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Goa Football League

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Goa Football League
Organising bodyGoa Football Association
Founded1951–1977 (as Goa Primeira Divisão or Goa First Division)
1977–1997 (as Goa Super Division)
1997–present (as Goa Professional League)
CountryIndia
Number of clubs13
Level on pyramid5–8
Promotion toVarious
Relegation toVarious
Domestic cup(s)Bandodkar Trophy[1]
League cup(s)Goa Police Cup
AWES Cup
GFA Charity Cup
Current championsDempo (16th title)
Most championshipsSalgaocar (22 titles)[2]
TV partnersFanCode
SportsCast India (YouTube)
Current: 2024–25

The Goa Football League is a ladder-based football competition in the Indian state of Goa, organised by the Goa Football Association as part of the state leagues.[3] It was formed in 1951 as the Goa Primeira Divisão or Goa First Division,[4] and the current top division consists of the Goa Professional League (abbreviated as GPL, also known as the CAM Goa Pro League for sponsorship reasons) which is the premier state-level football league in Goa.[5] Dempo is the most successful club in the tournament, with sixtteen titles.[6]

History

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Goa Primeira Divisão / Goa First Division

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The official league in Goa, called the Goa Primeira Divisão or Goa First Division, began in 1951 and was organised by the Conselho de Desportos. The first League champion of Goa was Clube Desportivo de Chinchinim who beat Football Club of Siolim, to clinch the title.[7]

League continued under the aegis of the Conselho de Desportos until the season of 1958–59, with Clube de Desportos de Vasco da Gama taking the title that year. In 1959, the Goa Football Association was established as the official administrative body of football and from that season onwards the league was conducted by GFA. The 1959–60 League was conducted by the GFA and Clube Independente de Margao emerged champions.

Until the 1968–69 season, the First division league was considered as senior. The GFA introduced Senior Division in 1969–70, which used to be the topmost division, but later was abandoned.

In 1970–71 season, apart from the Senior division league, there came into existence the First division league, which was split into two groups, namely the North Zone and South Zone. While the North Zone consisted of teams from Ilhas and Bardez, the South Zone accommodated teams from Mormugao and Salcete.

From the around 24 teams in the Second division, just one would make it to the First division, while there were around 60 teams battling it out in the Third division, of which two teams make it to the next stage. Subsequently, the teams finishing at the bottom of their respective pool are relegated to lower divisions.

Goa Super Division

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In 1977 Goa Football Association introduced the Super League, with Salgaocar Sports Club clinching the title. With football continuing to develop at a fast pace, GFA decided it was time to push the game onto a higher platform. Goa emerged as the first State ever in the country, to go fully professional with the game.

Goa Professional League

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The first Professional league was launched in the 1998–99 season. The five top teams of the 1997–98 Super League – Churchill Brothers, Salgaocar, Dempo, Vasco and VLM SC – automatically qualified for the Pro league.

The Professional league was expanded to six teams from the 2000–01 season, after the GFA increased the participating number and competitiveness factor. Since 2002 the league was played as an eight-team format with home-and-away fixtures, making it 14 matches for each club. The GFA then announced that the 2011 season would be played with 10 teams under a new format.

Competition structure

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Tier Division
1
(5 on Indian football pyramid)
Goa Professional League
2
(6 on Indian football pyramid)
GFA First Division League
3
(7 on Indian football pyramid)
GFA Second Division League
4
(8 on Indian football pyramid)
GFA Third Division League

Goa Pro League

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Goa Pro League
CountryIndia
Level on pyramid5
Promotion toI-League 3
Relegation toGFA First Division
Current championsDempo SC

The first Professional league was launched in the 1998–99 season. The five top teams of the 1997–98 Super League – Churchill Brothers, Salgaocar, Dempo, Vasco and VLM SC – automatically qualified for the Pro league.

The Professional league was expanded to six teams from the 2000–01 season, after the GFA increased the participating number and competitiveness factor. Since 2002 the league was played as an eight-team format with home-and-away fixtures, making it 14 matches for each club. The GFA then announced that the 2011 season would be played with 10 teams under a new format.

GPL current clubs

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The following clubs are competing in the GPL during the 2023–24 season.[8]

Club Location
Dempo Carambolim
Sporting Goa Panaji
Panjim FC
Young Boys of Tonca Caranzalem
FC Goa B Porvorim
Calangute Association Calangute
SESA FA Sanquelim
Geno Sports Club Mapusa
Vasco SC Vasco
Cortalim Villagers Cortalim
Pax of Nagoa SC Verna
Churchill Brothers Margao
Guardian Angel SC Curchorem

