The Delhi Football League is a ladder-based football competition in the Indian union territory of Delhi, organised by the Delhi Soccer Association (DSA) as part of the state leagues. Delhi Premier League is the top division, started in 1948 as the DSA Senior Division.
History The first parent body of Delhi football was formed in 1926, with professor Mohammed Zubair Qureishi as secretary. There was no proper local league but the clubs used to participate in private tournaments organised by sport enthusiasts. Due to the violence and upheaval caused by the Partition of India, the Delhi League was suspended after 1946. It resumed in 1948 and the oldest club in the capital Young Men has won it that year. From 1948 onwards, the Delhi League took a particular shape. It had three divisions. The top 10 teams played in the A division, on a double-leg basis, with all matches being held at the Ambedkar Stadium, earlier known as the Delhi Gate Stadium. The B and C division matches took place at either the nearby Crescent Ground or the President's Estate Ground. Except for transport allowance, kit and refreshment, there was no payment to the players. However, club officials would strive to get their top players jobs in leading public sector concerns like Delhi Audit, Northern Railway, State Bank of India, Central Secretariat Service, Delhi Electric Supply Undertaking (DESU), Food Corporation of India (FCI) and so on. A competitive institutional league was also held annually.
Structure Delhi Football LeagueTierDivision1(5 on Indian football pyramid)Delhi Premier League↑promote (to I-League 3) ↓relegate2(6 on Indian football pyramid)DSA Senior Division League↑promote ↓relegate3(7 on Indian football Football pyramid)DSA A-Division League↑promote↓relegate4(8 on Indian football Football pyramid)DSA B-Division League↑promote↓relegate5(9 on Indian football pyramid)DSA C-Division League↑promote
Delhi Premier League
Delhi Premier League, previously known as Football Delhi Senior Division League (FD Senior Division) and DSA Senior Division, is the top state-level football league in Delhi and level 5 of Indian football league system. It is also the highest level inter-city league played in the capital. Competition is conducted by Delhi Soccer Association, official governing body of Delhi region under AIFF. Most players from this league are selected to represent Delhi for Santosh Trophy.
Clubs Eleven clubs competed in the first edition.
ClubsVenuesDelhi FC Hindustan FCRoyal Rangers FCFriends United FCGarhwal Heroes FCTarun Sangha FCRangers SCSudeva Delhi FCUttarakhand FCAmity Indian National FCIndian Air Force Vatika FC
Champions SeasonChampionsRunners-upNote 2022–23 Vatika Delhi Garhwal Heroes Royal Rangers 2024–25 CISF Protectors Garhwal Heroes
Delhi Senior Division League
Delhi Senior Division League is the second tier of Delhi Football League system. ClubsVenuesAhbab FCM2M FCRangers SCUnited Bharat FCWarriors FCYoung Boys FCJaguar FCAjmal FCGarhwal United FCJuba Sangha FCIndian Air ForceFrontier FCThe Dream Team
Champions SeasonChampionsRunners-upNote2024–25Noida City FC -2025–26Juba Sangha FCIndian Air Force
Delhi A-Division League
Delhi A-Division League is the third tier of Delhi Football League system.
Delhi B-Division League
Delhi B-Division League is the fourth tier of Delhi Football League system.
Delhi C-Division League
Delhi C-Division League is the fifth tier of Delhi Football League system.
Champions of the top-most division The Delhi League was started in 1948, but has not been finished on some occasions. From 1985, a new format, Super League (two groups followed by knock-out semifinals and final), was adopted.
YearWinnerRunners-upNote1948Youngmen SCData not available1949Raisina Sporting1950Simla Youngs1951Youngmen SC1952Simla Youngs1953New Delhi Heroes1954195519561957Youngmen SC1958New Delhi Heroes19591960City Club1961Raisina Sporting19621963City Club19641965Youngmen SC1966President's Estate19671969Youngmen SC1971Indian Air Force1972Simla Youngs19731975Indian Air Force1976Simla Youngs1985Moonlight FCSimla Youngs1986Garhwal HeroesYoungsters FC1987NoneUnfinished1988Shastri FC and Moonlight FCJoint winners19891990Moonlight FC1991Students ClubSimla Youngs1992Shastri FCSpecial Area Games1993South India FCSimla Youngs1994Shastri FCIndian National FC1995Mughals SCShastri FC1996Shastri FCHindustan1997City ClubIndian Air Force1998Indian Air ForceHindustan1999Indian National FCShastri FC2000Hindustan2001–02HindustanIndian National FC2002Indian Air ForceHindustan2003Tarun Sangha FC2004Indian Air Force2005Simla YoungsHindustan2006–07Indian Air ForceIndian National FC2007–08New Delhi Heroes2008–09Indian National FCHindustan2009Hindustan and Indian National FCJoint winners2011–12Delhi UnitedShahadra FC2013Garhwal HeroesGoodwill FC2013–14Indian National FCGarhwal Heroes2018Indian Air Force2019Garhwal HeroesIndian Air Force2020Not helddue to COVID-19 pandemic2021Indian Air ForceDelhi2021–22DelhiHindustanVatika FCDelhi2023–24Garhwal HeroesRoyal Rangers FC2024–25CISF ProtectorsGarhwal Heroes
See also Delhi Soccer Association SC Delhi
References
External links (Football Delhi official)