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Mumbai Football League

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Mumbai Football League
Organising bodyMumbai Football Association (MFA)
Founded1902; 122 years ago (1902)
(as Harwood League)[1]
CountryIndia
Divisions5
Number of teams100+
Level on pyramid5–9
Relegation toVarious
Domestic cup(s)Rovers Cup
League cup(s)Nadkarni Cup

The Mumbai Football League, also known as the Harwood League,[1] is organised by Mumbai Football Association (MFA), as a ladder-based competition involving a total of five divisions and over 300 teams.[2][3] It is the top football league in Mumbai and the second oldest football league in Asia after Calcutta Football League.[4]

The league was named after colonel Harwood who founded the Bombay Football Association and became first president.[5]

Structure

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Mumbai Football League
Tier Division
1
(5 on Indian Football pyramid)
Mumbai Premier League
↑promote (to I-League 3) ↓relegate
2
(6 on Indian Football pyramid)
Mumbai Super League
↑promote ↓relegate
3
(7 on Indian Football pyramid)
MFA First Division Championship
↑promote ↓relegate
4
(8 on Indian Football pyramid)
MFA Second Division Championship
↑promote ↓relegate
5
(9 on Indian Football pyramid)
MFA Third Division Championship
↑promote

Mumbai Premier League

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Mumbai Premier League, formerly known as the MFA Elite Division or MDFA Elite Division, is the first tier of the Mumbai Football League competition.[6][7] In March 2022, the Mumbai Premier League was rechristened as the Harwood Premier League, on the lines of the name that was once associated with the Mumbai's top division football, stretching back to 1902.[8][9]

Mumbai Super League

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The Mumbai Super League,[10] formerly known as the MFA Super Division or MDFA Super Division, is the second tier of the Mumbai Football League competition, organized by the Mumbai District Football Association. The top two teams from super six of the Mumbai Super League get promoted to the Mumbai Premier League. The last-place teams in the groups get relegated to the First Division. It is contested by 37 clubs. The current champions are Mumbai City U19 and India on Track are runners-up.

Mumbai Super League
Organising bodyMumbai Football Association (MFA)
CountryIndia
Number of teams37
Level on pyramid6
Promotion toMumbai Premier League
Relegation toMFA First Division Championship
League cup(s)Nadkarni Cup
Current championsMumbai City U19
WebsiteMumbai Super League
Current: 2024–25 Mumbai Super League

Format

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All the 37 teams are divided into three groups. Two groups with 12 teams and one with 13. The top two teams from each group will advance to the playoffs (super six). The points and goals scored in the preliminary phase will not be carried forward to the next round. The top two teams at the end of the league will be promoted to the Mumbai Premier League.

First Division Championship

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MFA First Division Championship
Organising bodyMumbai Football Association (MFA)
Level on pyramid7
Promotion toMumbai Super League
Relegation toMFA Second Division Championship
League cup(s)Nadkarni Cup
WebsiteMFA First Division Championship
  1. All the teams in the division will be divided into five groups and shall play a preliminary phase of round-robin games.
  2. The top two teams from each group will advance to the post-season playoffs.
  3. The points and goals scored in the preliminary phase will not be carried forward to the next round.
  4. The team standing first and second after the completion of the round-robin playoff league shall be declared the winner and runner-up and will be promoted to the Super Division.
  5. The teams in last place in each group after the completion of the preliminary league will be demoted to the Division Two.

