Delhi Football League

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Delhi Football League
Organising bodies Football Delhi
Founded1948;77 years ago (1948)
CountryIndia
LeaguesDelhi Premier League
FD Senior Division League
A-Division League
B-Division League
C-Division League
Divisions 5
Number of clubs80+ (overall)
Level on pyramid 5–9
Promotion toVarious
Relegation toVarious
Website www.footballdelhi.com

The Delhi Football League is a ladder-based football competition in the Indian union territory of Delhi, organised by Football Delhi (FD) as part of the state leagues. Delhi Premier League is the top division, started in 1948 as DSA Senior Division.

Contents

History

The first parent body of Delhi football was formed in 1926, with professor Mohammed Zubair Qureishi as secretary. There was no proper local league but the clubs used to participate in private tournaments organised by sport enthusiasts. Due to the violence and upheaval caused by the Partition of India, the Delhi League was suspended after 1946. It resumed in 1948 and the oldest club in the capital Young Men has won it that year. From 1948 onwards, the Delhi League took a particular shape. It had three divisions. The top 10 teams played in the A division, on a double-leg basis, with all matches being held at the Ambedkar Stadium, earlier known as the Delhi Gate Stadium. The B and C division matches took place at either the nearby Crescent Ground or the President's Estate Ground. Except for transport allowance, kit and refreshment, there was no payment to the players. However, club officials would strive to get their top players jobs in leading public sector concerns like Delhi Audit, Northern Railway, State Bank of India, Central Secretariat Service, Delhi Electric Supply Undertaking (DESU), Food Corporation of India (FCI) and so on. A competitive institutional league was also held annually. [1]

Structure

Delhi Football League
TierDivision
1
(5 on Indian football pyramid)
Delhi Premier League
↑promote (to I-League 3) ↓relegate
2
(6 on Indian football pyramid)
FD Senior Division League
↑promote ↓relegate
3
(7 on Indian football Football pyramid)
FD A-Division
↑promote↓relegate
4
(8 on Indian football Football pyramid)
FD B-Division
↑promote↓relegate
5
(9 on Indian football pyramid)
FD C-Division
↑promote

Delhi Premier League

Delhi Premier League
Delhi Premier League.svg
Organising bodies Football Delhi
Founded2022;3 years ago (2022)
Country India
Number of clubs11
Level on pyramid 5
Promotion to I-League 3
Relegation toFD Senior Division League
Current champions Garhwal Heroes FC (1st title)
Current: 2024–25 Delhi Premier League

Delhi Premier League, previously known as Football Delhi Senior Division League (FD Senior Division) [2] and DSA Senior Division, is the top state-level football league in Delhi and level 5 of Indian football league system. [3] It is also the highest level inter-city league played in the capital. Competition is conducted by Football Delhi, [4] official governing body of Delhi region under AIFF. Most players from this league are selected to represent Delhi for Santosh Trophy.[ citation needed ]

Clubs

Eleven clubs competed in the first edition. [5] [6]

ClubsVenues
Delhi FC
Ambedkar Stadium Ambedkar stadium in delhi at morning.jpg
Ambedkar Stadium

Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium Delhi.jpg
Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium
Hindustan FC
Royal Rangers FC
Friends United FC
Garhwal Heroes FC
Tarun Sangha FC
Rangers SC
Sudeva Delhi FC
Uttarakhand FC
Amity Indian National FC
Indian Air Force
Vatika FC

Champions

SeasonChampionsRunners-upNote
2022–23 Vatika Delhi
2023–24 Garhwal Heroes Royal Rangers
2024–25

FD Senior Division League

FD Senior Division League
Organising bodies Football Delhi
Country India
Number of clubs12
Level on pyramid 6
Promotion to Delhi Premier League
Relegation toFD Senior Division League
Current champions Delhi FC (1st title)
Current: 2024 FD Senior Division

Football Delhi Senior Division League is the second tier of Delhi Football League system.

FD A-Division

FD A-Division
Organising bodies Football Delhi
Country India
Level on pyramid 7
Promotion toFD Senior Division League
Relegation toFD B-Division

Football Delhi A-Division is the third tier of Delhi Football League system.

FD B-Division

FD B-Division
Organising bodies Football Delhi
Country India
Level on pyramid 8
Promotion toFD A-Division
Relegation toFD C-Division

Football Delhi B-Division is the fourth tier of Delhi Football League system.

