Mumbai, the land of dreams, is a city which is famous for fulfilling ambitions. Each year, thousands of graduates, job seekers, and many others enter the city to live their dreams. Similarly, sport is a famous affair in Bombay. The beautiful game of football has a great affection amongst the Mumbaikars!
With the influx of several corporate investments and a growing sporting ecosystem in and around India, Mumbai is considered to be the Sporting hub of the country. Apart from the Industrial revolution in sports, Mumbaikars are very keen when it comes to any sport. Football is a traditional game in Mumbai. The Mumbai District Football Association (MDFA) is the authorized league consisting of 5 divisions. It is registered under the Western India Football Association (WIFA). The governing body of football in Maharashtra.
THE ROVERS CUP!
Today, we want to relive the golden years when the second oldest tournament in India was started. The Rovers Cup was started in 1891 and was always held in Mumbai. The Rovers Cup alongside the glorious Durand Cup and IFA Shield were the major tournaments in India. All these major tournaments helped to establish football in the country. As was the ongoing trend back then, some of the Britishers took the initiative of starting the Rovers Cup. It was mostly for their own amusement. The First Worcester Regiment was the first team to carve their name into the trophy in 1891. During the initial years, only the Britisher used to contest.
In 1902, the Bombay Football Association (BFA) was inaugurated. They conducted a league tournament. Colonel Harwood, the president of BFA back at that time, donated the trophy. In 1911, the two bodies - the BFA and the old Rovers Cup committee came together. These two organizations formed the Western India Football Association (WIFA). The Rovers Cup was always held in Cooperage Stadium ever since then, except from 1980-83.
The first Indian outfit to be invited in the Rovers cup were the national club of India, Mohun Bagan in 1923. The glamorous club from Kolkata had bedazzled spectators in the Durand Cup the previous year and football fans in the city were yearning to see the men play. As per their expectations, Mohun Bagan played robust football. The team played an attractive, attacking football and were the first civilian team to reach the finals. Although, they lost to the title holders Durham Light Infantry by a margin of 4-1. Mohun Bagan’s success and prodigious fan following insisted the committee members invite teams from all across the country.
Until 1936, the Britishers were at sway. The first taste of success by the Indians came in 1937. The Bangalore Muslims became the first Indian outfit to win this prestigious tournament. In an all India final, they overcame Mohammedan SC by a scoreline of 1-0.
In 1938, they retained the trophy and went on to become the first civilian team to beat the British regimental side in the Rovers Cup final. They defeated the Argyll and Scottish Highlanders by a scoreline of 3-2.
The Goan clubs entered the tournament after 1961. But they soon came into limelight. Vasco Club was the first team from Goa to reach the final, and Dempo the first to lift the trophy. In 1974, Dempo defeated the local outfit Tata 2-1 in the final. The Goa-based teams were recognized by a colossal fanbase. Mostly because many of them had come to work in Mumbai.
By 1930, the Rovers Cup became the most important sports event in the city. The Rovers Cup reflected the cosmopolitan nature of the city- the supporters in the stands comprised of fans Dhobi Talao in Goa, Bengali diamond -cutters from Princess Street, the Parsis from Wadia Baugh and Bandra, the Kannadiga hotel and restaurant workers from south Mumbai and the migrants from Punjab, the North East and Kerala. Due to the huge demand, duplicate tickets were sold in the black market outside the Cooperage.
However, ever since the start of the NFL, the Rovers Cup alongside the Durand started to face problems. With huge costs and sponsorship deals issues, the tournament was stopped in 2000!
