Chennai Football League Explained

Chennai Football League
Country:India
Organiser:Chennai Football Association
Founded:
Teams:12
Promotion:I-League 3
Relegation:Various
Levels:5–9
Domest Cup:Vittal Trophy[1]
TFA Shield
Champions:Swaraj FC (1st title)
Current:2022–23

The Chennai Football League, also formerly known as the Madras Football League, is the group of state-level football leagues in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu,[2] [3] [4] including the top-level CFA Senior Division League.[5] [6] [7] The League is organised by the Chennai Football Association (CFA), which is affiliated to the Tamil Nadu Football Association (TNFA), the official football governing body of the state.

History

The Madras Football Association was formed on 26 October 1933, with had the jurisdiction over the undivided province of Madras in British India. It was formed by the members of the Madras United Club.[8] The Madras Football Association league championship was started in 1934 with the inaugural 1934-35 league championship won by the Pachaiyappa football club. The MFA started conducting the First division league from 1936, and the Second division from 1937. In the year of 1972, Madras city clubs formed a separate association and the federation became a part of the Tamil Nadu Football Association.[9]

The league was suspended since the 2018 edition due to the legal disputes between Chennai FA and Tamil Nadu FA,[10] [11] but eventually resumed in 2022.[12]

Competition structure

There are five divisions in the league under the Chennai Football Association (CFA), with the CFA Senior Division being the top-most league, followed by four lower tiers.[5]

Chennai Football League
TierDivision
1
(5 on Indian Football pyramid)		CFA Senior Division
2
(6 on Indian Football pyramid)		CFA First Division
3
(7 on Indian Football pyramid)		CFA Second Division
4
(8 on Indian Football pyramid)		CFA Third Division
5
(9 on Indian Football pyramid)		CFA Fourth Division

Venue

The matches are held at Nehru Stadium and ICF Stadium.

Champions

Season Champion
1934–35 Pachaiyappa FC
1936–1949 No data
1950 WIMCO (Western India Match Company)[13]
1951 WIMCO
1952 WIMCO
1953 WIMCO
1954 WIMCO
1955 WIMCO
1956–1969 No data
1970 SBI[14]
1971–1974 No data
1975 WIMCO
1976 WIMCO
1977–1987 No data
1988 Southern Railway[15]
1989–1992 No data
1993 ICF (Integral Coach Factory)
1994 ICF
1995 ICF
1996 No data
1997 Indian Bank[16]
1998 Indian Bank[17]
1999–2000 No data
2000–01 Indian Bank
2001–02 AGORC
2002–03 Indian Bank[18]
2003–04 Madras Sporting Union[19]
2004–05 ICF[20]
2005–06 ICF
2006–07 ICF
2007–08 Indian Bank
2008–09 Nethaji SC[21] [22]
2009–10 Chennai Customs
2010–11 AGORC
2011–12 Chennai Customs[23]
2012–13 Arrows
2013–14 ICF
2014–15 Hindustan Eagles[24]
2015–16 Disputed
2016–17 Chennai City
2017–18 Indian Bank[25] [26]
2018–21 League suspended (CFA-TNFA dispute)
Viva Chennai
Swaraj FC[27]

