| Football in Kerala | |
|---|---|
 Members of the Kerala football team | |
| Governing body | Kerala Football Association (KFA)[1] |
Audience records | |
| Single match | 100,000 (India vs Iraq 1997 Nehru Cup semi-final)[2] |
Football is one of the most popular sports in Kerala.[3] Malabar, the northern region of Kerala, is the main powerhouse of Kerala football, It was introduced to the land of Kerala during the pre-independence period by British officers of the Malabar Special Police (MSP) in the 20th century. MSP was camped in Malappuram and soon the natives began adopting the sport, which was mostly played in post-harvest paddy fields.[4] Kerala enjoyed a golden age from 1985 to 1995 by making it to Santhosh Trophy finals seven times consecutively, and football became an iconic sport ever since in the south Indian state.[5] FIFA released the film Maitanam - The Story of Football in Kerala, quoting: Football in the Indian state of Kerala runs through the fabric of its society, where football is life and life is football.[6]
Kerala state football team appeared in the Santosh Trophy finals 15 times and won the trophy 7 times, latest in 2022 by defeating Bengal in the final on 2 May at the Payyanadu Stadium in Malappuram. Gokulam Kerala FC won the 2020–21 I-League to become the first ever club from Kerala to win an I-League title. They created history by becoming the first team in the I-League era to defend its title, being 2021-22 I-League champions.[7] Gokulam Kerala FC is also the first club from Kerala to qualify for a continental competition, the AFC Cup.[8] Kerala Blasters, the Indian Super League club based in Kochi, are one of the most widely supported clubs in Asia and with one of the largest social media following among the football clubs from the continent.[9] Travancore Royals Football Club (TRFC), founded on 29 November 2018, is India's first fans-owned club.[10]
Kerala Premier League, together with Kerala Super League, is the official state level tournament, succeeding Kerala State Club Football Championship, both organized by the Kerala Football Association. SBI Kerala FC is the most successful Kerala League team becoming champions 6 times while Travancore Titanium FC is most successful in the Championship, winning it 10 times.
History[edit | edit source]
Football has been a passion of thousands of Malayalees for the last several decades—much before the state of Kerala was formed on 1 November 1956. Kerala Football Association was formed in 1948 to directly oversees the development of football in Kerala from grassroots to senior level.
The Sait Nagjee Cup Football Tournament is a popular international club football tournament held in Kozhikode which has been attracting large crowd since 1952. Brazilian footballer Ronaldinho has served as the brand ambassador for the Sait Nagjee Football Tournament.
Famous international footballers including Ronaldinho,[11] Maradona,[12] Roberto Carlos,[13] Thomas Tuchel[14] visited Kerala for different reasons. David James and Dimitar Berbatov managed Kerala Blasters in different season. The Hero Super Cup of 2023 was held in Kerala.
Administration[edit | edit source]
Football in Kerala is administered by the Kerala Football Association[15] It sends state teams for Santosh Trophy and Rajmata Jijabai Trophy.
The Department of Sports and Youth Affairs, under the Government of Kerala, along with the Kerala State Sports Council, is responsible for the development of sports, including football, in the state.[16]
State team[edit | edit source]
| State teams of Kerala | |||
|---|---|---|---|
|
| ||
| Football (Men's) | Football (Women's) | ||
Kerala football team is governed by the Kerala Football Association (KFA) and is a member of the All India Football Federation (AFC) since 1948, the national governing body for indian football. There are other Kerala football team for women's also.
Performance[edit | edit source]
The following list includes the performance of all of Kerala's state teams at major competitions.
Men's team[edit | edit source]
The Kerala football team represents Kerala in Indian state football competitions, including the Santosh Trophy.[17]
| Tournament | Best performance |
|---|---|
| Santosh Trophy | Champions (1973–74, 1991–92, 1992–93, 2001–02, 2004–05, 2017–18, 2021–2022) |
| National Games | Gold (1987, 1997) |
| B.C. Roy Trophy | Champions (1968–69, 1971–72, 1972–73) |
| Mir Iqbal Hussain Trophy | Champions (1981–82, 1983–84) |
| M. Dutta Ray Trophy | Champions (1995) |
Women's team[edit | edit source]
Kerala women's football team represents Kerala in the Rajmata Jijabai Trophy.[18] They have appeared in the Santosh Trophy finals once, and were the runners-up at their maiden attempt at the 2005–06 Senior Women's National Football Championship edition against the reigning champions Manipur at Rourkela.[19]
| Tournament | Best performance |
|---|---|
| Rajmata Jijabai Trophy | Runners-up (2005–06) |
| National Games | Bronze (1999) |
Affiliated district associations[edit | edit source]
All 14 districts of Kerala are affiliated with the Kerala Football Association.
