Rovers Cup

The Rovers Cup was an annual football tournament held in India, organized by the Western India Football Association. Incorporated in 1891, it was the third oldest tournament in India after Trades Cup.

History

Rovers Cup was incorporated by some British football enthusiasts in Bombay, Bombay Presidency, in 1891, as a form of amusement. After the foundation of Bombay Football Association (BFA) in 1902, the tournament became well organized. Patronised by Justice Russell, the tournament was firstly opened to British teams. Later in 1911, Western India Football Association was founded as a result of merger between BFA and Rovers Cup Committee. After justice Russel became president and P. R. Cadell became vice-president of WIFA, Indian clubs were given opportunity to participate, and Bengal United (a squad formed with Indian soldiers serving in British battalions) became first Indian team to compete. The tournament was suspended from 1914 to 1920 due to the World War I. Some legendary players from Great Britain, including Arsenal winger Denis Compton, Scottish international Tommy Walker and English international Bobby Langton appeared in the tournament in mid-20th century with visiting overseas teams.

A predecessor edition was held in 1890, where the First Worcester Regiment and its band and drums section participated. The First Worcester Regiment became first team to clinch the title in 1891. Mohun Bagan became the first non-army civilian club in the tournament to compete in 1923 and achieved runners-up position, after their 4–1 defeat to Durham Light Infantry. Mohammedan Sporting from Calcutta became the first Indian club to win title, when they defeated Bangalore Muslims 1–0 in 1940. Mohammedan later won 1956, 1959, 1980, 1984 and 1987 editions. In the 1950s, Syed Abdul Rahim managed Hyderabad City Police formed their supremacy, winning Rovers Cup consecutively from 1950 to 1954. In modern era, Iraqi club Salahaddin became the first foreign side to win trophy, when they defeated Mohammedan Sporting 2–1 in 1982. In 1958, Caltex Sports Club had the honor of becoming the first local team to win it, and Bengal Mumbai is the last local team to win title. The championship was last time held in the 2000–01 season, when Mohun Bagan beat Churchill Brothers 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 dissolved in 2001. In 2007, the WIFA announced that they were making attempts to revive the tournament.

Venue The primary venue of the tournament was Cooperage Ground in Bombay (now Mumbai). The stadium, built over hundred years ago, hosted each and every edition of the tournament.

Results Pre-independence era (1891–1947) YearWinnersScoreRunners-upNotes1890 1st Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment 2–0 Band & Drums of the Worcestershire Regiment1891 1st Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment 1–0 2nd Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers1892 1st Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment 4–1 Bombay Rovers Club1893 2nd Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers –1894 2nd Battalion, Royal Scots – 1st Battalion, Loyal North Lancashire Regiment1895 2nd Battalion, Royal Scots 3–0 2nd Battalion, Welsh Regiment1896 2nd Battalion, Durham Light Infantry –1897 2nd Battalion, Middlesex Regiment 1–0 2nd Battalion, Durham Light Infantry1898 2nd Battalion, Highland Light Infantry –1899 2nd Battalion, Royal Irish Regiment 3–0 1st Battalion, Royal Fusiliers1900 1st Battalion, Black Watch 2–1 1st Battalion, Shropshire Light Infantry1901 1st Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles 1–0 2nd Battalion, Oxfordshire Light Infantry1902 1st Battalion, Cheshire Regiment 1–0 1st Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment1903 1st Battalion, Cheshire Regiment 3–0 2nd Battalion, Royal Scots1904 1st Battalion, Cheshire Regiment 2–1 1st Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders1905 1st Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders 1–0 1st Battalion, Cheshire Regiment1906 2nd Battalion, Royal Scots 1–1, 0–0, 1–0 2nd Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment1907 2nd Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment 3–0 6th Battalion, Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers)1908 2nd Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment 1–0 2nd Battalion, Royal Scots1909 2nd Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment 5–0 1st Battalion, King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment)1910 2nd Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment 1–0 1st Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment1911 1st Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment 1–0 2nd Battalion, Loyal North Lancashire Regiment1912 2nd Battalion, Dorsetshire Regiment 0–0, 1–0 2nd Battalion, Royal Irish Regiment1913 1st Battalion, Royal Scots 1–0 1st Battalion, Durham Light Infantry1914–201921 1st Battalion, Shropshire Light Infantry 1–0 1st Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders1922 2nd Battalion, Durham Light Infantry 3–1 1st Battalion, Shropshire Light Infantry1923 2nd Battalion, Durham Light Infantry 4–1 Mohun Bagan 1924 2nd Battalion, Middlesex Regiment 0–0, 2–1 1st Battalion, Royal Scots1925 2nd Battalion, Middlesex Regiment 2–0 1st Battalion, North Staffordshire Regiment1926 2nd Battalion, Middlesex Regiment 4–0 1st Battalion, Gordon Highlanders1927 1st Battalion, Cheshire Regiment 4–1 2nd Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers1928 2nd Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment 2–0 1st Brigade, Royal Field Artillery1929 2nd Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment 4–0 2nd Battalion, Duke of Wellington's Regiment1930 2nd Battalion, King's Own Scottish Borderers 2–0 2nd Battalion, Duke of Wellington's Regiment1931 2nd Battalion, Royal West Kent Regiment 2–1 16th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery1932 Royal Irish Fusiliers 3–1 2nd Battalion, Duke of Wellington's Regiment1933 1st Battalion, King's Regiment (Liverpool) 1–1, 2–2, 1–0 2nd Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment1934 2nd Battalion, Sherwood Foresters 6–1 2nd Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment1935 1st Battalion, King's Regiment (Liverpool) 2–1 2nd Battalion, Durham Light Infantry1936 1st Battalion, King's Regiment (Liverpool) 2–0 1st Battalion, Shropshire Light Infantry1937 Bangalore Muslims FC 1–0 Mohammedan Sporting1938 Bangalore Muslims FC 3–2 2nd Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders1939 28th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery 2–0 Howrah District XI1940 Mohammedan Sporting 1–0 Bangalore Muslims FC 1941 2nd Battalion, Welch Regiment 2–0 Mohammedan Sporting1942 Bata Sports Club (Calcutta) 3–1 Western India Automobile Association Staff1943 Royal Air Force 5–0 Bombay City Police1944 British Base Reinforcement Camp 3–1 Western India Automobile Association Staff1945 Corps of Military Police 0–0, 3–1 Albert David XI (Calcutta)1946 British Base Reinforcement Camp 2–1 Tata Sports Club1947

