Misplaced Pages

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. It was formed in 1951 as the Goa Primeira Divisão or Goa First Division, 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. