| Organising body | Indian Football Association (West Bengal) |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1893 |
| Region |  India (primarily West Bengal) |
| Number of teams | Varies |
| Current champions | Real Kashmir (1st title) |
| Most successful club(s) | East Bengal (29 titles) |
| Television broadcasters | Kolkata TV S Events IFA TV (YouTube) |
| Website | IFA |
 2020 IFA Shield | |
The IFA Shield is an annual football competition organized by the Indian Football Association. The IFA is the governing body of football in the state of West Bengal, came into existence in 1893. Named after the association, the IFA Shield tournament was started in the same year. It is second oldest football tournament in India only after Durand Cup and the fourth oldest football competition in the world.
During the initial years of the competition, the IFA Shield was dominated by British Army teams and the Royal Irish Rifles defeated W.D.R.A. to lift the first IFA Shield in 1893. However, their stranglehold over the Shield was broken in 1911, when Mohun Bagan AC became the first all-Indian side to win the IFA Shield by defeating East Yorkshire Regiment by 2-1. That was a historic moment for Indian football as well the struggle for independence, as the natives beat the Englishmen in their own game. While the Royal Irish Rifles remains the most successful British Army side with 5 titles, East Bengal Club has won the IFA Shield a record 29 times.
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The first all-Indian side to lift the IFA Shield
From 2015 to 2018 the IFA Shield was designed as an youth tournament wherin youth teams of all divisions were allowed to participate.[1] The decision was taken by IFA due to busy schedule of AIFF which includes Indian Super League, I-League and Super Cup. In 2020, the tournament was once again organised as a senior event.[2]
Results of IFA Shield
| Year | Winner | Score | Runner-up | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Real Kashmir | 2–1 | George Telegraph | |
| 2019 | 1 | |||
| 2018 | East Bengal U19 | 1-1;4-2 (pen) | Mohun Bagan U19 | 9 |
| 2017 | FC Pune City U19 | 3–0 | Mohun Bagan U19 | 9 |
| 2016 | Tata Football Academy | 3–2 (a.e.t.) | AIFF U19 | 9 [3] |
| 2015 | United Sports Club U19 | 2–1 | East Bengal U19 | 9 |
| 2014 | Mohammedan Sporting | 1-1;4-3 (pen) |  Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi | |
| 2013 | Prayag United | 1-0 | East Bengal | |
| 2012 | East Bengal | 4-2 | Prayag United | |
| 2011 | Churchill Brothers | 2-1 | Mohun Bagan | |
| 2010 | 1 | |||
| 2009 | Churchill Brothers | 2-0 | Mohun Bagan | |
| 2008 | Mahindra United | 3–1 |  Santos FC | |
| 2007 | 1 | |||
| 2006 | Mahindra United | 1–0 | Mohun Bagan | |
| 2005 |  FC Bayern Munich II | 5–1 | Eveready | |
| 2004 | .svg.png){kind=small} Myanmar F.R F.C | 0–0; 1–1; 4–2(pen) | Mohun Bagan | |
| 2003 | Mohun Bagan | 0–0; 5–3(pen) | East Bengal | |
