Kerala Premier League

Last updated

Kerala Premier League
Organising body Kerala Football Association
Founded1998;27 years ago (1998) (as Kerala Football League)
CountryIndia
Number of clubs14
Level on pyramid 5
Promotion to I-League 3
Relegation toKerala Premier League Second Division
Current champions Muthoot FA (1st title)
Most championships SBT Thiruvananthapuram (6 titles)
Broadcaster(s)Scoreline Sports (YouTube)
Current: 2025–26

The Kerala Premier League is the highest state-level football league organized by the Kerala Football Association and played in the state of Kerala, India. It is the overall fifth tier of the Indian football league system. For sponsorship reasons it is officially known as the Elite Kerala Premier League. Founded in 1998, the Kerala Football League was the first football league in Kerala, and got rebranded in 2013 as the KPL. Kerala United is the current champion.

Contents

History

Kerala Football League

After the introduction of the National Football League by the All India Football Federation, the Kerala Football Association started its Kerala Football League (KFL) in 1998. The team finishing top was nominated to 2nd division of the National Football League.

1998 season

FC Kochin was crowned the inaugural champion. SBT finished in second place.

1999 season

The second edition of Kerala Football League was held in Kochi and Kollam in December 1999. FC Kochin retained the tille, and SBT FC become the runners up. [1]

2007 season

SBT FC won the title, and Central Excise Kochi become the runners up. [2]

Format

The league features teams from the state of Kerala affiliated with the KFA. The top four teams from each group qualify for the final round. A women's league started in the 2014–15 season with 8 teams. [3] [4]

Teams

KFA

TeamHead coachCaptainCitySponsor
1 Devagiri College Flag of India.svg Niyaz Rahman Vishnu Prakash Kozhikode Hykon
2 FC Kerala Flag of India.svg Assis Kunjivappu Jithu TR Thrissur Premiere
3 Golden Threads FC Flag of India.svg Shiju Rajan Kochi Wayna Water
4 Gokulam Kerala B Flag of India.svg Varun Metha Bibin Boban Kozhikode CSB Bank
5 Inter Kerala FC Flag of India.svg Britto Clemmy Shem Marton Eugene Kothamangalam
6 Kerala Blasters B Flag of India.svg Noel Joseph Ebin Das Kochi Medhaa
7 Kerala Police Flag of India.svg Siddik VV Sanju G Trivandrum Off Road Nilambur
8 Kerala United FC Flag of India.svg Liandala Sena Fanai Craig Mangkhanlian Manjeri YELO
9 KSEB Flag of India.svg Sanushraj Palanickal Eldhose George Trivandrum KSEB
10 Kovalam FC Flag of India.svg Rajesh Mohanan Manoj M Kovalam Adani Group
11 Muthoot FA Flag of India.svg Othallo Tabia Bavijith TK Kochi Muthoot Pappachan Group
12 PFC Kerala Flag of India.svg Sanjoy Kumar Dey Anto V Parappur Jos Alukkas
13 Real Malabar FC Flag of India.svg Rajeev Rajendran Kondotty EDEX
14 Wayanad United FC Flag of India.svg Daison Cheriyan Muhammed Ameen Kalpetta SKAMPILO

Number of teams by region

No. of teams Districts Team(s)
4 Ernakulam Golden Threads FC, Inter Kerala FC, Kerala Blasters B, Muthoot FA
3 Trivandrum Kerala Police, Kovalam FC, KSEB
2 Malappuram Kerala United FC, Real Malabar FC
Kozhikode Devagiri College, Gokulam Kerala B
Thrissur FC Kerala, PFC Kerala
1 Wayanad Wayanad United FC

Sponsorship

Team statistics

TeamWinnersRunners-up
SBI Kerala 65
Gokulam Kerala B 23
KSEB 22
FC Kochin 21
Kerala United FC/Quartz FC21
Viva Kerala FC 10
Eagles 10
Indian Navy FC 10
Kerala Blasters B 10
Golden Threads FC 10
Trivandrum Titanium FC 02
Central Excise Club 02
Kerala Police 02
FC Thrissur 01
SAT 01
Muthoot FA10

