New Delhi Heroes F.C.
The New Delhi Heroes is a leading football club from New Delhi, India.
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| Full name | New Delhi Heroes Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Yellow Submarine | ||
| Founded | 1939 | ||
| Ground | Ambedkar Stadium | ||
| Capacity | 20,000 | ||
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New Delhi Heroes are the past Winners of the Inaugural DCM Cup – 1945. They beat the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry 3–2. They are also seven-time DSA League winners – 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1958, 1959, 2007. They won the DSA League last season. They won the title in style by going through the entire campaign unbeaten.
History
1939–2012
New Delhi Heroes, Delhi's most successful club was formed in 1939, just before the start of the Second World War. The founders of the club opted for green and yellow colours, which soon became a force to reckon with in the football fields of Delhi. In a time span of just fifteen years they became one of the most formidable teams of North India, winning several prestigious tournaments and producing several talented players, who have become legends in local football. Their greatest hour came in 1945, when they won the inaugural DCM Football tournament at the Talkatora grounds in Delhi. In the final they overcame a formidable British regimental team, King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (KOYLI) 3–2 in a hard fought match. KOYLI had two players in their team who were war time internationals for England. In the 1950s an exciting new crop of players emerged to play for ND Heroes and they became the supreme team in the capital. They won the Delhi Football Association league four years in a row from 1953 to 1956. Later they were champions again in 1958 and 1959. After their success in 1954 ND Heroes was sent to Kabul in 1954 to take in the Afghan Independence celebrations on behalf of the government of India and also played in the Jinnah tournament in Karachi. During this decade they took part in all the major national tournaments like the IFA Shield in Calcutta Rovers Cup in Bombay and DCM and Durand tournaments in Delhi. Following the success of 119th Osian's Durand Cup in October–November, 2006, IOS Sports and Entertainment, India's leading sports & entertainment management company, took over the club in May 2007, and the club became a wholly owned subsidiary of IOS. Immediately after the acquisition, the team acquired the services of Mr. Chima Okorie, who is very well known in the football fraternity for his contribution in Indian football. ND Heroes became Delhi's first professional club, and won the 2007 Delhi League title and represented the state in the I-League 2nd Division.
Present Status
The club will compete in the Delhi Senior Division in the 2012 season. The club is working towards satisfying the criteria for participation in the i-League second division in 2013, with an eventual goal of competing in the first division of i-League. The squad and coaching staff are undergoing a major overhaul for the upcoming season.