Real Kashmir FC

Real Kashmir

Full name	Real Kashmir Football Club
Nickname(s)	Sheeni Seh (Snow leopards)
Short name	RKFC
Founded	2016;8 years ago (2016) [1]
Ground	TRC Turf Ground Bakshi Stadium (proposed)
Capacity	10,000 30,000
Head coach	Ishfaq Ahmed
League	I-League J&K Premier Football League
2023–24	I-League, 5th of 13
Website	therealkashmirfc.com
Home colours Away colours
Current season

Departments of Real Kashmir FC
Football (Men's)	Futsal (Men's) [2]	Football (Women's)	Football (Reserves & Youths)

Real Kashmir Football Club is an Indian professional football club based in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir. ^{[3] [4]} Incorporated in 2016, the club predominantly competes in I-League, the second tier of Indian football league system. ^{[5] [6] [7]} Real Kashmir with its reserves side also participates in Jammu & Kashmir Premier Football League regionally.

Nicknamed "Sheeni Seh" (transl. Snow Leopards), ^{[8] [9]} Real Kashmir is the first ever club from Jammu and Kashmir to earn promotion to compete in any top flight football league of the country. ^{[10] [11] [12] [13] [14]} They also lifted prestigious IFA Shield title in 2022. ^[15] Club's futsal section has been competing in the state league, as well as AIFF Futsal Club Championship, the highest division of futsal club competition in the country.

History

Foundation and early history

The seeds of Real Kashmir FC were sown in 2014 after devastating floods swept through the region causing massive loss of life and property. To keep the youth, who had lost much during the floods—engaged, Shamim Mehraj, editor of a local newspaper named "Kashmir Monitor", and Sandeep Chattoo, ^[16] a local businessman, came together to arrange footballers. ^{[17] [18]}

What began as a community outreach programme garnered massive support from the local populace and it soon started evolving into something more. Real Kashmir FC as a club, formalised in 2016, ^{[19] [20]} and affiliated with Jammu & Kashmir Football Association (JKFA) under the tireless efforts by Chattoo. ^[21] Founded in 2016, Real Kashmir FC emerged as the first ever top flight professional football club in Jammu and Kashmir. ^{[22] [23] [24]}

Later years

Shortly after its formation, the club participated in their first national competition in September 2016 when they competed in the 2016 Durand Cup. ^[25] In January 2017, Real Kashmir roped in David Robertson ^[26] as their new head coach, and in July, it became the first club from Jammu & Kashmir to play on foreign soil by playing 4 matches in Scotland. They appeared in their first major tournament by competing in the 2016–17 I-League 2nd Division, ^[27] but failed to reach to the final round. ^{[28] [29]} They have been participating in all four categories of the AIFF.

In May 2018, ^[30] Real Kashmir FC earned promotion to the 2018–19 I-League by winning the 2017–18 I-League 2nd Division after defeating Hindustan in the final game of the season by a score of 3–2. ^{[31] [32] [33]} On 30 May 2018, Real Kashmir became champions of the I-League 2nd Division. ^[34] This was only their second season at this level, after the club's inception in 2016, earning promotion to the I-League for the first time ahead of the 2018–19 season. In October 2018, they clinched Jammu & Kashmir Invitational Cup, jointly with Minerva Punjab. ^{[35] [36]} In 11 December 2018, they witnessed one of the league's biggest wins, after they thrashed Shillong Lajong by 6–1. Real Kashmir achieved third place in their debut season. ^[37]

In August 2018, the Real Kashmir FC youth team travelled to Germany for pre-season training with one of the best football clubs in the world: Borussia Dortmund (BVB). The youth team visited the training centers where official BVB teams train. They also visited the famous BVB stadium Westfalenstadion. They participated in 2019 Durand Cup and reached the semi-finals, but lost 3–1 to Mohun Bagan. ^[38] On 19 December 2020, the Snow Leopards, as they are fondly called, added another golden chapter in their short yet eventful history by winning the 123rd edition of the IFA Shield tournament, ^[39] defeating George Telegraph at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata. ^{[40] [41]} It is the first major domestic triumph since their inception in 2016. ^[42]

For I-League 2021, they borrowed three players (Danish Farooq Bhat, Adnan Ayoub, Farhan Ganie) from J&K Bank Football Club. ^{[43] [44]} In the 2020–21 I-League, the club finished their campaign in fifth place (Play-off), accumulating 21 points with 5 wins in 15 matches. ^{[45] [46]} As the defending champions of IFA Shield, ^[47] Real Kashmir began its 2021 edition campaign on 24 November with a 3–0 win over Indian Arrows. ^[48] They retained their title with a 2–1 win against Sreenidi Deccan on 15 December. ^[49] The club failed to make an impact in the 2021–22 I-League season and finished on twelfth place. ^[50] In midway of the 2022–23 season, the club roped in English manager Gifton Noel-Williams as new head coach, who succeeded Mehrajuddin Wadoo in February 2023. ^{[51] [52] [53]}

Kit manufacturers and shirt sponsors

Period	Kit manufacturer	Shirt sponsor
2016–2018	None	The Kashmir Monitor [54]
2018–2021	Adidas [55]	Hotel Ch2 [56] [57]
2021–2022	SIX5SIX [58]
2022–2023	Nivia
2023–2024	Vector X [59]	Football for Peace [59]
2024–present	BK Sports	Casyno Days [60]

Stadium

Main articles: TRC Turf Ground and Bakshi Stadium

The club is currently using 11,000 seater TRC Polo Synthetic Turf Ground in Srinagar, as their home ground until the renovation of Bakshi Stadium. ^{[61] [62]} Since 2015, the ground is being used in I-League 2nd Division as the home ground for their rival Lonestar Kashmir, and I-League for Real Kashmir. ^[63] The ground is operated by the Jammu & Kashmir Football Association and renovated in 2015. ^[64] It has artificial turf.