Second Division Championship

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MFA Second Division Championship
Organising bodyMumbai Football Association (MFA)
Level on pyramid9
Promotion toMFA First Division Championship
Relegation toMFA Third Division Championship
League cup(s)Nadkarni Cup
WebsiteMFA Second Division Championship
  1. All the teams in the division will be divided into six or more groups and shall play a preliminary phase of round-robin games.
  2. The top two teams from each group will advance to the post-season playoffs.
  3. The points and goals scored in the preliminary phase will not be carried forward to the next round.
  4. The post season playoffs will include a league phase followed by a single-leg knock out format to decide who will contest the Division Two final.
  5. All eight quarter-finalists will be promoted to the Division One

Third Division Championship

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MFA Third Division Championship
Organising bodyMumbai Football Association (MFA)
Level on pyramid8
Promotion toMFA Second Division Championship
League cup(s)Nadkarni Cup
WebsiteMFA Third Division Championship
  1. All the teams in the division will be divided into eight or more groups and shall play a preliminary phase of round-robin games.
  2. The top two/three teams from each group will advance to the post-season playoffs.
  3. The points and goals scored in the preliminary phase will not be carried forward to the next round.
  4. The post season playoffs will include a league phase followed by a single-leg knock out format to decide who will contest the Division Three final.

Champions of the top-most division

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Year Winner Note
1902 United Kingdom Oxfordshire Light Infantry
1903 United Kingdom Royal Garrison Artillery
1904 United Kingdom Cheshire Regiment
1905 United Kingdom Yorkshire Regiment
1906 United Kingdom Royal Scots
1907 United Kingdom Royal Scots
1908 United Kingdom Royal Scots
1909 United Kingdom Gloucestershire Regiment
1910 United Kingdom Royal Garrison Artillery
1911 United Kingdom Royal Warwickshire Regiment
1912 British Raj Royal Army Temperance Association
1913 United Kingdom Sherwood Foresters
1914 United Kingdom Sherwood Foresters
1915 United Kingdom Royal Garrison Artillery
1916–1920 None Not held
1921 United Kingdom King's Shropshire Light Infantry
1922 United Kingdom King's Shropshire Light Infantry
1923 United Kingdom Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
1924 United Kingdom West Yorkshire Regiment
1925 United Kingdom West Yorkshire Regiment
1926 United Kingdom South Staffordshire Regiment
1927 United Kingdom Cheshire Regiment
1928 United Kingdom Royal Ulster Rifles
1929 United Kingdom Royal Warwickshire Regiment
1930 United Kingdom Duke of Wellington's Regiment
1931 United Kingdom Duke of Wellington's Regiment
1932 United Kingdom King's Own Scottish Borderers
1933 United Kingdom Royal Irish Fusiliers
1934 British Raj Royal Artillery (Colaba)
1935 United Kingdom Durham Light Infantry
1936 United Kingdom Durham Light Infantry
1937 United Kingdom Cheshire Regiment
1938 United Kingdom Cheshire Regiment
1939 United Kingdom South Lancashire Regiment
1940 United Kingdom Welch Regiment
1941 British Raj Y.M.C.A.
1942 British Raj Western India Automobile Association Staff First native club to win the league.
1943 British Raj Western India Automobile Association Staff
1944 British Raj Embarkation Headquarters
1945 British Raj Tata Sports Club
1946 British Raj Trades India Sports Club
1947 Trades India Sports Club
1948 Tata Sports Club
1949 Trades India Sports Club
1950 Tata Sports Club
1951 India Culture League
1952 India Culture League
1953 Tata Sports Club
1954 Indian Navy
1955 None Abandoned
1956 Burmah-Shell Sports Club
1957 Indian Navy
1958 Tata Sports Club
1959 Western Railway SC
1960 Tata Sports Club
1961 Tata Sports Club
1962 Western Railway SC
1963 Central Railway SC
1964 Tata Sports Club
1965 Central Railway SC
1966 Tata Sports Club
1967 Tata Sports Club
1968 Mafatlal Group
1969 Mafatlal Group
1970 Mahindra & Mahindra
1971 Mafatlal Group
1972 Mafatlal Group
1973 Tata Sports Club
1974–75 Tata Sports Club
1975–76 Mafatlal Group
1976 Mafatlal Group
1977 Orkay Mills
1978–79 Mafatlal Group
1979 Tata Sports Club
1980 Orkay Mills
1981 Century Rayon FC
1982 Mahindra & Mahindra
1983 Mafatlal Mills
1984 Mahindra & Mahindra
1985 Mahindra & Mahindra
1986 Bank of India (Mumbai)
1987 Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilisers (RCF)
1988 Orkay Mills
1989 Union Bank of India
Two separate leagues ran in competition to each other. The BDFA league retained the right to use the name "Harwood League", while the best teams eventually migrated to the WIFA league.
1990–99 WIFA League, Super Division BDFA/MDFA League (The Harwood League)
1990 Bank of India (Mumbai) Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilisers (RCF)
1991 Central Bank United Boys (Sahar)
1992 Air India Central Railway SC
1993 Bank of India (Mumbai) ONGC (Oil & Natural Gas Commission)
1994 Air India Carmelites SC
1995 Mahindra & Mahindra Central Railway SC
1996 Air India Royal Caterers
1997 Air India Abandoned
1998 Bengal Mumbai Village Amboli
1999 Air India unknown (Holy Family/Chembur English/Rhino)
In 2000, the two leagues merged when MDFA and WIFA resolved their various disputes. The resultant league has since been run by the MDFA (affiliated to WIFA), with the restored title of The Harwood League.
Mumbai Football League Elite Division (The Harwood League)
2000 Mahindra United
2001–02 Mahindra United
2002 Mahindra United
2003 Mahindra United
2004 Mahindra United
2005 Maharashtra State Police
2006–07 Mahindra United
2007–08 Mahindra United
2008–09 Mahindra United
2009–10 Air India
2010–11 Mumbai
2011–12 ONGC
2012–13 None Not held
2013–14 Air India
2014–15 Air India
2015–16 ONGC
2016–17 Air India
2017–18 ONGC
2018–19 Mumbai Customs
2019–20 Karnataka Sporting Association (KSA) [11]
2020–21 None Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic in India
2021–22 Ambernath United Atlanta [12]
2022–23 Ambernath United Atlanta [13]
2023–24 MYJGMSC [14]
Source: Mumbai (Bombay) League Champions