| 2002 | East Bengal | 0–0; 5–4(pen) | Churchill Brothers | |
| 2001 | East Bengal | 0–1 |  Palmeiras B | 3 6 |
| 2000 | East Bengal | 1–1; 4–1(pen) | Mohun Bagan | |
| 1999 | Mohun Bagan | 1–0 | Tollygunge Agragami | |
| 1998 | Mohun Bagan | 2–1 | East Bengal | |
| 1997 | East Bengal | 3–2 | FC Kochin | |
| 1996 | JCT MIlls | 1–0 | .svg.png){kind=small} Karkh Club | |
| 1995 | East Bengal | 1–1; 3–1(pen) | Dhaka Mohammedan Sporting | |
| 1994 | East Bengal | 2–1 | Mohun Bagan | |
| 1993 |  FC Pakhtakor Tashkent | 1–1; 5–4(pen) |  FC Irtysh Pavlodar | |
| 1992 | 1 | |||
| 1991 | East Bengal | 3–1 | Army XI | |
| 1990 | East Bengal | 1–0 | Mohammedan Sporting | 4 |
| 1989 | Mohun Bagan | 1–0 | Tata Football Academy | |
| 1988 | 1 | |||
| 1987 | Mohun Bagan | 1–0 | Punjab Police | |
| 1986 | East Bengal | 0–0; 4–2(pen) | Mohun Bagan | |
| 1985 |  Peñarol | 1–0 |  Shakhtar Donetsk | |
| 1984 | East Bengal | 1–0 | Mohun Bagan | |
| 1983 | East Bengal | 0–0 | Aryan | 2 |
| 1982 | Mohun Bagan | 2–1 | Mohammedan Sporting | |
| 1981 | East Bengal | 2–2 | Mohun Bagan | 2 |
| 1980 | Tournament abandoned | |||
| 1979 | Mohun Bagan | 1–0 | East Bengal | |
| 1978 | Mohun Bagan | 2–2 | FC Ararat Yerevan | 2 |
| 1977 | Mohun Bagan | 1–0 | East Bengal | |
| 1976 | East Bengal | 0–0 | Mohun Bagan | 2 |
| 1975 | East Bengal | 5–0 | Mohun Bagan | |
| 1974 | East Bengal | 1–0 | Mohun Bagan | |
| 1973 | East Bengal | 3–1 |  Pyongyang City Sports Club | |
| 1972 | East Bengal | 0–0; 0–1 | Mohun Bagan | 5 |
| 1971 | Mohammedan Sporting | 2–0 | Tollygunge Agragami | |
| 1970 | East Bengal | 1–0 | .svg.png){kind=small} PAS Tehran | |
| 1969 | Mohun Bagan | 3–1 | East Bengal | |
| 1968 | Abandoned due to court injunction | |||
| 1967 | East Bengal | 0–0 | Mohun Bagan | 7 2 |
| 1966 | East Bengal | 1–0 | Bengal Nagpur Railway | |
| 1965 | East Bengal | 1-0 | Mohun Bagan | |
| 1964 | Mohun Bagan | 1–1 | East Bengal | 7 |
| 1963 | Bengal Nagpur Railway | 1–0 | Mohammedan Sporting | |
| 1962 | Mohun Bagan | 3–1 | Hyderabad XI | |
| 1961 | East Bengal | 0–0 | Mohun Bagan | 2 |
| 1960 | Mohun Bagan | 1–0 | Indian Navy | |
| 1959 | Abandoned due to dispute over date of finals | |||
| 1958 | East Bengal | 1–1; 1–0 | Mohun Bagan | |
| 1957 | Mohammedan Sporting | 1–0 (incomplete) | Railway Sports Club (Kolkata) | |
| 1956 | Mohun Bagan | 4–0 | Aryan | |
| 1955 | Rajasthan Club | 1–0 | Aryans Football Club | |
| 1954 | Mohun Bagan | 1–0 | Hyderabad Sporting | |
| 1953 | Indian Culture League | 0–0; 0–0 | East Bengal | |
| 1952 | Mohun Bagan | 0–0; 2–2 | Rajasthan Club | 3 |
| 1951 | East Bengal | 0–0; 2–0 | Mohun Bagan | |
| 1950 | East Bengal | 3–0 | SSCB | |
| 1949 | East Bengal | 2–0 | Mohun Bagan | |
| 1948 | Mohun Bagan | 1–1; 2–1 | Bhawanipore | |
| 1947 |  Mohun Bagan | 1–0 | East Bengal | |
| 1946 | 1 | |||
| 1945 | East Bengal | 1–0 | Mohun Bagan | |
| 1944 | Eastern Bengal Railway | 1–0 | East Bengal | |
| 1943 | East Bengal | 3–0 | Police AC | |