Post-independence era (1948–2001) YearWinnersScoreRunners-upNotes1948 Bangalore Muslims FC 1–0 Mohun Bagan1949 East Bengal 3–0 East Indian Railway1950 Hyderabad City Police 1–0 Aryan FC1951 Hyderabad City Police 2–0 WIMCO (Western India Match Company, Madras)1952 Hyderabad City Police 0–0, 1–0 Bombay Amateurs1953 Hyderabad City Police 2–0 Bangalore Muslims FC1954 Hyderabad City Police 2–1 Keamari Union (Karachi)1955 Mohun Bagan 2–0 Mohammedan Sporting1956 Mohammedan Sporting 3–1 Mohun Bagan1957 Hyderabad City Police 3–0 Mohammedan Sporting1958 Caltex Club (Bombay) 3–2 Mohammedan Sporting1959–60 Mohammedan Sporting 0–0, 3–0 East Bengal1960 Andhra Pradesh Police 1–0 East Bengal1961–62 Elec. & Mech. Engineering Centre 1–0 Mohun Bagan1962 1963–64 Andhra Pradesh Police 1–0 East Bengal1964–65 Bengal Nagpur Railway 1–1, 1–0 Mohun Bagan 1965 Mafatlal Mills (Bombay) 1–0 Mohun Bagan1966–67 Mohun Bagan 1–0 Vasco SC1967 East Bengal 0–0, 2–0 Mohun Bagan1968 Mohun Bagan 0–0, 3–0 Leader FC (Jalandhar)1969 East Bengal 3–0 Mohun Bagan1970–71 Mohun Bagan 0–0, 1–0 Mahindra United FC1971–72 Mohun Bagan 1–0 Vasco SC1972–73 1973–74 East Bengal 3–2 Tata Sports Club1974–75 Dempo SC 0–1, 1–0 Tata Sports Club 1975–76 East Bengal 1–0 Mafatlal Group1976 Mohun Bagan 0–0, 1–0 Mafatlal Group1977 Mohun Bagan 0–0, 2–1 Tata Sports Club1978–79 Dempo SC 2–1 Orkay Mills1979–80 Dempo SC 2–0 JCT FC1980 1981 Mohun Bagan 2–0 Mohammedan Sporting1982 Salahaddin FC 2–1 Mohammedan Sporting1983 Al-Jaish Army SC 2–1 Mohammedan Sporting1984 Mohammedan Sporting 1–0 JCT FC1985 Mohun Bagan 2–0 Salgaocar FC 1986 Dempo SC 2–0 Mohun Bagan1987 Mohammedan Sporting 2–0 Mohun Bagan1988 Mohun Bagan 1–0 East Bengal1989–90 Salgaocar FC 1–0 Dempo SC 1990 East Bengal 1–0 Mahindra United FC 1991 Mohun Bagan 1–0 Mohammedan Sporting1992 Mohun Bagan 2–0 JCT FC1993 Mahindra United FC 0–0 Bank of India (Mumbai) 1994 East Bengal 2–1 Air India FC1995 Oman Club 2–0 Sesa Sports Club1996 Salgaocar FC 1–0 Air India FC 1997 JCT FC 1–0 Churchill Brothers1998 Bengal Mumbai FC 3–0 Central Railway SC 1999 Salgaocar FC 1–0 Churchill Brothers2000–01 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 teams Performance by Indian teams 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 14 margin. The first Indian team to win this tournament was Bangalore Muslims, in 1937.

Statistics: Teams with at least 2 wins, (including joint wins) #ClubWinLast winRunners-upLast runners-up1Mohun Bagan AC142000–011019872East Bengal Club101994419883Hyderabad City Police 91963119434Mohammedan SC61987919915Dempo SC41986119896Bangalore Muslims31948219537Salgaocar SC3199911985

Performance by overseas teams Overseas teams had often been invited to participate in Rovers Cup. Winners Salahaddin FC (1982) Al-Jaish Army SC (1983) Oman Club (1995)

Runners-up Keamari Union (1954)

Rovers Cup

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