Rivalry

Real Kashmir has a rivalry with their fellow Jammu & Kashmir-based club Lonestar Kashmir FC, ^[65] that participated in the I-League 2nd Division. ^[66] The team has also participated in the inaugural 2020–21 Real Kashmir Cup, which was hosted at the TRC Turf Ground. ^{[67] [68]}

Players

First-team squad

As of 3 September 2024

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK   IND Furqan Ahmad Dar 3 DF   IND Sowban Hilal Sidiqui 5 MF   IND Ifham Tariq Mir 6 DF   IND Hyder Yousuf 7 MF   IND Mohammad Inam 9 FW   CIV Gnohere Krizo 10 FW   IND Mohammad Asrar Rehber 11 FW   IND Ateeb Ahmed Dar 12 MF   IND Huzafah Ahmad Dar 13 GK   IND Shivam Kiran Pednekar 14 FW   UGA Henry Kisekka 16 DF   SYR Shaher Shaheen

No. Pos. Nation Player 17 MF   IND Lalramdinsanga Ralte 18 DF   IND Dion Menezes 20 DF   GHA Kamal Issah 21 DF   IND Zahid Yousuf 25 FW   CIV Kamo Bayi 26 DF   IND Hafiz Ur Rehman Khan 27 MF   LBN Mohamad Maksoud 28 MF   IND Jeremy Laldinpuia 29 MF   IND Adnan Ayub 30 DF   IND Wayne Vaz 31 DF   IND Shahid Nazir — GK   IND Mohammad Arbaz(on loan from Kerala Blasters B)

Current technical staff

Position	Name
Head coach	Ishfaq Ahmed
Goalkeeping coach	Mohammed Yusuf Ansari
Team Manager	Yasir Malik
Physio	Muhammad Mudasir Lone

Records and statistics

Overall records

As of 6 April 2023

Season	Division	Teams	Position	Avg. attendance	Super Cup	Durand Cup	AFC Champions League	AFC Cup
2016–17	I-League 2nd Division	12	Grp A-3rd	600	Did not exist	Group stage	Did not qualify ▼	Did not qualify ▼
2017–18		18	1st	2,108	Did not participate	Did not participate ▼
2018–19	I-League	11	3rd	9,246	RO16
2019–20		11	4th	9,034	Did not participate ▼	Semi-finals
2020–21		11	5th	🔒 Closed Doors ▼		Did not participate ▼
2021–22		13	12th
2022–23		12	5th	2,859					Qualifiers
2023–24		13	5th	3,499	Did not participate

Season by season

As of 6 April 2023

⭐	Top scorer in division
🇮🇳	Top Indian scorer in division

Season	League									Finals	Top scorer(s)
	Division	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Pts	Pos		Player(s)	Goals
2016–17	I-League 2nd Division	6	3	0	3	7	8	9	Grp A-3rd	—	Lago Dogbo	4
2017–18		13	8	5	0	23	14	29	Champions	—	Bernard Kouassi Atinder Mani Ritwik Das Danish Farooq Ifham Tariq Mir	4
2018–19	I-League	20	10	7	3	25	14	37	3rd	—	Mason Robertson Gnohere Krizo Abednego Tetteh	4
2019–20		15	6	4	5	16	14	22	4th	—	Mason Robertson	6
2020–21		15	5	6	4	23	18	21	5th	—	Mason Robertson Lukman Adefemi	6
2021–22		17	2	8	7	23	31	14	12th	—	Mason Robertson	9
2022–23		22	9	7	6	27	25	34	5th	—	Samuel Kynshi	6 🇮🇳
2023–24		24	11	7	6	36	19	40	5th	—	Gnohere Krizo	12

Managerial record

As of 13 April 2024

Name	Nationality	From	To	P	W	D	L	GF	GA	Win%	Ref.
David Robertson	Scotland	2016	2022	70	34	20	16	96	64	048.57	[69]
Mehrajuddin Wadoo	India	2022	2023	14	4	4	6	10	15	028.57	[70]
Gifton Noel-Williams	England	2023	2023	8	5	3	0	17	10	062.50	[71]
Ishfaq Ahmed	India	2023	till date	24	11	7	6	36	19	045.83	[72]

Notable players

See also: Category:Real Kashmir FC players

Past and present internationals

The following Real Kashmir players have been capped at international level for their respective countries. Years in brackets indicate their spells at the club. ^[73]

