Bharatpedia

Rovers Cup

Template:Infobox football tournament The Rovers Cup was an annual football tournament held in India, organized by the Western India Football Association. It was the second oldest tournament in India after Durand Cup.

HistoryEdit

 
2nd Battalion, Middlesex Regiment winning the Rovers Cup in 1926

The championship was started by some British football enthusiasts at Bombay, Maharashtra in 1890, as a form of amusement. The First Worcester Regiment was the first team to win the title. The championship was last time held in the 2000–01 season, when Mohun Bagan AC beat Churchill Brothers SC by 2–0 in the final.

After the inception of the National Football League, the Rovers Cup started facing problems. With huge costs and sponsorship deals issues, the tournament was finally stopped in 2001. The WIFA is making efforts to revive the tournament.[1]

ResultsEdit

Year Winners Score Runners-up Notes
1890   1st Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment 2–0   Band & Drums of the Worcestershire Regiment
1891   1st Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment 1–0   2nd Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers
1892   1st Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment 4–1   Bombay Rovers Club
1893   2nd Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers –
1894   2nd Battalion, Royal Scots –   1st Battalion, Loyal North Lancashire Regiment
1895   2nd Battalion, Royal Scots 3–0   2nd Battalion, Welsh Regiment
1896   2nd Battalion, Durham Light Infantry –
1897   2nd Battalion, Middlesex Regiment 1–0   2nd Battalion, Durham Light Infantry
1898   2nd Battalion, Highland Light Infantry –
1899   2nd Battalion, Royal Irish Regiment 3–0   1st Battalion, Royal Fusiliers
1900   1st Battalion, Black Watch 2–1   1st Battalion, Shropshire Light Infantry
1901   1st Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles 1–0   2nd Battalion, Oxfordshire Light Infantry
1902   1st Battalion, Cheshire Regiment 1–0   1st Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment
1903   1st Battalion, Cheshire Regiment 3–0   2nd Battalion, Royal Scots
1904   1st Battalion, Cheshire Regiment 2–1   1st Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders
1905   1st Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders 1–0   1st Battalion, Cheshire Regiment
1906   2nd Battalion, Royal Scots 1–1, 0–0, 1–0   2nd Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment
1907   2nd Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment 3–0   6th Battalion, Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers)
1908   2nd Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment 1–0   2nd Battalion, Royal Scots
1909   2nd Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment 5–0   1st Battalion, King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment)
1910   2nd Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment 1–0   1st Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment
1911   1st Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment 1–0   2nd Battalion, Loyal North Lancashire Regiment
1912   2nd Battalion, Dorsetshire Regiment 0–0, 1–0   2nd Battalion, Royal Irish Regiment
1913   1st Battalion, Royal Scots 1–0   1st Battalion, Durham Light Infantry
1914–20 Tournament not held, due to World War I
1921   1st Battalion, Shropshire Light Infantry 1–0   1st Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
1922   2nd Battalion, Durham Light Infantry 3–1   1st Battalion, Shropshire Light Infantry
1923   2nd Battalion, Durham Light Infantry 4–1   Mohun Bagan
1924   2nd Battalion, Middlesex Regiment 0–0, 2–1 Template:Aet   1st Battalion, Royal Scots
1925   2nd Battalion, Middlesex Regiment 2–0   1st Battalion, North Staffordshire Regiment
1926   2nd Battalion, Middlesex Regiment 4–0   1st Battalion, Gordon Highlanders
1927   1st Battalion, Cheshire Regiment 4–1   2nd Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers
1928   2nd Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment 2–0   1st Brigade, Royal Field Artillery
1929   2nd Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment 4–0   2nd Battalion, Duke of Wellington's Regiment
1930   2nd Battalion, King's Own Scottish Borderers 2–0   2nd Battalion, Duke of Wellington's Regiment
1931   2nd Battalion, Royal West Kent Regiment 2–1   16th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery
1932   Royal Irish Fusiliers 3–1   2nd Battalion, Duke of Wellington's Regiment
1933   1st Battalion, King's Regiment (Liverpool) 1–1, 2–2, 1–0   2nd Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment
1934   2nd Battalion, Sherwood Foresters 6–1   2nd Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment
1935   1st Battalion, King's Regiment (Liverpool) 2–1   2nd Battalion, Durham Light Infantry
1936   1st Battalion, King's Regiment (Liverpool) 2–0   1st Battalion, Shropshire Light Infantry
1937   Bangalore Muslims FC 1–0   Mohammedan Sporting
1938   Bangalore Muslims FC 3–2   2nd Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
1939   28th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery 2–0   Howrah District XI
1940   Mohammedan Sporting 1–0   Bangalore Muslims FC
1941   2nd Battalion, Welch Regiment 2–0   Mohammedan Sporting
1942   Bata Sports Club 3–1   Western India Automobile Association Staff
1943   Royal Air Force 5–0   Bombay City Police
1944   British Base Reinforcement Camp 3–1   Western India Automobile Association Staff
1945   Corps of Military Police 0–0, 3–1   Albert David XI (Calcutta)
1946   British Base Reinforcement Camp 2–1   Tata Sports Club
1947 Tournament abandoned when the stands collapsed during the quarterfinal 1
1948   Bangalore Muslims FC 1–0   Mohun Bagan
1949   East Bengal 3–0   East Indian Railway
1950   Hyderabad City Police 1–0   Aryan FC
1951   Hyderabad City Police 2–0   WIMCO (Western India Match Company, Madras)
1952   Hyderabad City Police 0–0, 1–0   Bombay Amateurs
1953   Hyderabad City Police 2–0   Bangalore Muslims FC
1954   Hyderabad City Police 2–1   Keamari Union (Karachi)
1955   Mohun Bagan 2–0   Mohammedan Sporting
1956   Mohammedan Sporting 3–1   Mohun Bagan
1957   Hyderabad City Police 3–0   Mohammedan Sporting
1958   Caltex Club (Bombay) 3–2   Mohammedan Sporting
1959–60   Mohammedan Sporting 0–0, 3–0   East Bengal
1960   Andhra Pradesh Police 1–0 Template:Aet   East Bengal
1961–62   Elec. & Mech. Engineering Centre 1–0   Mohun Bagan
1962   Andhra Pradesh Police and   East Bengal - (joint winners) 1–1, 1–1 2
1963–64   Andhra Pradesh Police 1–0   East Bengal
1964–65   Bengal Nagpur Railway 1–1, 1–0   Mohun Bagan
1965   Mafatlal Mills (Bombay) 1–0   Mohun Bagan
1966–67   Mohun Bagan 1–0   Vasco SC
1967   East Bengal 0–0, 2–0   Mohun Bagan
1968   Mohun Bagan 0–0, 3–0   Leader FC (Jalandhar)
1969   East Bengal 3–0   Mohun Bagan
1970–71   Mohun Bagan 0–0, 1–0   Mahindra United FC
1971–72   Mohun Bagan 1–0   Vasco SC
1972–73   Mohun Bagan and   East Bengal - (joint winners) 0–0, 0–0 Template:Aet 3
1973–74   East Bengal 3–2   Tata Sports Club
1974–75   Dempo SC 0–1, 1–0   Tata Sports Club 4
1975–76   East Bengal 1–0   Mafatlal Group
1976   Mohun Bagan 0–0, 1–0   Mafatlal Group
1977   Mohun Bagan 0–0, 2–1   Tata Sports Club
1978–79   Dempo SC 2–1   Orkay Mills
1979–80   Dempo SC 2–0   JCT FC
1980   Mohammedan Sporting and   East Bengal - (joint winners) 1–1 Template:Aet 5
1981   Mohun Bagan 2–0   Mohammedan Sporting
1982   Salahaddin FC 2–1   Mohammedan Sporting
1983   Al-Jaish Army SC 2–1   Mohammedan Sporting
1984   Mohammedan Sporting 1–0   JCT FC
1985   Mohun Bagan 2–0   Salgaocar FC
1986   Dempo SC 2–0   Mohun Bagan
1987   Mohammedan Sporting 2–0   Mohun Bagan
1988   Mohun Bagan 1–0   East Bengal
1989–90   Salgaocar FC 1–0   Dempo SC
1990   East Bengal 1–0   Mahindra United FC
1991   Mohun Bagan 1–0   Mohammedan Sporting
1992   Mohun Bagan 2–0   JCT FC
1993   Mahindra United FC 0–0 Template:Pso   Bank of India (Mumbai) 6
1994   East Bengal 2–1   Air India FC
1995   Oman Club 2–0   Sesa Sports Club
1996   Salgaocar FC 1–0   Air India FC
1997   JCT FC 1–0   Churchill Brothers
1998   Bengal Mumbai FC 3–0   Central Railway SC
1999   Salgaocar FC 1–0   Churchill Brothers [2]
2000–01   Mohun Bagan 2–0   Churchill Brothers

