Full name | Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Football Club |
---|---|
Nickname(s) | The Oilmen |
Short name | ONGC, ONGCFC |
Founded | 1990s (as Oil & Natural Gas Commission) 2006 (as ONGC FC) |
Ground | Cooperage Ground |
Capacity | 5,000 |
Owner | ONGC |
Chairman | Vivek Bhowmik |
Head coach | Dharmesh Patel |
League | MDFA Elite League |
Website | Club website |
Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Football Club (known simply as ONGC FC) [1] [2] [3] [4] was an Indian professional football club based in Mumbai. [5] [6] [7] [8] The club was an institutional arm of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), and part of its multi-sports club. [9] [10]
Nicknamed "The Oilmen", they competed in both the domestic top tiers National Football League, and I-League, [11] [12] alongside the regional competition named MDFA Elite League. [13] [14] [15] [16] The club also operated a non-professional football section that participates in regional corporate tournaments, including All-India Public Sector League. [17]
In 2006, the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation revived its football section and renamed it as ONGC F.C., [18] [19] in hope of expanding their involvement in Indian football, which included title sponsoring the old National Football League, Durand Cup and Nehru Cup. [9] In their inaugural season in the I-League 2nd Division, the club finished on 6th place. [9] After their first season, the club offered their players full-time contracts and higher salaries, as well as inducting youth sections. [9] These changes helped the club finish on 5th place in the final round of the 2009 I-League 2nd Division, [20] [21] [22] after topping the group stage. [9] The next season would finally see ONGC get promoted, [23] after the club won the 2010 I-League 2nd Division and went undefeated in the final round. [9] It was the club's biggest achievement in domestic football. [24]
In 2010, Caetano Pinho became the head coach of ONGC and helped the team winning the I-League 2nd Division and qualified for the 2010–11 season of I-League. [25] Unfortunately, after one season in the I-League, the club were relegated back into the 2nd Division and Pinho's job was on the line as ONGC were considering folding the club. Even Pinho himself said: "The club's poor showing had not gone down well with the management, who it was believed were even considering the most extreme of repercussions. For a company which supports 16 different disciplines of sports around the country, they had after all pumped in the maximum amount of money into the football club's coffers." [26] [27]
After earning promotion into the I-League, ONGC made some unexpected signings with the signatures of Nigerian David Opara and re-signing Badmus Babatunde, who was the overall top-scorer during the 2010 I-League 2nd Division, [28] [29] [30] and signing former India national football team goalkeeper Rajat Ghosh Dastidar. [9] ONGC played their first match of the 2010–11 on 4 December 2010 against East Bengal at the Salt Lake Stadium, in which they lost 1–0. It took the club register first win till 9 January 2011 against Viva Kerala at home with David Opara scoring the lone goal for ONGC. [31] Then on 12 February 2011, ONGC created the biggest shock of the season after defeating East Bengal, who were undefeated before the game, 1–0 with Babatunde scoring in 58th minute at Cooperage Ground. [32] Despite the unexpected result, ONGC could only do so much as despite scoring 11 more goals in the 2nd half of the season, they ultimately finished on last 14th place, which meant straight relegation back into 2nd Division after only one season. [33]
ONGC began their mission for a comeback to the I-League by entering the 2012 I-League 2nd Division. [34] The immediately made an impact after finishing the group stage in first place and entered the final round as automatic contenders. [35] After a tough 12 matches in Siliguri and Sikkim, ONGC again finished in a promotion spot, 2nd place, and thus qualified for the 2012–13 I-League, which was confirmed on 17 April 2012, after the club drew 1–1 with Aizawl. [36] [37] [38] ONGC finished the next I-League season on 9th position with 31 points in 26 matches. [39] [40]