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "India – List of Mumbai (Bombay) League Champions". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 27 September 2021. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  2. ^ "History: The Harwood League". wifa.in. Western India Football Association. Archived from the original on 23 April 2021. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  3. ^ Neil Morrison. "India - List of Mumbai (Bombay) League Champions". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 27 September 2021. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  4. ^ "History". WIFA. Archived from the original on 23 April 2021. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  5. ^ Nirwane, Sarwadnya (18 January 2022). "Rovers Cup — the second oldest Football tournament in India". thesportslite.com. Mumbai: The Sports Lite. Archived from the original on 14 October 2022. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  6. ^ History: The Harwood League Archived 23 April 2021 at the Wayback Machine. wifa.in. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  7. ^ Yadav, Siddharth (7 December 2016). "MFA Elite Division 2016–17: The Big Preview". Football Counter. Retrieved 7 December 2016.[permanent dead link]
  8. ^ Shetty, Chittu (22 March 2022). "MFA planning to rechristen Elite Division as Harwood Premiere League". Football Counter. Archived from the original on 2 June 2022. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  9. ^ Bose, Liven (29 March 2022). "MFA announce first set of fixtures for MFA Elite League". IFTWC. Archived from the original on 24 May 2022. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  10. ^ "MFA announce teams for Super Division". Football Counter. Archived from the original on 24 December 2021. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
  11. ^ "MDFA distribute trophies for Season 2019-20". Footballcounter. Archived from the original on 17 December 2021. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  12. ^ "'Invincible' Ambernath Utd – Atlanta FC lift Harwood Champions League title". Footballcounter. Archived from the original on 14 July 2022. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  13. ^ "Atlanta FC secures back-to-back MFA Elite Premier League titles with win over KSA". Footballcounter. Archived from the original on 13 March 2023. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  14. ^ Shetty, Chittu (24 April 2024). "MYJ-GMSC Crowned Champions with a dramatic win over MH Oranje FC". Football Counter. Retrieved 24 April 2024.

Further reading

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