| 1942 | Mohammedan Sporting | 1–0 | East Bengal | |
| 1941 | Mohammedan Sporting | 2–0 |  King's Own Scottish Borderers | |
| 1940 | Aryans Football Club | 4–1 | Mohun Bagan | |
| 1939 | Police AC | 2–1 | Calcutta Customs | |
| 1938 | East Yorkshire Regiment | 1–1; 1–1; 2–0 | Mohammedan Sporting | |
| 1937 | 6th Fire Brigade | 4–1 | Police AC | |
| 1936 | Mohammedan Sporting | 0–0; 0–0; 2–1 | Calcutta FC | |
| 1935 | East Yorkshire Regiment | 1–0 | Royal Regiment | |
| 1934 | KRR | 2–1 | Durham Light Infantry | |
| 1933 | Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry | 2–1 | King's Royal Rifles | |
| 1932 | 2nd Battalion Essex Regiment | 2–1 | Seaforth Highlanders | |
| 1931 | Highland Light Infantry | 1–1; 2–1 | Durham Light Infantry | |
| 1930 | Seaforth Highlanders | 3–0 | Royal Regiment | |
| 1929 | 2nd Battalion Royal Ulster Rifles | 2–0 | Rangoon Customs | |
| 1928 | Sherwood Foresters | 2–0 | Dalhousie AC | |
| 1927 | Sherwood Foresters | 2–0 | Dalhousie AC | |
| 1926 | Sherwood Foresters | 5–1 | Cheshire Regiment | |
| 1925 | 2nd Battalion RS Fuliliers | 5–1 | Cheshire Regiment | |
| 1924 | Calcutta FC | 5–1 | 23 brigade REA | |
| 1923 | Calcutta FC | 3–0 | Mohun Bagan | |
| 1922 | Calcutta FC | 1–0 | Dalhousie AC | |
| 1921 | 3rd Battalion Brecknockshire | 3–1 | Calcutta FC | |
| 1920 | Black Watch | 2–0 | Kumartuli | |
| 1919 | 1st Battalion Brecknockshire | 3–1 | Calcutta FC | |
| 1918 | Training Reserve Battalion | 1–0 | Signal Service Depot | |
| 1917 | 10th Middlesex | 2–0 | Brecknockshire Regiment | |
| 1916 | North Staffordshire Regiment | 2–1 | Calcutta FC | |
| 1915 | Calcutta FC | 0–0; 3–0 | Calcutta Customs | |
| 1914 | King's Own Regiment | 1–0 | Calcutta FC | |
| 1913 | Royal Irish Rifles | 2–0 | 91st Highlanders | |
| 1912 | Royal Irish Rifles | 1–0 | Black Watch | |
| 1911 | Mohun Bagan | 2–1 | East Yorkshire Regiment | 8 |
| 1910 | Gordon Highlanders | 0–0; 3–0 | Calcutta FC | |
| 1909 | Gordon Highlanders | 0–0; 3–0 | Calcutta Customs | |
| 1908 | Gordon Highlanders | 2–0 | Calcutta Customs | |
| 1907 | Highland Light Infantry | 0–0; 1–0 | Calcutta FC | |
| 1906 | Calcutta FC | 1–0 | Highland Light Infantry | |
| 1905 | Dalhousie AC | 4–3 | Calcutta FC | |
| 1904 | Calcutta FC | 1–0 | King's Own Royal | |
| 1903 | Calcutta FC | 0–0; 1–1; 2–1 | King's Own Scottish Borderers | |
| 1902 | 93 Highlanders | 3–0 | Dalhousie AC | |
| 1901 | Royal Irish Rifles | 4–0 | Black Watch | |
| 1900 | Calcutta FC | 0–0; 6–0 | Dalhousie AC | |
| 1899 | South Lancashire Regiment | 2–0 | Barrackpore Artillery | |
| 1898 | Gloucestershire Regiment | 1–0 | 42nd Highlanders | |
| 1897 | Dalhousie AC | 4–0 | 31st Field Battalion | |
| 1896 | Calcutta FC | 3–0 | King's Shropshire Light Infantry | |
| 1895 | Royal Welch Fusiliers | 1–0 | King's Shropshire Light Infantry | |
| 1894 | Royal Irish Rifles | 2–0 | Rifle Brigade | |
| 1893 | Royal Irish Rifles | 1–0 | W.D.R.A. | |
Notes:
- 1. ^ Tournament not held.
