Mumbai Premier League Explained

Mumbai Premier League
Pixels:200
Organiser:Mumbai Football Association (MFA)
Country:India
Teams:16
Promotion:I-League 3
Relegation:Mumbai Super League
Levels:5
League Cup:Nadkarni Cup
Harwood League
Champions:MYJ–GMSC
Most Successful:Tata Sports Club
Mahindra United FC
(13 titles each)
Current:2024–25 Mumbai Premier League

Mumbai Premier League, formerly known as the MFA Elite Division or MDFA Elite Division, is the first tier of the Mumbai Football League competition.[1] [2] 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.[3] [4]

Clubs

Sixteen teams are competed in latest 2023–24 edition of the Mumbai Premier League.

TeamsLocation
Ambernath United–Bombay MuslimsAmbernath
Mumbai Central
Mighty Young Joe–Goalorious Mother[5] Malad[6]
Borivali
PIFA ColabaColaba
Maharashtra OranjePowai
Community Football Club India (CFCI)Dahisar
Hope United (Karnataka Sports Association)Churchgate
SellebrityBandra
Mumbai KenkreMahim
Millat FCJogeshwari
DK PharmaBadlapur
Mumbai Knights (JMJ Sports)Bandra
Silver Innings (Protrack)Mira Road
Iron Born–RudraAndheri
Kalina Rangers CFFSantacruz
Reliance FYCNavi Mumbai
ICL Payyade Mumbai FCBorivali

Venues

Matches are played at the Neville D'Souza Football Turf in Bandra.

Champions

SeasonChampionswidth=85pxNote
1902 Oxfordshire Light Infantry
1903 Royal Garrison Artillery
1904 Cheshire Regiment
1905 Yorkshire Regiment
1906 Royal Scots
1907 Royal Scots
1908 Royal Scots
1909 Gloucestershire Regiment
1910 Royal Garrison Artillery
1911 Royal Warwickshire Regiment
1912 Royal Army Temperance Association
1913 Sherwood Foresters
1914 Sherwood Foresters
1915 Royal Garrison Artillery
1916–1920NoneNot held
1921 King's Shropshire Light Infantry
1922 King's Shropshire Light Infantry
1923 Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
1924 West Yorkshire Regiment
1925 West Yorkshire Regiment
1926 South Staffordshire Regiment
1927 Cheshire Regiment
1928 Royal Ulster Rifles
1929 Royal Warwickshire Regiment
1930 Duke of Wellington's Regiment
1931 Duke of Wellington's Regiment
1932 King's Own Scottish Borderers
1933 Royal Irish Fusiliers
1934 Royal Artillery (Colaba)
1935 Durham Light Infantry
1936 Durham Light Infantry
1937 Cheshire Regiment
1938 Cheshire Regiment
1939 South Lancashire Regiment
1940 Welch Regiment
1941 Y.M.C.A.
1942 Western India Automobile Association StaffFirst native club to win the league.
1943 Western India Automobile Association Staff
1944 Embarkation Headquarters
1945 Tata Sports Club
1946 Trades India Sports Club
1947Trades India Sports Club
1948Tata Sports Club
1949Trades India Sports Club
1950Tata Sports Club
1951India Culture League
1952India Culture League
1953Tata Sports Club
1954Indian Navy
1955NoneAbandoned
1956Burmah-Shell Sports Club
1957Indian Navy
1958Tata Sports Club
1959Western Railway SC
1960Tata Sports Club
1961Tata Sports Club
1962Western Railway SC
1963Central Railway SC
1964Tata Sports Club
1965Central Railway SC
1966Tata Sports Club
1967Tata Sports Club
1968Mafatlal Group
1969Mafatlal Group
1970Mahindra & Mahindra
1971Mafatlal Group
1972Mafatlal Group
1973Tata Sports Club
1974–75Tata Sports Club
1975–76Mafatlal Group
1976Mafatlal Group
1977Orkay Mills
1978–79Mafatlal Group
1979Tata Sports Club
1980Orkay Mills
1981Century Rayon FC
1982Mahindra & Mahindra
1983Mafatlal Mills
1984Mahindra & Mahindra
1985Mahindra & Mahindra
1986Bank of India (Mumbai)
1987Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilisers (RCF)
1988Orkay Mills
1989Union Bank of India
1990Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilisers (RCF)
1991United Boys (Sahar)
1992Central Railway SC
1993ONGC (Oil & Natural Gas Commission)
1994Carmelites SC
1995Central Railway SC
1996Royal Caterers
1997Abandoned
1998Village Amboli
1999unknown (Holy Family/Chembur English/Rhino)
2000Mahindra United
2001–02Mahindra United
2002Mahindra United
2003Mahindra United
2004Mahindra United
2005Maharashtra State Police
2006–07Mahindra United
2007–08Mahindra United
2008–09Mahindra United
2009–10Air India
2010–11Mumbai
2011–12ONGC
2012–13NoneNot held
2013–14Air India
2014–15Air India
2015–16ONGC
2016–17Air India
2017–18ONGC
2018–19Mumbai Customs
2019–20Karnataka Sporting Association (KSA)[7]
2020–21NoneCancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic in India
2021–22Ambernath United Atlanta[8]
2022–23Ambernath United Atlanta[9]
2023–24MYJ–GMSC[10]
2024–25