• Taha Dyab (2018) ^{[74] [75]}
• Aaron Katebe (2018–2020) ^[76]
• Kashif Siddiqi (2019) ^{[77] [78]}
• Tenzin Samdup (2019–2020) ^{[nb 1] [79]}
• Zohib Islam Amiri (2021) ^{[80] [81]}
• Masih Saighani (2021) ^{[82] [83]}
• Nozim Babadjanov (2022–2023) ^{[84] [85]}
• Nuriddin Davronov (2023) ^[86]
• Shaher Shaheen (2023–) ^[87]
• Henry Kisekka (2024–) ^{[88] [89]}
• Aminou Bouba (2024–)

Other noted player(s)

• Mason Robertson (2018–2022) — IFA Shield top scorer, with Real Kashmir (Chuni Goswami Memorial Award for Man of the tournament) in 2020. ^[90]

Other departments

Football (women's)

In September 2020, Real Kashmir FC launched women's development initiative named She Power Programme, in collaboration with Delhi Public School, for U-14 and U-10 girls teams. ^{[91] [92] [93]} Senior team was announced in August 2021.

Futsal (men's)

The futsal section of Real Kashmir has participated in the inaugural edition of Futsal Club Championship, ^{[94] [95] [96] [97]} in which they failed to reach the knock-out stages. ^{[98] [99]}

The team previously clinched the state Futsal Championship title for the 1st time in September 2021, defeating Downtown Heroes by 3–1, which was organized by Jammu & Kashmir Football Association. ^[2]

Football (youth men's)

Real Kashmir has been operating U13, U15 and U18 youth teams. ^[100] Their U15 team took part in Hero U15 I-League. ^[101] U18 team of the club competed in final round of the 2018–19 Indian Elite League. ^[102] U17 team later went on to participate in 2022–23 U-17 Youth Cup. ^[103] The U15 team participated in Nike Premier Cup. ^[104]

Honours

League

• I-League
  • Third place (1): 2018–19 ^{[105] [106]}
• I-League 2nd Division
  • Champions (1): 2017–18 ^[107]

Cup

• IFA Shield ^{[nb 2]}
  • Winners (2): 2020, ^[108] 2021 ^[109]
• J&K Invitational Cup
  • Winners (1): 2018 ^{[nb 3] [110]}

Award

• IFA Shield Fair Play Award (Ronny Roy Memorial Trophy): 2020 ^[90]

Affiliated club(s)

The following club was affiliated with Real Kashmir FC:

• Oxford United FC (2020–2021) ^{[111] [112] [113]}

In popular culture

Worldwide attention

Real Kashmir have received international acclaim following their participation in a BBC Scotland documentary named "Real Kashmir FC" that followed the team and their Scottish manager David Robertson, ^{[114] [115]} which won the best 'Single Documentary' category at the British Academy Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) or BAFTA Film Awards Scotland. ^{[116] [117]} It additionally won at the UK "Broadcast Awards" for best documentary, and the best documentary and best director for Greg Clark at the Rotterdam European Sports Awards. A follow-up documentary "Return to Real Kashmir FC" was then made and given a 4 star review in The Guardian . The documentaries were also broadcast on Fox Sports in the US. ^[116]

Global partnerships

On 22 October 2018, Adidas India announced its official partnership with Real Kashmir Football Club, the first football team from the Kashmir valley to qualify for the country's top tier I-League. ^[118]

"Through sport, we have the power to change lives and the Real Kashmir team is a great example of this. Real Kashmir and its players have shown dedication and perseverance under difficult circumstances and we are proud to support them as they create history."

— Dave Thomas, MD of Adidas India, expressed on a positive future with Real Kashmir FC. ^[119]

Beginning with the 2018–19 I-league season, Adidas became the official kit partner for the club. Also, beyond kit sponsorship, Adidas India aims at redefining the 'Real' Kashmir through the lens of sports and becoming a proponent of changing lives in Kashmir through football. ^{[120] [119]} The club is also affiliated to the Football for Peace, a non-governmental organisation headquartered in London. ^[59] Real Kashmir also took part in Football for Peace global conference at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London, as an ambassador from India. ^{[121] [122] [123]}

See also

• FC Ganderbal Academy
• Downtown Heroes FC
• Ali Jana FC
• List of football clubs in India
• Sports in Jammu and Kashmir

Footnotes

1. ^
   Represented Tibet national football team in CONIFA tournaments internationally.
2. ^
   Fourth oldest football tournament, organized by the IFA (W.B.), and played between the local clubs of West Bengal and other invited ones.
3. ^
   Title shared with Minerva Punjab FC.