The club has also participated in the 2013 IFA Shield unlikely. On 4 March 2013, it was announced that Muktijoddha Sangsad of Bangladesh would not participate in this tournament and instead current I-League club ONGC would take their place. [41] But they failed to qualify for the knockout stages. In 2014, they participated in the 14th Darjeeling Gold Cup and won the tournament with a 5–0 win over Dalhousie AC of Kolkata in final. [42]
In October 2014, ONGC participated in Sikkim Governor's Gold and reached to the final with a 2–1 win over Gangtok Himalayan. [43] [44] They clinched the trophy defeating Manang Marshyangdi Club of Nepal on penalty shoot-out. [45] [46]
Since their inception, ONGC became a member of Western India Football Association (WIFA) and Mumbai District Football Association (formerly BDFA). [47] [48] [49] They participated in later editions of Mumbai Harwood League alongside Maharashtra Football League. [50] [51]
Before getting revived in 2006, they participated in B.D.F.A League, and W.I.F.A. Super Division from 1990 to 1999 and clinched BDFA title in 1993. [51] ONGC also participated in MDFA Elite Division, [52] and lifted trophies in 2015–16 and 2017–18 season. [53]
In spite of finishing 9th in the 2012–13 I-League table with 36 points, ONGC were excluded from the next season, [54] because they did not meet the AFC's club licensing criteria. [55] [56] New club Oil India has taken sponsorship and majority of ONGC's squad in the following years.
ONGC played all their home matches for National Football League and I-League at the Cooperage Ground, [57] [58] which is located at the Nariman Point, Mumbai. [59] It has a capacity of 5,000. [60] [61]
During the 2010–11 I-League season, Rajarshi Shahu Stadium in Kolhapur, hosted numerous matches of Mumbai teams due to unavailability of Cooperage Ground. ONGC played its home games at this ground throughout the season. [62]
For all former notable players of ONGC FC with a Wikipedia article, see: ONGC FC players .
ONGC has its field hockey team. [82] It previously competed in Beighton Cup, one of world's oldest hockey tournaments. [83] [84] [85] [86] They finished as runners-up in the prestigious trophy in 2011 and 2013. Affiliated with the Bombay Hockey Association, ONGC also appeared in Bombay Gold Cup and Guru Tegh Bahadur Gold Cup. [87]
ONGC operates men's volleyball team, that participates in domestic state and national level tournaments. In 2011, ONGC clinched IOB Platinum Jubilee National Volleyball Championship title, and qualified to represent India at the Asian Club Volleyball Championships in China. [97] [98]
Mahindra United Football Club was an Indian professional football club based in Mumbai, Maharashtra. Founded in 1962, the club competed in the I-League, then top tier of Indian football league system, before closing down at the end of 2009–10 season. Affiliated with Mumbai Football Association, the club participated in both the National Football League, and MDFA Elite League.
Dempo Sports Club is an Indian professional football club based in Panaji, Goa. The club currently competes in the I-League 2, the third tier of the Indian football league system, and the Goa Professional League. Dempo is owned and sponsored by the Dempo Mining Corporation Limited. Known popularly as "The Whites" and "Golden Eagles", the club has been a constant participant in the National football championships, and gained immense popularity in the last four decades of its existence. The club have previously competed in the I-League.
Clube de Desportos Vasco da Gama is an Indian professional football club based in Vasco da Gama, Goa, part of the same named multi-sports club. Incorporated in 1951, the club is nicknamed "The Port Towners", and competes in the Goa Professional League.
Sporting Clube de Goa is an Indian professional football club based in Panaji, Goa. The club competes in the I-League 2, the third tier of the Indian football league system and the Goa Football League. Nicknamed "The Flaming Orange", the club was founded in 1999 as Cidade de Goa. They previously competed in the I-League, then top-flight of Indian football league system.
Salgaocar Football Club is an Indian professional football club based in Vasco, Goa. Being one of the country's most successful clubs, it is currently operating youth teams. Until the disfunction of club's senior team in June 2023, Salgaocar competed in the Goa Professional League.