| No. | Association | District | President |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alappuzha District Football Association | Alappuzha | |
| 2 | Ernakulam District Football Association | Ernakulam | |
| 3 | Idukki District Football Association | Idukki | |
| 4 | Kannur District Football Association | Kannur | |
| 5 | Kasaragod District Football Association | Kasaragod | |
| 6 | Kollam District Football Association | Kollam | |
| 7 | Kottayam District Football Association | Kottayam | |
| 8 | Kozhikode District Football Association | Kozhikode | |
| 9 | Malappuram District Football Association | Malappuram | |
| 10 | Palakkad District Football Association | Palakkad | |
| 11 | Pathanamthitta District Football Association | Pathanamthitta | |
| 12 | Thiruvananthapuram District Football Association | Thiruvananthapuram | |
| 13 | Thrissur District Football Association | Thrissur | |
| 14 | Wayanad District Football Association | Wayanad |
Competitions[edit | edit source]
District level[edit | edit source]
Men's senior[edit | edit source]
Men's youth[edit | edit source]
|
Women's senior[edit | edit source]
|
Club level[edit | edit source]
Men's senior[edit | edit source]
|
Women's senior[edit | edit source]
|
Evolution of the football system[edit | edit source]
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (July 2019) |
| File:KFA New Logo.png | |
| Abbreviation | KFA |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1948 (as Travancore-Cochin Football Association)[20] |
| Headquarters | Kochi |
Region served | Kerala, India |
Membership | 14 district associations |
President | Tom Jose |
Secretary | Anil Kumar P. |
Parent organization | All India Football Federation (AIFF) |
The Kerala Football Association (abbreviated Kerala FA), formerly the Travancore-Cochin Football Association, is one of the 37 Indian state football associations that are affiliated to the All India Football Federation (AIFF).[15] It sends state teams for Santosh Trophy and Senior Women's National Football Championship.
History[edit | edit source]
Football has been a passion of thousands of Malayalees for the last several decades—much before the state of Kerala was formed on 1 November 1956. Kerala Football Association was formed in 1948 to directly oversees the development of football in Kerala from grassroots to senior level.
Later the headquarters of KFA was moved to Kollam after P. Laxmanan Pillai was elected president and K. Thankappan honorary secretary. KFA saw a new breed of organizers taking over the reins in the 1970s with former mayor of Cochin A. K. Seshadri becoming its president.
2021 privatization[edit | edit source]
On 9 October 2021, Kerala Football Association signed a twelve year long deal with Meeran Sports LLP and Scoreline Sports Pvt Ltd. The deal was inspired from masterplan prepared by Rob Baan, former technical director of AIFF. The consortium is responsible for getting investments worth around Rs 350 crore into the football ecosystem over the 12-year period.[21][22] As per the agreement, consortium will form Kerala Super League, initially planned to further develop youth local players in senior transition.[21][22]
Evolution[edit | edit source]
| League/Years | 1948 | 1948–1952 | 1952–1970 | 1970–1998 | 1998–2007 | 2007–2013 | 2013–2015 | 2013–2016 | 2016–2017 | 2017–2021 | 2021–2023 | 2023– | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tier | |||||||||||||
| League | 1 | Formation
of Kerala Football Association |
None | Kerala Football League | None | Kerala Premier League | Kerala Super League | ||||||
| 1 | None | Kerala Premier League | |||||||||||
| 1 | None | Kerala Women's League | None | Kerala Women's League | |||||||||
| Tournament | None | Kerala State Club Football Championship | Discontinued | ||||||||||
| Senior Inter-District Men's Football Championship | |||||||||||||
| None | Sait Nagjee Football Tournament | Not conducted | |||||||||||
R B Ferguson Club[edit | edit source]
R B Ferguson Club is the oldest football club in Kerala and South India. It was established on 20 February 1899 in Thrissur (Thrissivaperur).[23][24][25][26] The club was named after the Kochi police superintendent, R B Ferguson.
