Goa Professional League
Encyclopedia
The Goa Professional League is the premier state level football league in Goa
. It is organised by the Goa Football Association.
The League continued under the aegis of the Conselho de Desportos till 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 there was no Senior League. The First Division League was considered Senior. The GFA introduced the Senior Division League in 1969-70, which was topmost of Division football. But the senior league was later 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 make it to the First Division League. While there are around 60 teams battling it out in the Third Division, of which two teams are fortunate enough to make it to the next stage. Subsequently, the teams finishing at the bottom of their respective pool, are relegated to other divisions.
In 1977 the Goa Football Association introduced the Super League in the season of 1977-78, with Salgaocar Sports Club clinching the title. With football, globally, continuing to develop at a fast pace, the Goa Football Association, decided it was time to push the game onto a higher platform. Goa emerged as the first State ever in the country, to go professional with the game and till date it remains the only State in the country, where the status of the game is professional.
The first Professional League was launched in the 1998-99 season. The five top teams of the 1997-98 Super League - Churchill Brothers SC, Salgaocar SC, Dempo SC, Vasco SC and VLM SC - automatically qualified for the Pro League.
The Professional league was expanded to six teams from the 2000-2001 season, after the GFA thought it wise to increase the number and increase the competitiveness factor, and since 2002 the league was played as an eight team league with home-and-away fixtures making it 14 matches for each club. The GFA announced that the 2011 season will be played with 10 teams under a new format.
Super League
Goa Professional League
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
. It is organised by the Goa Football Association.
History
The official league in Goa, called the First Division began in 1951 and it was organised by the Conselho de Desportos. There was no Super League. The first League champion of Goa was Clube Desportivo de Chinchinim who beat Football Club of Siolim, to clinch the title.The League continued under the aegis of the Conselho de Desportos till 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 there was no Senior League. The First Division League was considered Senior. The GFA introduced the Senior Division League in 1969-70, which was topmost of Division football. But the senior league was later 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
Bardez
Bardez is the name of a region and taluka in North Goa. The name is credited to the Brahmin immigrants who migrated to the Konkan via Magadha in Gangetic India from Aryavarta, in the north-western part of the Indian sub-continent. Bardez or more properly Bara desh means "twelve countries"...
the South Zone accommodated teams from Mormugao
Mormugao
Mormugao or Marmagao is a city and a municipal council in South Goa district in the Indian state of Goa. It is Goa’s main port. It was featured in the 1980 film The Sea Wolves and the Bollywood film Bhootnath....
and Salcete.
From the around 24 teams in the Second Division, just one make it to the First Division League. While there are around 60 teams battling it out in the Third Division, of which two teams are fortunate enough to make it to the next stage. Subsequently, the teams finishing at the bottom of their respective pool, are relegated to other divisions.
In 1977 the Goa Football Association introduced the Super League in the season of 1977-78, with Salgaocar Sports Club clinching the title. With football, globally, continuing to develop at a fast pace, the Goa Football Association, decided it was time to push the game onto a higher platform. Goa emerged as the first State ever in the country, to go professional with the game and till date it remains the only State in the country, where the status of the game is professional.
The first Professional League was launched in the 1998-99 season. The five top teams of the 1997-98 Super League - Churchill Brothers SC, Salgaocar SC, Dempo SC, Vasco SC and VLM SC - automatically qualified for the Pro League.
The Professional league was expanded to six teams from the 2000-2001 season, after the GFA thought it wise to increase the number and increase the competitiveness factor, and since 2002 the league was played as an eight team league with home-and-away fixtures making it 14 matches for each club. The GFA announced that the 2011 season will be played with 10 teams under a new format.
List of Champions
First Division League| Season | Champions |
|---|---|
| 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 |
Super League
| Season | Champion |
|---|---|
| 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
| Season | Champion |
|---|---|
| 1998 | Salgaocar Sports Club |
| 1999 | Churchill Brothers SC |
| 2000 | Churchill Brothers SC |
| 2001 | Churchill Brothers SC |
| 2002 | Salgaocar Sports Club |
| 2003 | Salgaocar Sports Club |
| 2004 | Salgaocar Sports Club |
| 2005 | Dempo Sports Club |
| 2006 | Sporting Clube de Goa |
| 2007 | Dempo Sports Club |
| 2008 | Churchill Brothers SC |
| 2009 | Dempo Sports Club |
| 2010 | Dempo Sports Club |
Most titles
| Season | Champion |
|---|---|
| 18 | Salgaocar Sports Club |
| 13 | Dempo Sports Club |
| 7 | Churchill Brothers SC |
| 6 | Vasco Sports Club |
| 2 | Associacao Desportiva de Velha Goa |
| 2 | MRF Sports Foundation |
| 2 | Sesa Goa Sports Club |
| 2 | Sporting Clube de Goa |
| 1 | Clube Desportivo Chinchinim |
| 1 | Clube Independente de Margao |
| 1 | Grupo Desportivo da Policia |