References

1. "Team profile — Real Kashmir Football Club". Goalzz.com. Archived from the original on 15 December 2023. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
2. "Real Kashmir Win 1st Futsal Championship 2021". Kashmir Observer. 23 September 2021. Archived from the original on 6 December 2021. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
3. Jaison, Anson (25 August 2022). "Real Kashmir FC ropes in Ghanaian striker Ibrahim Nurudeen". halfwayfootball.com. Halfway Football. Archived from the original on 2 September 2022. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
4. "Real Kashmir Football Club team info, matches, transfers and archive". globalsportsarchive.com. Global Sports Archive. Archived from the original on 2 February 2021. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
5. "Lajong goalie Phurba Tempa Lachenpa now at Real Kashmir". thesportsroom.in. The Sports Room News. 13 August 2019. Archived from the original on 12 August 2023. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
6. Das Sharma, Amitabha (7 March 2022). "I-League: Gokulam Kerala thrashes Real Kashmir 5–1, Mohammedan Sporting beats Sreenidi Deccan 3-1". sportstar.thehindu.com. Sportstar. Archived from the original on 8 March 2022. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
7. Media Team, AIFF (4 March 2022). "Real Kashmir and Kenkre FC play out thrilling 1–1 draw". the-aiff.com. Kalyani, West Bengal: All India Football Federation. Archived from the original on 28 March 2022. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
8. "Real Kashmir fc nicknamed the snow leopard or sheenishe in local tongue". twitter.com. Real Kashmir F.C. Archived from the original on 20 July 2021. Retrieved 16 December 2018.
9. Tarafdar, Veronica (30 March 2023). "In the last matchday of the I-League season, teams compete for improved Super Cup qualifying ranking". footballexpress.in. Football Express India. Archived from the original on 7 April 2023. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
10. "Real Kashmir all set for I-League debut". The Hindu. 30 October 2018. Archived from the original on 3 December 2019. Retrieved 31 October 2018.
11. "I-League 2nd Division Fixtures". The Indian League. 17 December 2016. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 18 December 2016.
12. "Real Kashmir makes history after booking I-League berth". espn.in. 30 May 2018. Archived from the original on 2 June 2018. Retrieved 30 May 2018.
13. "Kashmir's ace footballer Danish Farooq gets national team camp call up". www.thekashmirmonitor.net. The Kashmir Monitor. 8 March 2022. Archived from the original on 17 March 2022. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
14. "Statistics: Hero I-League". Hero I-League. Archived from the original on 3 November 2018. Retrieved 1 December 2019.
15. Chaudhuri, Arunava. "India – List of IFA Shield Finals". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation . Archived from the original on 29 September 2022. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
16. "David Robertson and family could be heading home — Sandeep Chattoo". sportstar.thehindu.com. Sportstar. Archived from the original on 20 December 2020. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
17. "Real Kashmir FC: How the Snow Leopards chased down an impossible dream". OlympicChannel.com. Archived from the original on 22 January 2021. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
18. "Un'real' Kashmir — How a Muslim and a Pundit is giving hope to an entire nation". The Bridge. 10 November 2019. Archived from the original on 20 July 2021. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
19. Nisanth V Easwar (10 September 2020). "I-League: How newly-promoted teams have performed". goal.com. Goal. Archived from the original on 26 September 2021. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
20. Schöggl, Hans. "India — List of Foundation Dates". RSSSF . Archived from the original on 23 October 2021. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
21. "Real Kashmir: Its dreams and challenges". Sportstar.theHindu.com. Archived from the original on 18 December 2020. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
22. Sucharita Sen Chaudhuri (30 May 2018). "Real Kashmir Football Club from the Kashmir valley to the top flight of Indian football". anandabazar.com (in Bengali). Anandabazar Patrika. Archived from the original on 1 March 2021. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
23. "'For path-breaker Real Kashmir players, football more than just a means of livelihood'". The Times of India . 3 June 2018. Archived from the original on 8 July 2019. Retrieved 28 December 2021.
24. Mukherjee, Soham (9 July 2018). "All you need to know about the football league structure in Jammu and Kashmir". goal.com. Goal. Archived from the original on 3 January 2024. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
25. Ghosh, Sayan (7 November 2016). "Real Kashmir FC like a whiff of fresh air in troubled Valley". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 18 December 2016.
26. Kamath, Sooraj (9 April 2020). "Father-son duos to have graced Indian football". Goal.com. Archived from the original on 24 April 2020. Retrieved 2 March 2021.
27. "EIGHTEEN TEAMS WILL CONTEST IN SECOND DIVISION LEAGUE 2017-18". aiff.com. All India Football Federation. 21 February 2018. Archived from the original on 15 December 2021. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
28. "I-League 2nd Division Fixtures". theindianleague.in. The Indian League. Archived from the original on 28 July 2021. Retrieved 18 December 2016.
29. "NEROCA defeats Southern Samity, awaits for a win or a draw to reach to the final round". Sportstract. 27 February 2017. Archived from the original on 10 July 2018. Retrieved 10 July 2018.
30. "FC Pune City 'B' share spoils with Real Kashmir, FC Kerala defeat Madhya Bharat". Goal.com. 21 March 2018. Archived from the original on 16 September 2021. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
31. "Eighteen Teams Will Contest In Second Division League 2017-18". I-League. 20 February 2018. Archived from the original on 23 February 2018. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
32. "2nd Division I-League: Real Kashmir promoted to I-League". Goal.com. 30 May 2018. Archived from the original on 5 June 2018. Retrieved 30 May 2018.
33. Ugra, Sharda (30 May 2018). "Real Kashmir makes history after booking I-League berth". espn.in. ESPN. Archived from the original on 2 June 2018. Retrieved 30 May 2018.