Championship summary

SeasonChampionsRunners-up
Kerala Football League
1998–99 FC Kochin SBT
1999–2000 [8] FC Kochin (2) SBT
2000–01 SBT Trivandrum Titanium FC
2001–02League cancelled
2002–03League cancelled
2003–04 SBT (2) FC Kochin
2004–05 [9] KSEB SBT
2005–06 Viva Kerala FC SBT
2006–07 [10] SBT (3) Central Excise Club
2007–08 SBT (4) Trivandrum Titanium FC
2009–2013League not held
Kerala Premier League
2013–14 Eagles F.C. SBT
2014–15 SBT (5) Kerala Police
2015–16 SBT (6) Central Excise Club
2016–17 KSEB (2) FC Thrissur

2017–18

Gokulam Kerala B Quartz FC
2018–19 Indian Navy FC Gokulam Kerala B
2019–20 Kerala Blasters B Gokulam Kerala B
2020–21 Gokulam Kerala B (2) KSEB
2021–22 Golden Threads FC KSEB
2022–23 Kerala United FC Gokulam Kerala B
2023–24 Kerala United FC (2) SAT
2024–25 Muthoot FA Kerala Police

Top scorers

SeasonTop scorerTeamGoals
2015–16 Flag of India.svg Askar Central Excise Cochin 6
2016–17 Flag of India.svg Firos Kalathingal Kerala Police 7
2017–18 Flag of Ghana.svg Emmanuel Aidoo Quartz FC 12
2018–19 Flag of India.svg Vishnu
Flag of Liberia.svg Harry Moris
Flag of India.svg Bipaka Thapa
Flag of Ghana.svg Christian Sabah
Shooters United Padne
FC Kerala
Indian Navy
Gokulam Kerala B
6
2019–20 Flag of Ghana.svg Isahak Nuhu Seidu
Flag of Senegal.svg E. Kamara
Golden Threads FC
SAT
8
2020–21 Flag of Mali.svg Saliou Guindo Gokulam Kerala B 8
2021–22 Flag of Ghana.svg Isahak Nuhu Seidu Golden Threads FC 12
2022–23 Flag of Ghana.svg Samuel Mensa Konney Gokulam Kerala B 10
2023–24 Flag of India.svg Salahudheen Adnan Muthoot FA 11

Media coverage

Scoreline Sports (through its YouTube channel) are the current official streaming partners of the Kerala Premier League.

See also

References

  1. Staff (5 April 2006). "1999 season Kerala Football League". Archived from the original on 22 October 2019. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
  2. Staff (5 April 2006). "2007 season Kerala Football League". Archived from the original on 10 July 2020. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
  3. "Kerala U-21 Football Team aims for Santosh Trophy as Kerala Premier League kicks off". thenewsminute.com. 18 April 2016. Archived from the original on 22 May 2016. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
  4. "Crippled but Trudging Along..." newindianexpress.com. 1 July 2015. Archived from the original on 22 May 2016. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
  5. "KFA Announces Kerala Premier League". Football News India. Archived from the original on 17 May 2014. Retrieved 16 May 2014.
  6. Correspondant, Special (5 April 2017). "Kerala Premier League to kick off on April 8". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 11 October 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2017.
  7. Rayan, Stan (4 April 2018). "Lack of funds forces KSEB to pull out of KPL". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 11 October 2022. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
  8. "WELCOME TO FOOTBALL CLUB KOCHIN — Success Stories". fckochin.in. Archived from the original on 10 August 2022. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  9. Staff (5 April 2006). "Top six teams for Kerala Football League". www.oneindia.com. Archived from the original on 21 March 2023. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  10. Staff (5 May 2007). "SBT enters Kerala Football League final". www.mykhel.com. Archived from the original on 21 March 2023. Retrieved 5 September 2021.