The Trades Cup (also known as the Trades Challenge Cup or IFA Trades Challenge Cup) was an Indian football tournament held in Kolkata and organised by Indian Football Association. Incorporated in 1889, it was the second-oldest football tournament in Asia and the oldest in Kolkata. It was the traditional curtain raiser for the Kolkata football season.
History The Trades Cup was instituted in 1889 by the trading community of Calcutta and was organised by the Dalhousie AC committee. It was the first open football tournament in India, where Indian, British, regimental and college clubs participated.
The first Indian club to win a match against a British team was Nagendra Prasad Sarbadhikari's Sovabazar Club. They won the opening match of the 1892 Trades Cup by defeating the East Surrey Regiment with the score of 2–1. The first Indian club to win the Trades Cup was the National Association who won the trophy in the 1900 edition. The Indian club from South Calcutta under the guidance of Manmatha Ganguly defeated the British side, Shibpur Engineering College on 11 August 1900 at the Shobhabazar Ground. Mohun Bagan completed a hat-trick of Trades Cup titles between 1906 and 1908, which enabled them to make their IFA Shield debut in 1909.
The Trades Cup was revived after not being held for 25 years in 2004 by the IFA. The tournament gives the Kolkata clubs outside the "Big Three" playing in the Premier and lower divisions the chance to field and organise their teams ahead of the start of their league season.
Results +List of Trades Cup FinalsYearWinnersScoreRunners-up1889Dalhousie2–1Howrah1890 The Buffs Regiment1891 2nd King's Liverpool Regiment1892 1st East Lancashire Regiment1893St Xavier's College1894Medical College1895Medical College (2)1896Shibpur Engineering College1897Apprentice Engineers' Recreation Club, Jamalpore1898Apprentice Engineers' Recreation Club, Jamalpore (2)1899Hastings FC1900National AssociationShibpur Engineering College1901Shibpur Engineering College (2)1902National Association (2)1903Medical College (3)1904Medical College (4)1905Shibpur Engineering College (3)1906Mohun Bagan 1907Mohun Bagan (2)3–2Dalhousie B 1908Mohun Bagan (3) 1909Wanderers1910Eastern India Railway, Asansol1911 Chandernagore FC1912National Association (3)1913Aryan1914Kumartuli1932Howrah Union1938Mohun Bagan (4)1939Mohun Bagan (5)1943Mohun Bagan (6)1944Mohun Bagan (7)1945Mohun Bagan (8)1949Mohun Bagan (9)1950Mohun Bagan (10)1960East Bengal1965Mohun Bagan (11)1966East Bengal (2)1975East Bengal (3)1976East Bengal (4)1977–2003Not held2004Calcutta2–1Eastern Railway2005Eastern RailwayWari2006Peerless0–0 United2007Chirag United3–1Eastern Railway2008West Bengal Police3–0SAIL2011Howrah Union (2)1–0Food Corporation of India2012Janbazar SC1–0Howrah Union2013Pathachakra FC1–0Milan Bithee FC2014Food Corporation of India5–1Mohammedan AC2015City AC2–1Barisha SC2016Calcutta Port Trust0–0 Wari2017City AC (2)2–1 BSS2018Howrah Union (3)Calcutta Police2019Dalhousie (2)2–1Howrah Union
See also
History of Indian football Football in Kolkata List of oldest football competitions
References
Further reading
Bibliography
Dutta, P. L., Memoir of 'Father of Indian Football' Nagendraprasad Sarbadhikary (Calcutta: N. P. Sarbadhikary Memorial Committee, 1944) (hereafter Memoir)
Ghosh, Saurindra Kumar. Krira Samrat Nagendraprasad Sarbadhikary 1869–1940 (Calcutta: N. P. Sarbadhikary Memorial Committee, 1963) (hereafter Krira Samrat).
Others
From recreation to competition: Early history of Indian football . pp. 124–141. Published online: 6 Aug 2006. Taylor & Francis. Retrieved 30 June 2021.