IFA Shield

The origin of organized football in India can be traced back to one Nagendra Prasad Sarbadhikari. After learning about rules of the game from English soldiers, Sarbadhikari made efforts to spread the game among the masses. He popularized football in Hare School, one of the premier educational institutions in Calcutta. Later he founded "Boys Club", which was the first attempt to set up a football club in India. In 1893, the Indian Football Association (IFA) was formed. IFA Shield was started in 1893, making it the 4th oldest football competition in history. Curiously, Indians were not allowed to join the association till the 1920s. IFA consisted of high-ranking British army officials, while football tournaments usually included British regiment teams.[2]

First Indian team (Mohun Bagan) to win IFA Shield.

In the late 1890s, numerous football clubs came up which were managed by Indians and employed Indian footballers. Mohun Bagan, Mohammedan S.C. or Aryan Club were still in their nascent stages and rarely challenged the regimental teams. First significant success for an Indian team came in 1892 when Sovabazar Club captured Trades Cup. Nineteen years later, eleven Bengali players donning the Green and Maroon jersey would go on to create history.

Mohun Bagan's 2-1 win over East Yorkshire Regiment in 1911 IFA Shield final was undoubtedly the biggest pivotal moment in Indian football.[2] It established football as the most popular game in Bengal – this was a game where Indians could compete with their British overlords and trump them. 80,000 people wildly cheered Mohun Bagan during the final match. Iconic Bagan captain, Shibdas Bhaduri, played a crucial role scoring a goal and assisting Abhilas Ghosh's winner.

Mohun Bagan might have created history by winning the IFA Shield in 1911 but further success eluded them. Instead, it was the black and white clad Mohammedan S.C. which would go on to become the first Indian club to sustain a successful run. Mohammedan S.C.'s legendary team of late 1930s was invincible and went on to create records which lasted for decades. The club won its first IFA Shield in 1936 and in 1942, became the first Indian club to defend the Shield successfully. In 1940, Aryan Club became the third Indian club to win IFA Shield, while East Bengal captured its first Shield title in 1943. 1945 saw the first Kolkata Derby in a Shield Final – East Bengal defeated Mohun Bagan 1-0. Mohun Bagan responded two years later, defeating East Bengal 1-0 in the first Shield final after Indian independence.[2]

British teams stopped participating after 1947 as IFA Shield became one of the most important tournaments in Indian football calendar. Among British teams, Royal Irish Rifles was the most successful side – winning the title 5 times. In the 1960s and 1970s, IFA Shield, Durand Cup and Rovers Cup were considered as the three 'blue ribbon' tournaments in Indian football.[2] In 1953, Indian Cultural League, a Mumbai-based club ran by Bollywood football enthusiasts became the first non-Bengal team to win Shield. They did not win the title on the field however, as East Bengal was punished for playing an unregistered player in the final. The 1960s were very successful for Mohun Bagan, as they captured Shield 5 times in that decade (twice as joint winners with East Bengal). Bengal Nagpur Railways (BNR) triumphed in a memorable Shield final in 1963, thus becoming first Indian institutional side to win the Shield.

If the 1960s was dominated by Mohun Bagan, then the next decade belonged to their archrivals. East Bengal started the decade with a 1-0 win over Iran's Pas club, a victory that has gone down into Indian football folklore. From 1972 to 1976, East Bengal won an unprecedented 5 consecutive Shield titles. The zenith of this successful run came in 1975 Shield final when East Bengal toyed with Mohun Bagan to record a mammoth 5-0 derby win. By the late 1970s, Mohun Bagan had turned a corner after an unsuccessful 6-year spell. They captured a hattrick of titles from 1977 to 1979. In 1980s, the two Kolkata giants exchanged titles between each other. With the advent of Federation Cup, IFA Shield's importance was slowly decreasing as the tournament was not held for the first time in 1988.

By mid-1990s, the Shield had lost most of its charm. Not many teams from outside Bengal participated while the Kolkata teams often sent weakened squads. One of the most memorable Shield finals of 1990s came in 1994 when a young Sikkimese striker named Baichung Bhutia struck a golden goal to earn a 2-1 win for East Bengal after a hard fought match with Mohun Bagan. In 1996, JCT became the first team from Northern India to win the IFA Shield.[2]

In the new millennium, Shield is considered more of a hindrance than a prestigious tournament. Bigger clubs, including the ones from Kolkata, have often declined to participate choosing to focus on National Football League. The Kolkata teams have also lost their dominance in the IFA Shield. Since Mohun Bagan's triumph in 2003, none of the teams from Bengal have managed to lift the 3-foot high trophy. Mahindra United has been the most successful club in recent times, having won back-to-back titles in 2006 and 2007.

East Bengal is the most successful club in the IFA Shield. The Red-and-Golds have captured the trophy 27 times, while finishing as runner-up 10 times. Mohun Bagan is in 2nd place with 21 titles and 15 2nd-place finishes. Mahindra United is the most successful non-Bengal team with 2 titles.