34. Bhattacharya, Arka (1 June 2018). "14 years a slave: The story of Hindustan FC's 'emotional' stay in Indian football's 2nd division". Scroll.in. New Delhi. Archived from the original on 8 November 2020. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
35. "Jammu & Kashmir invitational cup — archives: Bengaluru FC B losing 2–3 to Real Kashmir". arunfoot.com. Archived from the original on 20 July 2021. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
36. Nehal (25 October 2018). "J&K Invitational Cup-2018: Real Kashmir FC and Minerva Punjab FC declared joint winners". theawayend.co. The Away End India. Archived from the original on 14 July 2020. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
37. "Chennai City Crowned I-League 2018-19 Champions After Win Against Minerva Punjab". Press Trust of India (PTI). NDTV. 9 March 2019. Archived from the original on 27 June 2020. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
38. "India 2019/20: Durand Cup". RSSSF . Archived from the original on 7 October 2021. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
39. Soham Mukherjee (10 November 2020). "IFA Shield 2020: 12 teams to participate including Mohammedan Sporting and Gokulam Kerala FC; All you need to know". Goal.com. Archived from the original on 10 November 2020. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
40. "IFA Shield 2020 FULL MATCH - Real Kashmir make history, beat George Telegraph in final". thefangarage.com. 19 December 2020. Archived from the original on 22 January 2021. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
41. "123rd IFA Shield 2020–21". kolkatafootball.com. Archived from the original on 27 January 2021. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
42. "IFA Shield: Real Kashmir win first major tournament, beat George Telegraph 2-1". indianexpress.com. The Indian Express. 19 December 2020. Archived from the original on 8 October 2021. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
43. "ShieldSquare Captcha". validate.perfdrive.com. Archived from the original on 28 January 2021. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
44. J&K Bank's star trio to join Real Kashmir FC in I-League in Kolkata The Times of India. Retrieved 26 March 2021
45. "Real Kashmir end I-League campaign with victory against Mohammedan Sporting". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 20 July 2021. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
46. "I-League: Real Kashmir end campaign with victory against Mohammedan Sporting". The Bridge. 26 March 2021. Archived from the original on 17 May 2021. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
47. "Good news for football lovers: the IFA shield returns !". IFAWB. 19 November 2020. Archived from the original on 22 November 2021. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
48. "Real Kashmir FC blank Indian Arrows 3-0 in IFA Shield opener". The Times of India. 24 November 2021. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
49. "Real Kashmir FC Win Thriller vs Sreenidi for Back-to-back IFA Shield Triumphs". News18 . 15 December 2021. Archived from the original on 15 December 2021. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
50. "Hero I-League 2021–2022 TABLE". footballdatabase.com. FootballDatabase. Archived from the original on 20 August 2022. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
51. "I-League: Former Premier League footballer Gifton Noel replaces Wadoo as Real Kashmir FC coach". ksportswatch.com. Srinagar: Kashmir Sports Watch. 7 February 2023. Archived from the original on 8 February 2023. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
52. "I-League | Our approach will be different now, says new Real Kashmir FC coach". greaterkashmir.com. Srinagar: Greater Kashmir Network. 8 February 2023. Archived from the original on 8 February 2023. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
53. Sudharshan, M (21 February 2023). "Wadoo was serving as the manager of Real Kashmir until a few days back". KhelNow.com. Archived from the original on 22 February 2023. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
54. "Real Kashmir Co-founder Shamim Meraj Parts Ways With Club". outlookindia.com. Outlook India. 20 July 2020. Archived from the original on 20 July 2020.
55. "Real Kashmir FC × Adidas". realkashmirfc.com. Archived from the original on 12 December 2020. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
56. Chander Shekhar Luthra (15 February 2019). "Let this Kashmir football fairy tale continue beyond". DNA India. Archived from the original on 19 April 2023. Retrieved 26 September 2021.
57. Zaidi, Waseem (21 January 2022). "I-LEAGUE: Introducing shirt sponsors of every I-league club for 2021-22 season". khelnow.com. Khel Now. Archived from the original on 22 January 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
58. Chaudhuri, Arunava. "Six5Six named new Real Kashmir FC official kit sponsor!". arunfoot.com. Arunava about Football. Archived from the original on 26 September 2021. Retrieved 26 September 2021.
59. Saha, Rahul (3 November 2023). "I-league Commercial Guide: A Complete List of the 2023/24 I-League Team Sponsors". sportskhabri.com. Sports Khabri. Archived from the original on 3 November 2023. Retrieved 26 September 2021.
60. "Introducing the ultimate winning combination: Real Kashmir FC proudly welcomes Casyno Days as our Principal Sponsor!". Facebook (@RealKashmirFootballClub). 8 February 2024. Archived from the original on 28 February 2024. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
61. "Real Kashmir's TRC Turf Ground becomes the first group in Jammu and Kashmir to receive floodlights". outlookindia.com. Outlook India. 19 June 2019. Archived from the original on 6 May 2021. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
62. Sayak Dipta Dey (22 April 2018). "Lonestar Kashmir held Delhi United 1–1 at TRC Turf Ground". sportskeeda.com. Sportskeeda. Archived from the original on 31 July 2021. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
63. Mukherjee, Soham (11 December 2018). "I-League 2018–19: Real Kashmir soar to third spot after thrashing Shillong Lajong 6–1". Goal.com. Archived from the original on 16 April 2022. Retrieved 25 November 2018.
64. "J&K gets its first synthetic turf football stadium". The Times of India . 3 September 2014. Archived from the original on 2 August 2021.
65. Qayoom, Sameer (27 March 2015). "LoneStar Kashmir FC - The beginning of a new era in J&K; football". sportskeeda.com. Archived from the original on 29 March 2015. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