Kerala Premier League[edit | edit source]
As a step to give more competence and professionalism for the football clubs in Kerala, KFA launched the Kerala Premier League in January 2014. Twelve teams participated in the first season.
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Kausik Bandyopadhyay (2006). A Social History of Indian Football: Striving to Score. Routledge. ISBN 9780415348355.
- ↑ "STADIUM". waytokickoff.com. Archived from the original on 2 June 2021. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
- ↑ Kumar, PK Ajith (22 December 2022). "Following the football World Cup craze in Kerala". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 1 February 2023. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
- ↑ "How Kerala shrunk football to make it its own". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 5 November 2021. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
- ↑ Kumar, Laxmi Mohan (10 November 2022). "Football Fever: Recollecting Kerala's Craze For The Sport Amidst Cut-Out Wars & World Cup Debates". thelogicalindian.com. Archived from the original on 1 February 2023. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
- ↑ "Kerala's passion for football and its links to anti-imperialism". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 1 February 2023. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
- ↑ PTI (14 May 2022). "Gokulam Kerala become first team to defend title in I-League era, beating Mohammedan SC 2-1". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 4 February 2023. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
- ↑ Dey, Sayak Dipta. "Gokulam Kerala FC win I-League, qualify for AFC Cup". www.sportskeeda.com. Archived from the original on 27 March 2021. Retrieved 5 February 2023.
- ↑ "'ചരിത്രമെഴുതി മഞ്ഞപ്പട'; 'ഏഷ്യയില്' അഞ്ചാം സ്ഥാനവുമായി കേരളാ ബ്ലാസ്റ്റേഴ്സ്". News18 Malayalam (in മലയാളം). Archived from the original on 8 February 2023. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
- ↑ "The Travancore Royals Football Club Is Amplifying Women's Presence In The Field Of Sports Through Their Women's Day Campaign". PinkLungi. 4 March 2022. Archived from the original on 1 February 2023. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
- ↑ "Brazilian superstar Ronaldinho arrives in Kerala". sportstar.thehindu.com. 24 January 2016. Archived from the original on 8 April 2023. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
- ↑ "Throwback: When Diego Maradona visited Kerala | Goal.com". www.goal.com. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
- ↑ admin (19 May 2021). "Roberto Carlos - People Of Kerala Were Like Brazillian Football Fans | IFTWC - Indian Football Team For World Cup". Archived from the original on 8 April 2023. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
- ↑ "'Ayurvedic rejuvenation': Former Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel explains reason behind visit to India". Hindustan Times. 30 October 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 "All India Football Federation - About AIFF - State Associations". AIFF. Archived from the original on 21 March 2012. Retrieved 25 March 2012.
- ↑ "About Us - Kerala State Sports Council".
- ↑ "West Bengal, Kerala & Punjab drawn together in tantalizing group in 75th edition of Hero Santosh Trophy". the-aiff.com. All India Football Federation. 6 January 2022. Archived from the original on 6 January 2022. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
- ↑ "Kerala Football Association".
- ↑ "Kerala hope for a new dawn in women's football". The Times of india. 29 November 2021.
- ↑ Kausik Bandyopadhyay (2006). A Social History of Indian Football: Striving to Score. Routledge. ISBN 9780415348355.
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 "Explained: Kerala FA's 12-year commercial rights deal and the plan to revamp football in the state". Deccan Herald. 11 October 2021. Retrieved 11 October 2021.
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 Rayan, Stan. "Meerans-Scoreline bags Kerala Football Association's commercial rights for 12 years". Sportstar. Retrieved 11 October 2021.
- ↑ "Sports in Thrissur". Thrissur Online. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
- ↑ S.S. Shreekumar (2020). The Best Way Forward: For India's Football. Bangalore: H.S.R.A. Publications. p. 107. ISBN 978-81-947216-9-7.
- ↑ "Ollur's football club turns 115 years today" (subscription required). Mathrubhumi.com. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
- ↑ Anirudh Menon. "Blast from the Present: Kerala's resurgence into football prominence". SportsKeeda. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
External links[edit | edit source]
- https://www.the-aiff.com/association/495
- Football Kerala
- Kerala State Football Championship
- Revive the Kerala State League, says Jo Paul Ancheri
| National teams |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| League competitions |
| ||||||||||||
| Cup competitions |
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| Futsal competition | |||||||||||||
| Defunct leagues |
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| Defunct cups |
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Stadiums[edit | edit source]
The league and tournaments are generally played at the following Stadiums:
| Stadium | Capacity | |
|---|---|---|
| Calicut Corporation EMS Stadium, Kozhikode | 50,000 |
 |
| Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (Kochi) † | 40,000 | _in_2022.jpg) |
| Greenfield International Stadium Trivandrum | 50,000 |  |
| Malappuram District Sports Complex Stadium | 30,000 |  |
| Thrissur Municipal Corporation Stadium | 15,000 |  |
Note. † denotes stadiums that have hosted international football matches.