See also

Notes and References

  1. News: Regaining lost ground . The Hindu . 28 October 2014 . 12 July 2023 . 27 February 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230227171815/https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/chen-society/Regaining-lost-ground/article60392190.ece . live .
  2. Web site: CFA Senior Division . The Away End . 31 May 2022 . 30 May 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220530215622/https://theawayend.co/cfa-senior-division/ .
  3. Web site: CFA league: ICF beats Nethaji FC 2–1 . dtnext.in . DTNEXT Bureau . 5 June 2023 . Chennai . 12 July 2023 . 12 July 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230712052352/https://www.dtnext.in/news/sports/cfa-league-icf-beats-nethaji-fc-2-1-716713 .
  4. Web site: Local football: Swaraj beats Nethaji 2–0 . dtnext.in . DTNEXT Bureau . 10 June 2023 . Chennai . 12 July 2023 . 12 July 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230712052942/https://www.dtnext.in/news/sports/local-football-swaraj-beats-nethaji-2-0-717620 .
  5. Web site: All you need to know about the league structure in Tamil Nadu . Goal.com . Muralidharan . Ashwin . 1 May 2018 . 10 May 2022 . 22 April 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210422073314/https://www.goal.com/en/news/all-you-need-to-know-about-the-league-structure-in-tamil/1q0btfvoolugk19fcvyc0bnlsa . live .
  6. Venkatesan. S. Prasanna. The lost glory of Chennai's football league. 7 May 2018. sportstar.thehindu.com. Sportstar. 16 August 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210816142325/https://sportstar.thehindu.com/football/indian-football/the-lost-glory-of-chennais-football-league/article23805142.ece.
  7. Web site: Keeda . Sports . Football in Chennai - On a slippery surface . 19 March 2013 . 16 August 2021 . 2 April 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190402015354/https://www.sportskeeda.com/football/football-in-chennai-on-a-slippery-surface . live .
  8. Web site: Musings . Madras . Snippets from the MUC's Centenary Souvenir .
  9. Web site: When football came to Madras . The Hindu . V . Sriram . 19 June 2014 . 11 May 2022 . 11 May 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220511083641/https://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/when-football-came-to-madras/article6130140.ece . live .
  10. Web site: Impasse between Chennai FA and Tamil Nadu FA hampering the football ecosystem in the state . Goal.com . Muralidharan . Ashwin . 23 July 2020 . 10 May 2022 . 10 May 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220510220303/https://www.goal.com/en/news/impasse-chennai-fa-tamil-nadu-fa-league-players-football/1s7b1kbmcjlhe186qron64blr7 . live .
  11. Web site: Tamil Nadu: How Indian football's next powerhouse is being held back by bureaucratic wrangles . Khel Now . Sheelan . Guna . 23 April 2018 . 10 May 2022 . 10 May 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220510230326/https://khelnow.com/football/tamilnadu-cfa-senior-division-league-problems . live .
  12. Web site: Look at the bright side: Vijayan, Edwin on CFA League's resumption . DT Next . Shrivathsan . S . 12 May 2022 . 2 June 2022 . 12 May 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220512024301/https://www.dtnext.in/sports/2022/05/12/look-at-the-bright-side-vijayan-edwin-on-cfa-leagues-resumption . dead .
  13. Web site: Wimco's comeback moment, and the year after . The Hindu . Frederick . Prince . 23 June 2016 . 10 May 2022 . 10 May 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220510220259/https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/Wimco%E2%80%99s-comeback-moment-and-the-year-after/article14396984.ece . live .
  14. Web site: Memories of Madras - Football's field day . The Hindu . Frederick . Prince . 26 April 2011 . 11 May 2022 . 11 October 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221011150826/https://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/history-and-culture/memories-of-madras-footballs-field-day/article1769696.ece . live .
  15. Web site: Chaudhuri. Arunava. List of Champions of the Chennai Football League. indianfootball.de. 2 March 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20180503074129/http://www.indianfootball.de/data/chfl.html. 3 May 2018.
  16. Web site: Chaudhuri. Arunava. 1996/97 Season in Indian Football. indianfootball.de. 2 March 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211029102020/http://www.indianfootball.de/seasons/1996-97s.html. 29 October 2021. Indian Football Network. dead.
  17. https://www.rsssf.org/tablesi/india98.html India regional tournaments 1997/98
  18. Web site: Arunava Chaudhuri. 2003/04 Season in Indian Football. indianfootball.de. 2 March 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20200117042721/http://www.indianfootball.de/seasons/2003-04s.html. 17 January 2020. Indian Football Network. dead.
  19. Web site: India 2004 Regional Championships. 18 February 2021. RSSSF. 11 February 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210211084003/http://www.rsssf.com/tablesi/india-reg04.html#chen. live.
  20. Web site: India 2005 Regional Championships. 18 February 2021. RSSSF. 30 April 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210430225834/http://www.rsssf.com/tablesi/india-reg05.html. live.
  21. Web site: Nethaji Football Club has a new owner. 14 December 2013. 19 March 2021. www.thehindu.com. The Hindu. 8 April 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140408120007/http://www.thehindu.com/sport/football/nethajifootball-club-has-a-new-owner/article5460108.ece. live.
  22. Web site: Seeking fresh challenges. Chennai. 21 February 2009. 5 December 2023. sportstar.thehindu.com. Sportstar. https://web.archive.org/web/20231205134424/https://sportstar.thehindu.com/magazine/seeking-fresh-challenges/article29705788.ece. 5 December 2023.
  23. Web site: Customs Blank CFC in Senior Division League . The New Indian Express . 27 January 2012 . 11 May 2022 . 11 May 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220511074230/https://www.newindianexpress.com/sport/2012/jan/27/customs-blank-cfc-in-senior-division-league-334146.html . live .
  24. Web site: Hindustan Eagles emerges champion . The Hindu . 1 May 2015 . 11 May 2022 . 11 October 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221011150758/https://www.thehindu.com/sport/football/hindustan-eagles-emerges-champion/article7160049.ece . live .
  25. Web site: Indian Bank emerges victorious in CFA league. 28 April 2018. 18 February 2021. dtnext.in. https://web.archive.org/web/20210422073425/https://www.dtnext.in/News/Sports/2018/04/28001831/1070564/Indian-Bank-emerges-victorious-in-CFA-league.vpf. 22 April 2021.
  26. Web site: CFA League: Pravitto brace gives Indian Bank title. 18 February 2021. timesofindia.indiatimes.com. 27 April 2018. 16 May 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220516095108/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/football/top-stories/cfa-league-pravitto-brace-gives-indian-bank-title/articleshow/63945672.cms. The Times of India. TNN. Vivek. live. Krishnan.
  27. Web site: CFA league: Kamalesh sizzles in Indian Bank win . DT Next . 16 June 2023 . 12 July 2023 . 12 July 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230712051129/https://www.dtnext.in/news/sports/cfa-league-kamalesh-sizzles-in-indian-bank-win-718738 . live .

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