66. "Lone Star Kashmir FC – Inculcating I-league Culture!". thekashmirmonitor.net. The Kashmir Monitor. Archived from the original on 15 December 2021. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
67. "Real Kashmir Cup". kashmirindepth.com. Kashmir Indepth. Archived from the original on 29 December 2020. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
68. "Real Kashmir Cup: Wins For Lonestar Kashmir FC, Kashmir Avengers FC". kashmirobserver.net. Kashmir Observer. Archived from the original on 6 May 2021. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
69. "Real Kashmir FC sign Scottish coach for I-League 2nd division". Times Of India. 2 January 2017. Archived from the original on 17 March 2017. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
70. "Mehraj ud Din Wadoo appointed as coach of RKFC". greaterkashmir.com. 17 September 2022. Archived from the original on 26 September 2022. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
71. "Snow Leopards look for home comfort under new coach". i-league.org. Hero I-League. 7 February 2023. Archived from the original on 8 February 2023. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
72. "RKFC, Rajasthan United FC to face off in I-League match today". greaterkashmir.com. Srinagar: Greater Kashmir. GK News Service. 28 October 2023. Archived from the original on 28 October 2023. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
73. "Real Kashmir FC » Players from A–Z". WorldFootball.net. Archived from the original on 23 November 2022. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
74. "Taha Dyab – Player profile". kooora.com (in Arabic). Archived from the original on 4 July 2017. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
75. Strack-Zimmermann, Benjamin. "NFT Player – National Team & Club Appearances: Dyab, Taha". www.national-football-teams.com. National Football Teams. Archived from the original on 25 December 2021. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
76. Strack-Zimmermann, Benjamin. "NFT Player – National Team & Club Appearances: Aaron Katebe". www.national-football-teams.com. National Football Teams. Archived from the original on 23 December 2021. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
77. Trehan, Dev (20 September 2019). "Oxford United player Kash Siddiqi off to India's Real Kashmir – in world's most militarised region". skysports.com. Sky Sports. Archived from the original on 27 October 2020.
78. Burt, Jason (14 October 2019). "Kashif Siddiqi heads to Real Kashmir in hope of uniting people: 'Football can save lives – I just want to bring some hope'". telegraph.co.uk. The Telegraph (UK). Archived from the original on 22 November 2020.
79. "I-League's Real Kashmir FC signs Tibet's No.1 goalie Tenzin Samdup". phayul.com. Dharamshala: Phayul Newsdesk. 5 September 2019. Archived from the original on 11 December 2021. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
80. "All our players play professional club football abroad: Haroon Amiri". the-ileague.org. Hero I-League. 14 June 2021. Archived from the original on 1 July 2021. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
81. Strack-Zimmermann, Benjamin. "NFT player — National team & Club appearances: Amiri, Zohib Islam". national-football-teams.com. National Football Teams. Archived from the original on 9 December 2022. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
82. Halder, Soham (5 September 2021). "I-League – Veteran defender Masih Saighani signs for Real Kashmir". iftwc.com. Kolkata: Indian Football Team for World Cup. Archived from the original on 5 September 2021. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
83. Strack-Zimmermann, Benjamin. "NFT player — National team & Club appearances: Saighani, Masih". national-football-teams.com. National Football Teams. Archived from the original on 24 July 2023. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
84. Chakraborty, Swapnomoy (23 July 2022). "Real Kashmir FC all set to rope in Tajikistan's Nozim Babadzhanov". sportskeeda.com. Archived from the original on 24 August 2022. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
85. Jaison, Anson (25 August 2022). "Real Kashmir FC ropes in Ghanaian striker Ibrahim Nurudeen". halfwayfootball.com. Halfway Football. Archived from the original on 2 September 2022. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
86. Sarkar, Sattyik (5 January 2023). "Nuriddin Davronov signs for Real Kashmir". khelnow.com. Khel Now. Archived from the original on 5 January 2023. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
87. "Real Kashmir Play RUFC In I-League Opener Today". kashmirobserver.net. Srinagar: Kashmir Observer. Observer News Service. 27 October 2023. Archived from the original on 28 October 2023. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
88. "2023–24 I-League Stats (Player profile) — Henry Kisekka — Real Kashmir FC". espn.in. ESPN. Archived from the original on 19 February 2024. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
89. Strack-Zimmermann, Benjamin. "NFT player — National team & Club appearances: Kisekka, Henry". national-football-teams.com. Archived from the original on 15 July 2023. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
90. "123RD IFA SHIELD RESULTS 2020–21: Awards after the FINAL (VYBK)". kolkatafootball.com. Kolkata Football. 19 December 2020. Archived from the original on 21 November 2022. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
91. PTI (27 September 2020). "RKFC forms an all-women's football team in Kashmir". sportstar.thehindu.com. Sportstar. Archived from the original on 21 October 2020. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
92. "Real Kashmir FC launches She Power initiative". Greater Kashmir. 20 September 2020. Archived from the original on 28 October 2020. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
93. "RKFC announces Women's Football Development Programme". Rising Kashmir. 22 September 2020. Archived from the original on 4 October 2020. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
94. "Futsal C'ship: Sporting Clube drawn alongside BFC". thegoan.net. Panaji: The Goan Everyday. 28 October 2021. Archived from the original on 31 December 2023. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
95. "Draw for Futsal Club Championship 2021–22 announced". aninews.in. New Delhi: Asianet News International. 29 October 2021. Archived from the original on 6 November 2021. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