National clubs from Kerala[edit | edit source]
Current clubs from Kerala, that are playing in any of divisions of Indian football.
| Club | Hometown | Founded | Best form |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kerala United FC[1] | Kozhikode | 1976 |
|
| Kerala Police football team | Thiruvananthapuram | 1984 |
|
| Kovalam Football Club | Thiruvananthapuram | 2009 | |
| Golden Threads FC | Kochi | 2010 |
|
| FC Kerala | Thrissur | 2014 | |
| Kerala Blasters FC | Kochi | 2014 |
|
| Gokulam Kerala FC | Kozhikode | 2017 |
|
List of state level champions[edit | edit source]
| (KFL/KPL) champions | (KFL/KPL) Championship season | Kerala State Club Football Championship | Kerala State Club Football Championship seasons | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SBI Kerala FC | 6 | 2000/01, 2003/04, 2006/07, 2008, 2015, 2016 | 5 | |
| FC Kochin | 2 | 1998/99, 1999/00 | - | |
| KSEB | 2 | 2004/05, 2017 | 3 | |
| Gokulam Kerala | 2 | 2018, 2020/21 | - | |
| Viva Kerala | 1 | 2005/06 | - | |
| Eagles FC | 1 | 2014 | - | |
| Indian Navy | 1 | 2018/19 | - | |
| Kerala Blasters FC Reserves | 1 | 2019/20 | - | |
| Golden Threads | 1 | 2021/22 | - | |
| Titanium FC | - | - | 10 | |
| Kerala Police | - | - | 7 | |
| KSRTC | - | - | 3 | |
| Premier Tyres FC | - | - | 3 | |
| AGORC,Thiruvananthapuram | - | - | 2 | |
| Central Excise RC | - | - | 1 | |
| Keltron FC | - | - | 1 | |
| FC Kochin | - | - | 1 | |
| Kochin Port Trust | - | - | 1 | |
| Josco FC | - | - | 1 |
Notable footballers[edit | edit source]
The state of Kerala has contributed many legends to Indian football, such as:
- I M Vijayan
- V. P. Sathyan
- Jo Paul Ancheri
- Victor Manjila
- E.N. Sudhir
- Mohammed Rafi
- C.K. Vineeth
- Anas Edathodika
- Sahal Abdul Samad
- Rino Anto
- Rahul Kannoly Praveen
- Ashique Kuruniyan
- N.P Pradeep
- Krishnan Nair Ajayan
- Zakeer Mundampara
- Muhammed Sagar Ali
- Denson Devadas
- C. S. Sabeeth
- Mohamed Irshad
- Asif Kottayil
- Sushanth Mathew
Notable academies[edit | edit source]
- A.C. Milan Academy Kozhikode under A.C. Milan[5]
- Kerala Blasters FC Reserves and Academy[6]
- Gokulam Football Foundation under Gokulam Kerala FC[7]
- Muthoot Football Academy
- Parappur Football Academy (PFC KERALA)
See also[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Kumar, Ajith (26 September 2012). "Quartz SC goes on signing spree". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 16 December 2019. Retrieved 26 September 2012.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Major triumphs by football clubs from Kerala". OnManorama. Archived from the original on 1 February 2023. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
- ↑ "I-League 2020-21: Gokulam Kerala crowned champions". ESPN.com. 27 March 2021. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
- ↑ "Gokulam Kerala beat Mohammedan to the 2021-22 I-League championship | Goal.com". www.goal.com. Archived from the original on 1 February 2023. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
- ↑ "Milan Academy Kozhikode". AC Milan. Archived from the original on 1 February 2023. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
- ↑ "Young Blasters – Kerala Blasters FC". Archived from the original on 1 February 2023. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
- ↑ "Gokulam Football Foundation". Gokulam Kerala FC. Archived from the original on 1 February 2023. Retrieved 1 February 2023.