- 2. ^ Joint winners.
- 3. ^ Abandoned.
- 4. ^ Abandoned midway as Mohammedan Sporting refused to continue.
- 5. ^ Abandoned due to rain during the replay. Mohun Bagan refused to play again and were scratched.
- 6. ^ Abandoned after 35 minutes as Palmeiras started a brawl on the pitch, match cancelled. Palmeiras have been scratched from the record books.[4]
- 7. ^ Final Abandoned.
- 8. ^ An all-Indian side wins the Shield for the 1st time
- 9. ^ Organised as an Under-19 tournament
Performance by Indian teams
Though the tournament was dominated by the British Army teams during its initial years, yet British Indian teams too participated representing India prior to the independence, but very few were an all-Indian side. Mohun Bagan AC was the first all-Indian side to win the tournament in 1911.
Top 10 Indian teams in IFA Shield
| No. | Team | Championships (Latest) | Runner-ups |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SC East Bengal | 29 (2018) | 12 |
| 2 | Mohun Bagan AC | 21 (2003) | 19 |
| 3 | Calcutta FC | 9 (1924) | 8 |
| 4 | Mohammedan SC | 6 (2014) | 4 |
| 5 | Dalhousie AC | 2 (1905) | 5 |
| 6 | Churchill Brothers SC | 2 (2011) | 1 |
| United SC | 2 (2015) | 1 | |
| 8 | Mahindra United FC | 2 (2008) | 0 |
| 9 | Aryan FC | 1 (1940) | 2 |
| Police AC | 1 (1939) | 2 |
Performance by Overseas teams
- Winners:
Club Atlético Peñarol (1985)
Pakhtakor Tashkent FK (1993).svg.png)
Finance and Revenue FC (2004)
FC Bayern Munich II (2005)
- Runners-up:
PAS Tehran FC (1970)
Pyongyang SC (1973)
FC Ararat Yerevan (1978)- FC Shakhtar Donetsk (1985)
Irtysh Pavlodar FK (1993)
Mohammedan SC (1995)
Al-Karkh Educational SC (1996)
Santos FC (2008)- Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club (2014)
Awards
Since the 123rd edition of the tournament, the awards for the Best Coach of the tournament, the Best Player of the tournament, the highest goalscorer of the tournament and Fair Play has been renamed in honour of India's football icons- P. K. Banerjee, Chuni Goswami and Krishanu Dey,[5][6] and renowned sports photojournalist- Ronojoy 'Ronny' Roy.[7]
P.K. Banerjee Memorial Award for the Best Coach
- 2020: Ranjan Bhattacharya (George Telegraph SC)
Chuni Goswami Memorial Award for the Best Player
- 2020: Mason Robertson (Real Kashmir FC)
Ronny Roy Fair Play Award
- 2020: Real Kashmir FC
Krishanu Dey Memorial Award
- 2020: Abegunrin Adefemi Lukman (Real Kashmir FC)- 5
Notes
References
- ^ "IFA Shield now U-19 tournament". Telegraph India. 10 January 2015. Retrieved 16 February 2016.
- ^ "IFA Shield set for return as senior event". The Indian Express. 12 November 2020. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
- ^ "IFA Shield: Tata Football Academy wins the 120th IFA Shield". 7 March 2016. Retrieved 14 March 2016.
- ^ Sengupta, Somnath (8 March 2011). "The Glorious History Of IFA Shield". Thehardtackle.com.
- ^ Mohamed, Farzan (3 December 2020). "IFA Shield 2020". www.sportskeeda.com. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
- ^ ""Krishanu Dey Memorable Highest Scorar Trophy" for 123RD IFA Shield 2020 । পিকে-চুনীর পর এবার IFA শিল্ডে কৃশানু দে-র নামে পুরস্কার". zeenews.india.com. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
- ^ "Shield's Fair Play trophy renamed in honour of Ronny Roy". aajkaal.in. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
External links
- India - List of IFA Shield Finals, rsssf.com
- The Glorious History Of IFA Shield By Somnath Sengupta, thehardtackle.com