96. Chaudhuri, Arunava (10 November 2021). "Sudeva Delhi FC sign off Futsal Club Championship with comfortable victory!". arunfoot.com. Arunava about Football. Archived from the original on 13 November 2021. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
97. "Futsal Club C'ship: Playing futsal improves players' individual performance, says Sudeva Delhi FC head coach Prakhar Agarwal". aninews.in. ANI News. 5 November 2021. Archived from the original on 8 November 2021. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
98. "Inaugural edition of Futsal Championship to kick-off in New Delhi on November 5". www.aninews.in. ANI News. 14 October 2021. Archived from the original on 28 October 2021. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
99. "Inaugural edition of Hero Futsal Club Championship to kick-off in New Delhi on November 5". the-aiff.com. All India Football Federation. 14 October 2021. Archived from the original on 19 October 2021. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
100. Kashmir Glacier, News desk (14 June 2021). "Zahid Shafi on the Passion that earns you a bread". kashmirglacier.com. Srinagar: The Kashmir Glacier. Archived from the original on 27 October 2021. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
101. Excelsior, Daily (26 April 2019). "SFA U-15 qualifies for final round". Jammu Kashmir Latest News | Tourism | Breaking News J&K. Archived from the original on 27 May 2019. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
102. "4 teams secure progress to next rounds of Hero U-18 Youth League". the-I–League.org. 3 December 2018. Archived from the original on 17 December 2018. Retrieved 17 December 2018.
103. "49 teams to participate in AIFF Elite Youth League 2022–23". the-aiff.com. New Delhi: All India Football Federation. 7 December 2022. Archived from the original on 8 December 2022. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
104. "16 Teams To Compete In Nike Premier Cup 2018 National Finals". i-league.org. New Delhi: All India Football Federation. 27 January 2018. Archived from the original on 27 July 2019. Retrieved 27 January 2019.
105. "2018–19 I-League table standings". Sportsmole.co.uk. Archived from the original on 10 May 2021. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
106. "Chennai City FC win I-League 2018–19 title, East Bengal finish second". indiatoday.in. Archived from the original on 20 July 2021. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
107. "2nd Division I-League: Real Kashmir promoted to I-League". Goal.com. 30 May 2018. Archived from the original on 5 June 2018. Retrieved 30 May 2018.
108. "IFA Shield 2020 FULL MATCH Real Kashmir Make History, Beat George Telegraph In Final | The Fan Garage (TFG)". thefangarage.com. 19 December 2020. Archived from the original on 22 January 2021. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
109. "Real Kashmir FC defends IFA Shield title, beats Sreenidi Deccan FC in a thriller". sportstar.thehindu.com. Sportstar. 15 December 2021. Archived from the original on 15 December 2021. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
110. • Khan, Abid (24 October 2018). "J&K Invitational Cup-2018: Real Kashmir FC, Minerva Punjab FC joint winners". greaterkashmir.com. The Greater Kashmir. Archived from the original on 28 September 2021. Retrieved 28 September 2021.
     • "Minerva warm up for I-League campaign with a 3–0 win". tribuneindia.com. Chandigarh: The Tribune. 22 October 2018. Archived from the original on 19 June 2024. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
111. "Real Kashmir FC signs Kashif Siddiqui". hindustantimes.com. Delhi: Hindustan Times. 7 April 2020. Archived from the original on 8 April 2020. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
112. "Real Kashmir sign Kashif Siddiqui, announce official partnership with Oxford United". The Times of India . New Delhi. Press Trust of India. 7 April 2020. Archived from the original on 20 October 2020. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
113. "Indian football: Real Kashmir announce partnership with Oxford United, sign Kashif Siddiqui on loan". Scroll.in. New Delhi. 7 April 2020. Archived from the original on 27 January 2023. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
114. "BBC iPlayer – Real Kashmir FC". bbc.co.uk. BBC News. 26 February 2019. Archived from the original on 2 March 2019. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
115. "Return to Real Kashmir FC review – football, fighting and feral dogs". The Guardian. 12 May 2020. Archived from the original on 11 December 2020. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
116. "Real Kashmir FC's BBC Documentary Wins at BAFTA Scotland". News18.com. 4 November 2019. Archived from the original on 30 July 2020. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
117. Joseph, Martin (30 September 2019). "Real life story of game the healer in Kashmir". newindianexpress.com. Kochi: The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 6 October 2019. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
118. "Adidas India and I-League club Real Kashmir FC announce official partnership". India.com. Archived from the original on 10 October 2021. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
119. "Adidas India and Real Kashmir Football Club Announce Official Partnership". sportskeeda.com. Sportskeeda. 22 October 2018. Archived from the original on 4 November 2018. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
120. "A true story TheRealKashmir FC supported by adidas". youtube.com. Real Kashmir FC. Archived from the original on 3 November 2018. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
121. "Real Kashmir FC to participate in the 'Football for Peace' conference". suryaa.com. Suryaa News. IANS. 23 November 2018. Archived from the original on 24 February 2024. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
122. "Real Kashmir to participate in Football for Peace Conference — The first I-League club from Jammu & Kashmir becomes a true ambassador of 'Football for Peace'". thebetterkashmir.com. The Better Kashmir. IANS. 22 November 2020. Archived from the original on 24 February 2024. Retrieved 23 November 2018.
123. Ghosh, Arinjay (22 November 2018). "Real Kashmir FC Invited To London's City For Peace Event For Contribution Amid Social Unrest". ibtimes.co.in. International Business Times. Archived from the original on 29 November 2018. Retrieved 25 December 2023.