Notes and References

  1. https://wifa.in/history/ History: The Harwood League
  2. News: Yadav. Siddharth. MFA Elite Division 2016–17: The Big Preview. 7 December 2016. Football Counter. 7 December 2016.
  3. News: MFA planning to rechristen Elite Division as Harwood Premiere League . Football Counter . Shetty . Chittu . 22 March 2022 . 2 June 2022 . 2 June 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220602053728/https://www.footballcounter.com/2022/mumbai-footballs-elite-division-rechristened-as-harwood-premiere-league/ . live .
  4. News: MFA announce first set of fixtures for MFA Elite League . IFTWC . Bose . Liven . 29 March 2022 . 2 June 2022 . 24 May 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220524165239/https://iftwc.com/mfa-announce-first-set-of-fixtures/ . live .
  5. Web site: Shetty . Chittu . 2023-10-30 . MYJ and GMSC merge to form MYJ-GMSC, all set to dominate Mumbai Premier League . 2023-10-30 . Football Counter . en-US . 31 October 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231031082625/https://www.footballcounter.com/2023/myj-and-gmsc-merge-to-form-myj-gmsc-all-set-to-dominate-mfa-premier-league/ . live .
  6. Web site: Ferro. Ashwin. 2023-08-29. Godfrey all praise for Veterans League champs MYJ. 2023-12-18. Mid-day. en-US.
  7. Web site: MDFA distribute trophies for Season 2019-20. 2021-12-17. Footballcounter. 17 December 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211217184744/https://www.footballcounter.com/2020/mdfa-distribute-trophies-for-season-2019-20/. live.
  8. Web site: ‘Invincible’ Ambernath Utd – Atlanta FC lift Harwood Champions League title. 2023-03-15. Footballcounter. live. 14 July 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220714180543/https://www.footballcounter.com/2022/invincible-ambernath-utd-atlanta-fc-lift-harwood-champions-league-title/.
  9. Web site: Atlanta FC secures back-to-back MFA Elite Premier League titles with win over KSA. 2023-03-15. Footballcounter. live. 13 March 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230313132415/https://www.footballcounter.com/2023/atlanta-fc-secures-back-to-back-mfa-elite-premier-league-titles-with-win-over-ksa/.
  10. Web site: Shetty. Chittu . 2024-04-24. MYJ-GMSC Crowned Champions with a dramatic win over MH Oranje FC. 2024-04-24. Football Counter. en-US .