The Calcutta Football League (CFL) is a division-based football competition for men, conducted by the Indian Football Association (IFA) in the state of West Bengal.
Started in 1898, CFL is the oldest football league in Asia and was modelled on the lines of the English Football League in England and Wales. Though there were other competitions such as the Durand Cup, Trades Cup and the IFA Shield during that time, the IFA wanted to cash in on the popularity of the football league in England.
So, the CFL started as a two-tier football league back then. Currently, it is a seven-tier football league with promotions and demotions of teams based on their standings in the respective divisions.
No Indian teams were allowed to participate in the CFL in the first fifteen years after it started in 1898 as the competition was open only to Britishers and European settlers.
Mohammedan Sporting was the first club to win the top division of the CFL in 1934. They also won the first edition in 1948 after Indian independence.
The CFL, which was open to clubs all over the country till 1937, has restricted itself to clubs in Kolkata and West Bengal from 1938.
East Bengal are on top of the CFL charts with 39 titles, though they had to wait till 1942 to win their first CFL title. East Bengal also holds the rare distinction of winning the CFL for eight consecutive years, the most by any team in succession, from 2010 to 2017.
Mohun Bagan are second on the list with 30 titles having won their first title in 1939. Mohammedan Sporting, the current holders of the CFL, are in third place with 14 titles. Get Calcutta Football League winners list.
Calcutta Football League winners list: Know all the champions and the most successful teams
|
Club |
Titles won |
Years won |
|
East Bengal |
39 |
1942, 1945, 1946, 1949, 1950, 1952, 1961, 1966, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 |
|
Mohun Bagan |
30 |
1939, 1943, 1944, 1951, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1959, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1969, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1997, 2001, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2018 |
|
Mohammedan Sporting |
14 |
1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1940, 1941, 1948, 1957, 1967, 1981, 2021, 2022, 2023 |
|
Calcutta FC |
8 |
1899, 1907, 1916, 1918, 1920, 1922, 1923, 1925 |
|
Dalhousie Club |
4 |
1910, 1921, 1928, 1929 |
|
Durham Light Infantry |
3 |
1931, 1932, 1933 |
|
Black Watch |
2 |
1912, 1913 |
|
Gordon Light Infantry |
2 |
1908, 1909 |
|
King’s Own Regiment |
2 |
1904, 1905 |
|
North Staffordshire Regiment |
2 |
1926, 1927 |
|
Royal Irish Rifles |
2 |
1900, 1901 |
|
Eastern Railway |
1 |
1958 |
|
Peerless |
1 |
2019 |
|
Gloucestershire Regiment |
1 |
1898 |
|
King’s Own Scottish Borderers |
1 |
1902 |
|
Sutherland Highlanders |
1 |
1903 |
|
Highlander Light Infantry |
1 |
1906 |
|
70th Company Royal Garrison Artillery |
1 |
1911 |
|
Argyllshire Highlanders |
1 |
1914 |
|
10th Middlesex Regiment |
1 |
1915 |
|
Royal Lincolnshire Regiment |
1 |
1917 |
|
12th Special Service Battalion |
1 |
1919 |
|
Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders |
1 |
1924 |
Photo credit: Alamy