Further reading

Bibliography

• Shreekumar, S. S. (15 August 2020). THE BEST WAY FORWARD FOR INDIA'S FOOTBALL. HSRA Publications. ISBN   9788194721697. Archived from the original on 4 February 2023. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
• Sharma, Nikhil Paramjit; Gupta, Shantanu (4 February 2019). India's Football Dream. SAGE Publications India. ISBN   9789353283063. Archived from the original on 4 October 2022. Retrieved 4 October 2022.

Others

• "Real Kashmir FC express happiness after being promoted to I-League". ANI. 2 June 2018. Archived from the original on 5 May 2019. Retrieved 26 November 2019.
• "Durand Cup: Defying odds, Real Kashmir beat Chennai City FC 1–0". The Times of India . 7 August 2019. Archived from the original on 8 August 2019. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
• Menon, Anirudh (8 January 2021). "I-League preview: Second division or not, the I-League matters". ESPN. Archived from the original on 23 November 2023. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
• "Durand Cup: Mohun Bagan beats Real Kashmir in extra-time, sets up final with Gokulam Kerala". 21 August 2019. Archived from the original on 6 May 2022. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
• "I-League: East Bengal Hold Real Kashmir To 1-1 Draw In Thriller". 4 December 2019. Archived from the original on 13 August 2023. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
• "For path-breaker Real Kashmir players, football more than just a means of livelihood". The Times of India . 3 June 2018. Archived from the original on 8 July 2019. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
• "Kashmir FC brave curfews and bad conditions to become the real deal". Mid Day. 3 June 2018. Archived from the original on 5 May 2019. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
• "Cash-strapped, curfew-bound: Real Kashmir's unreal story". The Times of India . 14 June 2018. Archived from the original on 8 March 2022. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
• "Indian Arrows v Real Kashmir Starting XIs, 24/02/2019, I-League | Goal.com". www.goal.com. Archived from the original on 13 May 2021. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
• "Real Kashmir Draw 2–2 With Indian Arrows in I-League". news18.com. 24 February 2019. Archived from the original on 13 May 2021. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
• "Of floods, curfew and football – Real Kashmir". sportstar.thehindu.com. Sportstar. The Hindu. 10 October 2018. Archived from the original on 1 October 2020. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
• "I-League: It's come home as Real Kashmir face Churchill Brothers". The Indian Express. 6 November 2018. Archived from the original on 5 May 2019. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
• "Danish, Hammad & Shahnawaz: The Local Heroes of Real Kashmir FC". The Quint. 11 November 2018. Archived from the original on 5 May 2019. Retrieved 6 November 2019.
• Joshi, Rutvij (2 November 2020). "Real Kashmir rope in goalkeeper Anuj Kumar on loan from Hyderabad FC". khelnow.com. Archived from the original on 14 November 2022. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
• "Real Kashmir FC: The underdog football team scaling heights". Aljazeera. 19 November 2018. Archived from the original on 26 August 2019. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
• "Ascent of Real Kashmir football team gives a weary region reason to cheer". business-standard.com. Business Standard India. 25 January 2019. Archived from the original on 8 March 2022. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
• "The Kashmiri football fairy tale". Live Mint. 25 January 2019. Archived from the original on 5 May 2019. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
• "The amazing Real Kashmir FC story". rediff.com. Rediff Sports. 5 February 2019. Archived from the original on 8 March 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
• "RKFC, Rajasthan United FC to face off in I-League match today". greaterkashmir.com. Srinagar: Greater Kashmir. GK News Service. 28 October 2023. Archived from the original on 28 October 2023. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
• Rathi, Vishal (29 October 2023). "I-League 2023—24: Real Kashmir FC beat Rajasthan United FC to kickstart campaign with an easy win". Sportskeeda. Archived from the original on 29 October 2023. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
• Elahi, R (10 July 2021). "Lonestar Kashmir FC Seeks To Reclaim Its I-League Status". kashmirobserver.net. Srinagar: The Kashmir Observer. Archived from the original on 11 July 2021. Retrieved 15 November 2023.

External links

• Team info at Global Sports Archive
• Team profile at Soccerway
• Real Kashmir FC on Facebook
• Real Kashmir FC on Twitter
• Real Kashmir FC at the-aiff.com