Air India F.C.

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Air India
File:Air India Logo.svg
Full nameAir India Football Club[1]
Nickname(s)The Pilots
Founded1952
GroundCooperage Ground
Capacity5,000
OwnerAir India
ManagerNaushad Moosa[2]
LeagueMDFA Elite League
2012–13I-League, 13th (Relegated)

Air India Football Club is an Indian professional football club, founded by Anand Prajapati in 1952, based in Mumbai, Maharashtra.[3] They are sponsored by Air India and have enjoyed some success in the Mumbai Football League. They have also competed in the I-League, then top tier of Indian football league system.[4][5]

Four times champions in the local league in Mumbai, Air India are best known for nurturing youngsters into big time players. Many of these boys have played with distinction for bigger teams in the later years.[6]

In 2005, the team qualified to the National Football League first division and then 2007 saw Air India finishing 7th and were the Mumbai Harwood Champions in 2005.[7]

History

Founded in 1952, Air India Football Club is one of the oldest institutional sides in the country. Though never considered as frontrunners in the I-League, the Mumbai-based club has often proved to be a thorn in the flesh for many top sides. They used to play in the NFL 2nd Division but got promoted to Premier Division and have maintained their position there till now.[8][9][10][11] Generally a low budget side, Air India's best finish in the National Football League (now I-League) came in the 1997–1998 season when they were placed sixth in the table and their coach Bimal Ghosh received the Best coach award.[12]

Air India FC had been playing in the Premier Harwood League since 1980. The team though qualified for the National Football League in 1995. In 1996, the club finished 6th in the League[13] and then 5th in 1997.

After being relegated to the second division in 1998, Air India paved their way back into the first division the next year and played in the National Football League in 2000 as well. The years 2001 to 2004 saw Air India going through a tough phase as they were playing in the second division. In 2005 the team qualified to the National Football League first division and then 2007 saw Air India finishing 7th and were the Mumbai Harwood Champions in 2005.[14][15] In 1996, they emerged as the champions of Sikkim Governor's Gold Cup and they lifted the trophy again in 2006.[16][17]

Allan Dias with Air India at the 2010–11 I-League

In 2012, the club emerged as the champions of the Durand Cup, which was their last trophy.[18] On 25 February 2012 it was announced that parent company Air India do not have any plans on fulfilling the AFC Criteria required to play in the league and thus may fold the club by the end of the 2011–12 I-League season.[19][20][21]

Crest

Air India has always used a crest different from the logo of the parent company. For the 2011–12 season, however, Air India used the parent logo on both the home and away jersey.

Colours

To keep up with their image of being a sponsor of aircraft company Air India the club decided to make the colours of the club red which is the colour associated with the aircraft Air India.

Stadium

Main article: Cooperage Ground

Air India have always played at the Cooperage Ground[22] for all their home games. Between 2007 and 2013, Air India FC hosted their home games of the top tier I-League at the 5,000 seater Cooperage Ground.[23] While renovations took place, Air India played at the Balewadi Sports Complex in Pune.

Ownership

Since the beginning Air India Football Club has been owned by airline company Air India which currently own a hub at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport which is where the club is located.

Kit manufacturers and shirt sponsors

Period Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor
2000–2011 – Air India
2011–present Star Impact

Players

First-team Squad

As of 13 June 2019

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
— GK India IND Ubaid CK
— DF India IND Baldeep Singh
— DF India IND Bhushan Thube
— DF India IND Chanchal Saha
— DF Nigeria NGA Emmanuel Ajaawa
— DF India IND Faisal T
— DF India IND John Dias
— DF India IND Nikunj Khandelwal
— DF India IND Prem Kumar
— DF India IND Santosh Koli
— DF India IND Vivek Singh Kaira
No. Pos. Nation Player
— MF India IND Akshay Mistry
— MF Uganda UGA Bakali Kasule
— MF India IND Anees Kutty
— MF India IND Hringsolal Thomte
— MF India IND Johny Singh
— FW India IND Tanishq Dwivedi
— MF India IND Neil Gaikwad
— MF India IND Sailesh Jadhav
— MF India IND Ummer Farooque
— FW India IND Harold Fernandes
— FW India IND Sudheesh A

Former managers

Main article: List of Air India FC managers

Last technical staff

Team Management Table
Name Position
India Naushad Moosa Head Coach
India Anthony Fernandes Assistant Coach
India Yusuf Ansari Goalkeeping Coach
India Joginder Thapa Senior Manager
India Sandeep Kurale Physio
India Simon D'Souza Media Manager

Head coach's record

Picture Name Nationality From To P W D L GF GA Win% Honours
Bimal Ghosh  India 2008[24] 2009 22 5 9 8 21 26 022.73
Yusif Ansari  India 2009[25] June 2010 26 7 7 12 28 46 026.92
Santosh Kashyap  India August 2010[26] 26 May 2012 52 14 14 24 54 94 026.92
Godfrey Pereira  India 3 July 2012[27] 27 December 2012 17 7 3 7 25 27 041.18 2012 Durand Cup
Anthony Fernandes  India 30 December 2012[28] 2 March 2013 7 1 4 2 8 14 014.29
Naushad Moosa  India 2 March 2013[29] Present 0 0 0 0 0 0 !—