Notes:

1. ^ The tournament was abandoned when the stands collapsed during the quarterfinal between Mohun Bagan and 1st Bn, South Staffordshire Regiment
2. ^ Joint winners after replay
3. ^ Joint winners after replay
4. ^ Replay after first match was abandoned at 84', with the score at 0–1, as Dempo refused to continue after having a goal disallowed
5. ^ Joint winners
6. ^ Penalty shootout

Performance by teamsEdit

Performance by Indian teamsEdit

During its initial years, only British teams contested in the tournament. Mohun Bagan AC was the first Indian team to participate in this tournament on invitation in 1923, but they lost in the finals to Durham Light Infantry by 1–4 margin. The first Indian team to win this tournament was Bangalore Muslims, in 1937.[3]

Statistics: Teams with at least 2 wins, (including joint wins)[3]

# Club Wins Last Win Runners-up Last Runners-up
1 Mohun Bagan AC 14 2000-01 10 1987
2 East Bengal Club 10 1994 4 1988
3 Hyderabad City Police 9 1963 1 1943
4 Mohammedan SC 6 1987 9 1991
5 Dempo SC 4 1986 1 1989
6 Bangalore Muslims 3 1948 2 1953
7 Salgaocar SC 3 1999 1 1985

Performance by Overseas teamsEdit

Overseas teams had often been invited to participate in Rovers Cup.

WinnersEdit

Runners-upEdit

  •   Kemari Union FC (1954)

See alsoEdit

ReferencesEdit

  1. ↑ WIFA making attempt to revive Rovers Cup
  2. ↑ Arunava Chaudhary. "99th "Bristol" Rovers Cup 1999:". indianfootball.de. Indian Football Network. Archived from the original on 16 March 2002. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "India - List of Rovers Cup Finals". www.rsssf.com. Retrieved 20 December 2020.

External linksEdit

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