Jagatjit Cotton & Textile Football Club was an Indian professional football club based in Phagwara, Punjab. Founded in 1971, the club was sponsored by Jagatjit Cotton and Textile Mills under the leadership of Samir Thapar and participated in the National Football League which was later renamed I-League. They also participated in Punjab State Super Football League under licence from Punjab Football Association. The club was disbanded in 2011.
Churchill Brothers Football Club Goa is an Indian professional football club based in Margao, Goa, that competes in the I-League, alongside Goa Professional League. Founded in 1988 in Margao, the club usually participated in the National Football League, then top tier of Indian football league system.
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited Sporting Club is an Indian institutional multi-sports club based in Bangalore, known for its association football team. It was named after the company Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). The club competed in the top tier of Karnataka football — the Bangalore A Division and from 2001, the Bangalore Super Division.
Viva Kerala Football Club was an Indian professional association football club based in the city of Kochi, Kerala, India. The club was originally formed in 2004, as Viva Kerala. They participated in the National Football League, and later in the I-League, then the top tier of Indian football league system, alongside the Kerala Premier League. The club was dissolved in 2012.
Air India Football Club is a football section of the same-named Indian institutional multi-sports club. Founded by Anand Prajapati in 1952, the club is based in Mumbai, Maharashtra. Sponsored by Air India, the club previously played in the Mumbai Football League, and now in the MFA Elite Corporate League.
Punjab Police Football Club is an Indian institutional multi-sports club based in Jalandhar, Punjab. Affiliated with the Punjab Football Association, club's football section competes in the Punjab State Super Football League.
Bengal Mumbai Football Club, known by its abbreviation BMFC, was an Indian professional football club based in Mumbai, Maharashtra. Founded in 1998, they have competed in the National Football League II, alongside the MDFA Elite League. It is the second professionally founded football club in India and the first in Mumbai. The team was dissolved in 2011.
United Sports Club is an Indian professional football club based in Kolkata, West Bengal. It was founded as Eveready Association in 1927. Affiliated with the Indian Football Association (IFA), the club competes in Calcutta Premier Division A, the highest division of Asia's oldest league CFL and also in the I-League 2, the third division of the Indian football league system.
Oil India Football Club, also known as Oil India Limited FC, or simply Oil India FC, is an Indian institutional football club based in Duliajan, Assam. The club was founded by Oil India in 1964. It also participated in I-League 2nd Division, then second tier football tournament of Indian football league system, for three seasons.
Sukhwinder Singh is a former Indian footballer and football manager. He was the manager of the Cuttack based Indian Women's League side, Rising Students for the 2013–14 season and was also the coach of the India U-23 side and formerly of the Pailan Arrows of the I-League.
The Sikkim Gold Cup, known as the All India Governor's Gold Cup, is an Indian football tournament held in Sikkim and organized by Sikkim Football Association (SFA). Past champions include New Road Team of Nepal in 2007, Three Star Club of Nepal in 2008. and ONGC FC in 2010. Mohammedan Sporting became the champions for 2016 beating Jhapa XI 1–0 in the final.
The 2012–13 I-League was the sixth season of the I-League, the Indian professional league for association football clubs, since its establishment in 2007. The season began on 6 October 2012 and finished on 12 May 2013 with Churchill Brothers crowned champions in matchday 25.
Mumbai Tigers Football Club was an Indian professional football club based in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The club were formed in May 2012 as Dodsal Football Club with the aim of becoming the biggest football club in India and one of the biggest in Asia. They have completed in the I-League 2nd Division alongside Mumbai Football League.
Eastern Railway Football Club is an Indian institutional multi-sports club based in Kolkata, West Bengal. The club was incorporated in 1882. Its widely known football team has mostly competed in CFL Premier Division B.
Border Security Force Sporting Club is an Indian multi-sports club best known for its football team. The club is based in Jalandhar, Punjab, and currently competing in the Punjab State Super Football League. They are one of the dominating teams in Independence Day Cup of Assam.
Bibliography
Cited sources