FD C-Division

FD C-Division
Organising bodies Football Delhi
Country India
Number of clubs11
Level on pyramid 9
Promotion toFD B-Division

Football Delhi C-Division is the fifth tier of Delhi Football League system.

Champions of the top-most division

The Delhi League was started in 1948, but has not been finished on some occasions. From 1985, a new format, Super League (two groups followed by knock-out semifinals and final), was adopted. [7] [8]

YearWinnerRunners-upNote
1948Youngmen SCData not available
1949Raisina Sporting
1950 Simla Youngs FC
1951Youngmen SC
1952 Simla Youngs FC
1953 New Delhi Heroes FC
1954 New Delhi Heroes FC
1955 New Delhi Heroes FC
1956 New Delhi Heroes FC
1957Youngmen SC
1958 New Delhi Heroes FC
1959 New Delhi Heroes FC
1960City Club
1961Raisina Sporting
1962Raisina Sporting
1963City Club
1964City Club
1965Youngmen SC
1966President's Estate
1967President's Estate
1969Youngmen SC
1971 Indian Air Force
1972 Simla Youngs FC
1973 Simla Youngs FC
1975 Indian Air Force
1976 Simla Youngs FC
1985Moonlight FC Simla Youngs FC
1986 Garhwal Heroes Youngsters FC
1987NoneUnfinished
1988Shastri FC
Moonlight FC
Joint winners
1989Shastri FC
Moonlight FC
Joint winners
1990Moonlight FC
1991Students Club Simla Youngs FC
1992Shastri FCSpecial Area Games
1993South India FC Simla Youngs FC
1994Shastri FCIndian National FC
1995Mughals SCShastri FC
1996Shastri FC Hindustan FC
1997City Club Indian Air Force
1998 Indian Air Force Hindustan FC
1999Indian National FCShastri FC
2000Indian National FC Hindustan FC
2001–02 Hindustan FC Indian National FC
2002 Indian Air Force Hindustan FC
2003 Indian Air Force Tarun Sangha FC
2004Indian Air Force, Palam Indian Air Force
2005 Simla Youngs FC Hindustan FC
2006–07 Indian Air Force Indian National FC
2007–08 New Delhi Heroes FC Indian National FC
2008–09Indian National FC Hindustan FC
2009 Hindustan FC
Indian National FC
Joint winners
2011–12 Delhi United FC Shahadra FC
2013 Garhwal Heroes FC Goodwill FC
2013–14Indian National FC Garhwal Heroes FC
2018 Indian Air Force
2019 Garhwal FC Indian Air Force
2020Not helddue to COVID-19 pandemic
2021 Indian Air Force Delhi FC
2021–22 Delhi FC Hindustan FC
2022–23 Vatika FC Delhi FC [9]
2023–24 Garhwal Heroes FC Royal Rangers FC
2024–25 Ongoing

See also

References

  1. Kapadia, Novy (17 November 2012). "Delhi Football - A trip down memory lane". www.sportskeeda.com. Archived from the original on 18 December 2021. Retrieved 18 December 2021.
  2. "Senior Division | Football Delhi". Archived from the original on 8 November 2021. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  3. Choudhuri, Arunava. "Delhi Senior Division to kick-off July 30". arunfoot.blogspot.com. Archived from the original on 2 July 2013. Retrieved 26 January 2013.
  4. "The history and the current status of football in Delhi". chaseyoursport.com. 29 April 2019. Archived from the original on 8 November 2020. Retrieved 4 October 2021.
  5. "First-Ever Delhi Premier League to Kick Off on July 15". News18. 12 July 2022. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
  6. "First Delhi Premier League to Kick off on July 15, 2022". LatestLY. 12 July 2022. Retrieved 4 September 2022.
  7. Chaudhuri, Arunava (2003). "India – List of Delhi League Champions". RSSSF . Archived from the original on 18 December 2021. Retrieved 18 December 2021.
  8. Chaudhuri, Arunava (2000). "List of Champions of the Delhi Football League (DSA Senior Division)". indianfootball.de. Indian Football Network. Archived from the original on 24 October 2020. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  9. @FootballDelhi (26 September 2022). "𝐂𝐀𝐌𝐏𝐄𝐎𝐍𝐄𝐒🏆 | VATIKA FC ARE THE CHAMPIONS DELHI!" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 27 September 2022. Retrieved 27 September 2022 via Twitter.