels = 7

| league_cup =

| confed_cup =

| champions = Adamas United Sports Academy

| season = 2023

| current =

|website=

}}

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

Format (2024-25): 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.

{{Infobox football league

| name = CFL 3rd Division

| logo =

| pixels =

| organisers = Indian Football Association

| country = India

| folded =

| divisions =

| teams =

| promotion = CFL 2nd Division

| relegation = CFL 4th Division

| levels = 8

| league_cup =

| confed_cup =

| champions = Southern Athletic Club

| season = 2023

}}

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

{{Infobox football league

| name = CFL 4th Division

| logo =

| pixels =

| organisers = Indian Football Association

| country = India

| folded =

| divisions =

| teams =

| promotion = CFL 3rd Division

| relegation = CFL 5th Division Group A

| levels = 9

| league_cup =

| confed_cup =

| champions = Shyambazar United Club

| season = 2023

| current =

}}

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

{{Infobox football league

| name = CFL 5th Division Group A

| logo =

| pixels =

| organisers = Indian Football Association

| country = India

| folded =

| divisions =

| teams = 35

| promotion = CFL 4th Division

| relegation = CFL 5th Division Group B

| levels = 10

| league_cup =

| confed_cup =

| champions = Ariadaha Sporting Club

| season = 2023

| current =

}}

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

Format (2024-25): 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.

{{Infobox football league

| name = CFL 5th Division Group B

| logo =

| pixels =

| organisers = Indian Football Association

| country = India

| folded =

| divisions =

| teams = 18

| promotion = CFL 5th Division Group A

| relegation =

| levels = 11

| league_cup =

| confed_cup =

| champions = Beleghata Balak Brindo

| season = 2023

| current =

}}

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

Format (2024-25): 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.

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

• Football in West Bengal
• Football in Kolkata

Cited sources

{{reflist}}

Further reading

• {{cite web|url=https://ifawb.org/cfl-winners/|title=The Calcutta Football League (CFL) — Winners of each season|date=2021|access-date=31 October 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210128054127/https://ifawb.org/cfl-winners/|archive-date=28 January 2021|website=ifawb.org|publisher=Indian Football Association|location=Kolkata|url-status=dead}}

• {{oweb|https://www.ifawb.org}} of the Indian Football Association (IFA)
• {{cite web|url=https://ifawb.org/clubs/|title=IFAWB Clubs|website=ifawb.org|publisher=Indian Football Association|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221009123425/https://ifawb.org/clubs/|archive-date=9 October 2022}}

{{Calcutta Football League}}

{{Football in West Bengal}}

{{Football in India}}

{{Sports leagues of India}}

{{Kolkata topics}}

Category:Regional Football leagues in India

Category:Calcutta Football League

Category:1898 establishments in India

Category:Recurring sporting events established in 1898

Category:Football competitions in West Bengal