National Football League
Founded1996 (1996)
Folded2007 (2007) (reformed as the I-League)[1]
CountryIndia
ConfederationAFC
Number of teams12 (from 1996-97 to 2003-04)
10 (from 2004-05 to 2006-07)
Level on pyramid1
Relegation toNational Football League Second Division
Domestic cup(s)Federation Cup
Durand Cup
Indian Super Cup
International cup(s)AFC Champions League
AFC Cup
Last championsDempo (2nd title)
(2006–07)
Most championshipsEast Bengal
Mohun Bagan
(3 titles each)

The National Football League (NFL) was the men's highest level of the Indian football league system from 1996 to 2007.[2] Founded by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) in 1996, the NFL was the first football league in India to be organized on a national scale. The AIFF then added a second division in 1997 and a third division was soon added by the governing body in 2006. The NFL was eventually replaced by the I-League for the 2007–08 season in order to professionalize the sport in India.

As well as league competition, clubs in the NFL would also participate in the two main domestic cup competitions, the Federation Cup and Durand Cup. The NFL champions would also participate in the Indian Super Cup against the Federation Cup champion. NFL players could also participate in the state-based Santosh Trophy competition.

History

The National Football League was founded by the All India Football Federation, the governing body for football in India, in 1996.[3] The aim of the league was to promote the development of the sport in the country. JCT Mills of Punjab won the inaugural season of the league. Then India international Bhaichung Bhutia was the league's top goalscorer with 14 goals.[4] To supplement the Premier Division, the AIFF began the second division of the NFL in 1997.[5] Tollygunge Agragami of Kolkata were the inaugural second division champions.[5]

In 2001, in order to help promote the development of young Indian players, the AIFF launched the under-19 league.[6] The inaugural season of the under-19 league would see East Bengal crowned champions.[6] Only three seasons of the under-19 league were held in 2001, 2002–03, and 2004–05.[6] The AIFF also fielded the India under-16 side in the league when held.[6]

In July 2003, East Bengal made history for the NFL when they won the 2003 ASEAN Club Championship, becoming the first Indian side to win an Asian level competition.[7] Prior to the 2006–07 season, the AIFF launched a third division, which was essentially just the qualifiers for the second division.[8] After the season concluded, the AIFF announced that the NFL would be disbanded and replaced with a new fully-professional league, the I-League for the 2007–08 season.[9] Dempo finished as the final NFL champions.[3]

Sponsorship

Period Sponsor Industry Tournament
1996–1998 Netherlands Philips Conglomerate Philips National Football League
1998–2001 United States The Coca-Cola Company Beverage Coca-Cola National Football League
2001–2002 India Tata Group Conglomerate Tata National Football League
2002–2003 India ONGC,

BPCL, HPCL, IOC, GAIL, IBP, Cochin Refineries Ltd. and Chennai Refineries Ltd.

 Public sector enterprises Oil PSU National Football League
2003–2004 United States The Coca-Cola Company Beverage Coca-Cola National Football League
2004–2007 India ONGC Petroleum ONGC National Football League
(2004–2005)

ONGC Cup
(2005–2007)

Clubs

Played in NFL Premier Division

Champions

Premier Division

Season Champions
(number of titles)[10]		 Runners-up Third place Leading goalscorer(s) Goals
1996–97 JCT Mills Churchill Brothers East Bengal India Bhaichung Bhutia (JCT Mills) 14
1997–98 Mohun Bagan East Bengal Salgaocar India Raman Vijayan (Kochin) 10
1998–99 Salgaocar East Bengal Churchill Brothers Ghana Philip Mensah (Churchill Brothers) 11
1999–00 Mohun Bagan (2) Churchill Brothers Salgaocar Uzbekistan Igor Shkvyrin (Mohun Bagan) 11
2000–01 East Bengal Mohun Bagan Churchill Brothers Brazil José Ramirez Barreto (Mohun Bagan) 14
2001–02 Mohun Bagan (3) Churchill Brothers Vasco Ghana Yusif Yakubu (Churchill Brothers) 18
2002–03 East Bengal (2) Salgaocar Vasco Ghana Yusif Yakubu (Churchill Brothers) 21
2003–04 East Bengal (3) Dempo Mahindra United Brazil Cristiano Júnior (East Bengal) 15
2004–05 Dempo Sporting Goa East Bengal Nigeria Dudu Omagbemi (Sporting Goa) 21
2005–06 Mahindra United East Bengal Mohun Bagan Nigeria Ranti Martins (Dempo) 13
2006–07 Dempo (2) JCT Mills Mahindra United Nigeria Odafa Onyeka Okolie (Churchill Brothers) 18

Second Division

Third Division

See also

References

  1. ↑ "History of I-League". i-league.org. AIFF. Archived from the original on 14 June 2023. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
  2. ↑ Khan, M. M. Jafar (8 March 2016). "Departments' League — A solution to many problems". englisharchives.mathrubhumi.com. Kochi: Mathrubhumi. Archived from the original on 4 August 2023. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
  3. 1 2 "National Football League". indianfootball.de. Archived from the original on 27 October 2020. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  4. ↑ "NFL Champions and Goalscorers". Rediff. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  5. 1 2 "NFL Division 2". indianfootball.de. Archived from the original on 26 October 2020. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "NFL Under-19". indianfootball.de. Archived from the original on 2 August 2020. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  7. ↑ "East Bengal lift ASEAN Cup". Rediff. 26 July 2003. Archived from the original on 10 April 2021. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  8. ↑ "NFL Division Three". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 9 June 2009. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  9. ↑ "AIFF's I-League to have 10 teams". Rediff. 21 November 2007. Archived from the original on 8 August 2020. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  10. ↑ Atsushi Fujioka & Arunava Chaudhuri. "India — List of National Champions". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 26 October 2021. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
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