Honours

Further information: List of Air India FC seasons

Domestic

File:Durand Cup.jpg
The coveted Durand Cup trophy, won by Air India FC for one time
1st place, gold medalist(s) Champions (1): 1999–00
1st place, gold medalist(s) Champions (1): 2012[30][31]
1st place, gold medalist(s) Champions (2): 1996,[32] 2006
2nd place, silver medalist(s) Runners-up (2): 2000, 2003
1st place, gold medalist(s) Champions (4): 2009–10, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2016–17
  • Mumbai Harwood League
1st place, gold medalist(s) Champions (1): 2000[33]
  • EK Nayanar Gold Cup
1st place, gold medalist(s) Champions (1): 2008
2nd place, silver medalist(s) Runners-up (2): 1994, 1996[34]

Achievements

See also

References

  1. ↑ Air India Football Club profile, statistics and seasons worldfootball.in. Retrieved 23 March 2021
  2. ↑ As of 2013, Naushad Moosa is the manager of the club
  3. ↑ "Air India strikes six to defeat ONGC". DNA India. 21 January 2016. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
  4. ↑ Noronha, Anselm. "Dempo SC 1-0 Air India: Abranches' late strike grounds the Airmen". Goal.com. Retrieved 25 November 2012.
  5. ↑ "I-League: How newly-promoted teams have performed". Goal.com. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
  6. ↑ Air India Football Club archive the-aiff.com. Retrieved 23 March 2021
  7. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 3 January 2010. Retrieved 3 January 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  8. ↑ "India File -- Starry opening to National Soccer League". The Indian Express. 14 December 1996. Archived from the original on 22 April 1997. Retrieved 18 October 2018.
  9. ↑ Menon, Ravi (17 March 1997). "JCT wins inaugural Philips NFL title". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 20 April 1997. Retrieved 18 October 2018.
  10. ↑ Bose, Saibal (17 December 1996). "National League all set for kick-off". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 22 April 1997. Retrieved 18 October 2018.
  11. ↑ Sawant, Yash (17 November 2010). "Air India beats ONGC 1-0". DNA India. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  12. ↑ "Smooth take-off for Air-India". Indian Express. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
  13. ↑ "National Football League". indianfootball.de. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  14. ↑ [1]
  15. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 3 January 2010. Retrieved 3 January 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  16. ↑ "India – List of All India Governor's Gold Cup Winners (Sikkim)". Rsssf.com. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  17. ↑ "List of Winners/Runners-Up of the Sikkim Governor's Gold Cup:". Indianfootball.de. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  18. ↑ List of Durand Cup tournament winners and runner-ups RSSSF. Retrieved 7 May 2021
  19. ↑ Noronha, Anselm. "Salgaocar FC 4-0 Air India: David Booth's side sign off the year in style". Goal.com. Retrieved 30 December 2012.
  20. ↑ "Indian Football News 25th February 2012 – Mohammedan SC and Kalighat MS suffer crippling blows before div two final round". The Hard Tackle. Retrieved 14 April 2012.
  21. ↑ "EAST BENGAL VS. AIR INDIA 3 – 1". Soccerway. Retrieved 5 November 2012.
  22. ↑ Sequeira, Rosy (11 June 2011). "A Shot in the arm for Cooperage Ground". DNA. Retrieved 20 June 2018.
  23. ↑ Vasavda, Mihir (15 April 2011). "FIFA sanctions 2 million grant for Cooperage". DNA. Retrieved 20 June 2018.
  24. ↑ "Smooth take-off for Air-India". Indian Express. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
  25. ↑ Coach Yusif Ansari in Air India FC Facebook.com. Retrieved 7 May 2021
  26. ↑ "I-League: Everyone Deserves To Have A Pre-Season Training Like Salgaocar SC - Says Air India Coach Santosh Kashyap". goal.com. 2 August 2011. Retrieved 2 August 2011.
  27. ↑ Sundaresan, Bharat. "'I will bring an end to Bagan's dry spell'". Indian Express. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  28. ↑ Srivastava, Ayush. "Godfrey Pereira has problems regarding monetary issues with the club officials - Air India interim coach Anthony Fernandes". Goal.com. Retrieved 30 December 2012.
  29. ↑ "Moosa lined up for Air India coach job". Times of India. 16 February 2013. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
  30. ↑ Choudhury, Arunava. "125th Durand Cup: Problems at the start of India's oldest tournament". Sportskeeda. Retrieved 16 August 2012.
  31. ↑ "Air India win Durand Cup". The Times of India. Retrieved 2 September 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  32. ↑ "Summary - Sikkim Governors Gold Cup - India - Results, fixtures, tables and news - Soccerway". Soccerway.com. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
  33. ↑ Mumbai Harwood League: statistics, league standings and archive Indianfootball.de. Retrieved 7 May 2021
  34. ↑ "India - List of Rovers Cup Finals". www.rsssf.com. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  35. ↑ "Institutional Sides In Indian Football: The Story Of ONGC FC, Air India FC And HAL SC". www.thehardtackle.com. Retrieved 23 January 2021.

External links

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