List of Goan champions

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Season Champion
Goa Primeira Divisão / Goa First Division
1951–52 Clube Desportivo Chinchinim
1952–53 Sporting Clube de Goa
1953–54 Clube de Desportos de Vasco da Gama
1954–55 Associacao Desportiva de Velha Goa
1955–56 Clube de Desportos de Vasco da Gama
1956–57 Associacao Desportiva de Velha Goa
1957–58 Grupo Desportivo da Policia
1958–59 Clube de Desportos de Vasco da Gama
1959–60 Clube Independente de Margao
1960–61 Clube Desportivo Salgaocar
1962–63 Salgaocar Sports Club
1963–64 Salgaocar Sports Club
1964–65 Vasco Sports Club
1965–66 Salgaocar Sports Club
1966–67 Vasco Sports Club
1967–68 Sesa Goa Sports Club
1968–69 Vasco Sports Club
1969–70 League Unfinished
1970–71 League Unfinished
1971–72 Dempo Sports Club
1972–73 Sesa Goa Sports Club
1973–74 Dempo Sports Club
1974–75 Salgaocar Sports Club
1975–76 not held due to national emergency
1976–77 not held due to national emergency
Goa Super League
1977–78 Salgaocar Sports Club
1978–79 Dempo Sports Club
1979–80 Dempo Sports Club
1980–81 Dempo Sports Club
1981–82 Salgaocar Sports Club
1982–83 Salgaocar Sports Club
1983–84 Dempo Sports Club
1984–85 Salgaocar Sports Club
1985–86 Salgaocar Sports Club
1986–87 Dempo Sports Club
1987–88 Dempo Sports Club
1988–89 Salgaocar Sports Club
1989–90 MRF Sports Foundation
1990–91 Salgaocar Sports Club
1991–92 MRF Sports Foundation
1992–93 Salgaocar Sports Club
1993–94 Dempo Sports Club
1994–95 Salgaocar Sports Club
1995–96 Churchill Brothers SC
1996–97 Churchill Brothers SC
1997–98 Churchill Brothers SC
Goa Professional League
1998 Salgaocar
1999 Churchill Brothers
2000 Churchill Brothers
2001 Churchill Brothers
2002 Salgaocar
2003 Salgaocar
2004 Salgaocar
2005 Dempo
2006 Sporting Goa
2007 Dempo
2008 Churchill Brothers
2009 Dempo
2010–11 Dempo
2011 Salgaocar
2011–12 Dempo
2012–13 Salgaocar
2013–14 Sporting Goa[9]
2014–15 Salgaocar
2015–16 Sporting Goa
2016–17 Salgaocar
2017–18 Sporting Goa
2018–19 FC Goa Reserves
2019–20 Sporting Goa and Churchill Brothers
2020–21 Sporting Goa
2021–22 Dempo
2022–23 Dempo
2023–24 Sporting Goa
Source: Goa League Champions

GPL top scorers

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Season Top scorer Club Goals
2011 Nigeria Koko Sakibo
India Victorino Fernandes
Dempo S.C.
Sporting Clube de Goa
6
2012–13 Spain Juanfri Sporting Clube de Goa 3
2013–14 India Melwin Fernandes Wilred Leisure 13
2014–15 India Victorino Fernandes Sporting Clube de Goa 11
2015–16 Nigeria Odafa Okolie Sporting Clube de Goa 11
2016–17 India Liston Colaco Salgaocar F.C. 13
2017–18

Nigeria Joel Sunday

Salgaocar F.C. 20
2018–19 India Devendra Murgaonkar Salgaocar F.C. 20
2019–20 India Marcus Masceranhas Sporting Clube de Goa 14
2020–21 India Marcus Masceranhas Sporting Clube de Goa 9

First Division League

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Goa First Division
Founded1970
CountryIndia
Number of clubs14
Level on pyramid6
Promotion toGoa Professional League
Relegation toGFA Second Division
Current championsDempo SC U21

The Goa Football Association First Division (First Division) is the second-highest state level football league in Goa, following the Goa Pro League. It is organised by the Goa Football Association. The champions of the First division get promoted to the GPL. It is contested by 14 clubs. As of 2023, there are 15 clubs playing the league, with each team playing a total number of 13 matches. It is usually played from March to May.

First Division clubs

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Club
CSM Minguel de Taleigao
Goa Police SC
Goa Velha SC
Salgaocar FC U21
Sesa FA
Dempo S.C. U21
UC Telaulim
Curtorim Gymkhana
YC Manora
Cuncolim Union
St Savio SC
AA de Moira
SSC Cavelossim
Dunes SC
BITS Goa FC

Sources

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Bhausaheb Bandodkar Memorial Trophy to kick off in May". O Heraldo. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
  2. ^ "India – List of Goa League Champions". RSSSF. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
  3. ^ Arunava Chaudhuri. "List of Champions of the Goa Football League (Goa Pro League)". indianfootball.de. Indian Football Network. Archived from the original on 21 October 2020. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  4. ^ Mergulhao, Marcus (5 January 2020). "Jogo Bonito: 60 years after Goa Football Association's formation, state's bond with game remains inseparable". The Times of India. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
  5. ^ Football in Goa: Sport, Politics and the Portuguese in India (pages 75-88) Taylor and Francis. Author: James Mills. Publication date: 14 September 2010 (online published) Retrieved 20 July 2021
  6. ^ "Dempo Sports Club – Trophies (page 1)". demposportsclub.com. Archived from the original on 3 February 2023."Dempo Sports Club – Trophies (page 2)". demposportsclub.com. Archived from the original on 27 April 2023.
  7. ^ Mergulhao, Marcus (15 July 2018). "Portugal wooed foreign teams to bind Goa". The Times of India. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
  8. ^ "Goa Pro League". The Away End. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
  9. ^ "Sporting Clube de Goa Champions of Airtel Goa Professional League 2013/14". sportingclubedegoa.wordpress.com. Sporting Clube de Goa. Archived from the original on 18 December 2013. Retrieved 5 October 2021.

Further reading

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