Indian Football Association

History

Contrary to the name, the association does not administer the game in India, a task that falls to the All India Football Federation (AIFF), instead governs the game in the state of West Bengal. However, before the formation of the AIFF, the IFA was in de facto control of football in India by virtue of its administration by Englishmen as well as its affiliation to the Football Association. Hence, all foreign tours were conducted by the IFA and also foreign teams negotiated with the IFA for visits to India. In its formative years, the only Indian representative in the English dominated executive committee was Kalicharan Mitra from the Sovabazar Club. By vigorously promoting the game in Bengal, the IFA became undivided India's premier football body in the early decades of the 20th century.

Through the efforts of Nagendra Prasad Sarbadhikari (the father of Indian football), A.R. Brown and B.C. Lindsay of Dalhousie AC, and Watson of Calcutta FC, the IFA was established in 1893. A.R. Brown was the first Secretary of the IFA. Norman Prichard, the first Indian to win an Olympic medal, was the Secretary of the IFA in 1900.The most remarkable person to head the IFA was the Maharaja of Santosh, Sir M.N. Roy Chowdhury. During his tenure the IFA played an instrumental role in the formation of the AIFF.

The IFA had organised many historical tournaments like the Trades Cup, the Gladstone Cup, the Cooch Behar Cup and the coveted IFA Shield, prior to the incorporation of Calcutta Football League in 1898. The Trades Cup is the oldest tournament in Kolkata, being instituted in 1889.

Clubs outside Bengal complained about the lack of neutrality in the affairs of the IFA. This disillusionment of clubs and patrons led to the formation of associations such as the Western India Football Association, which preferred to be governed by themselves rather than by the IFA. After years of numerous conferences and meetings, the IFA along with other five regional football associations broke their mutual deadlock to form the AIFF in 1937.

State teams

Men

• West Bengal football team
• West Bengal under-20 football team
• West Bengal under-15 football team
• West Bengal under-13 football team

Women

• West Bengal women's football team
• West Bengal women's under-19 football team
• West Bengal women's under-17 football team

Affiliated district associations

The 23 district associations affiliated with the Indian Football Association.

Competitions

Men's

• Calcutta Football League
• Bengal Super League (franchise)
• IFA Shield
• Uttarbanga Cup
• Jayanta Chatterjee Inter District Football Tournament
• IFA Futsal Championship

Women's

• Calcutta Women's Football League
• Women's IFA Shield

Youth

• CFL 5th Division Group B
• IFA Nursery League

West Bengal Football League pyramid

Men's

Women's

Evolution

Management

References

References

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2. (5 June 2023). "Calcutta Football League (CFL) goes bigger than ever for its historic 125th season". The Fan Garage.
3. "The passage of football in India". [[Indian Football Association]].
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5. Majumdar, Rounak. (22 April 2019). "The Golden Years of Indian Football". Chase Your Sport.
6. (2017). "Chronology of Important Sports Events — West Bengal". Government of West Bengal – Department of youth services and sports.
7. [http://www.iffhs.de/?3f4b05ffcd85bcca952b9b95205fdcdc3bfcdc0aec70aeeda30b IFFHS - Interesting and curious facts about full internationals and national players (1872–1900)] {{Webarchive. link. (2012-02-07 . ''iffhs.de''. Retrieved 28 October 2021.)
8. (2021-10-26). "Indian women football team will play against two top tier-1 Swedish teams".
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10. (2021-01-28). "First ever Futsal league in Bengal to kick off on 'Poila Baishakh'".
11. "OUR SPORTSMEN: Gostha Pal".
12. Pillai, Manu S. (8 June 2018). "How football kicked off in India {{!}} As with the English language, when the British transported the sport to India, they didn't expect the 'natives' to beat them at it". [[Mint (newspaper).
13. (2017-03-25). "The Birth of the All India Football Federation {{!}} Novy Kapadia".
14. Waris, Sarah. (25 January 2020). "Nagendra Prasad — The father of Indian football who removed prejudice from the sport". The Bridge.
15. "About Us".
16. (1959). "Portrait Of Indian Sport". P R Macmillan Limited, London.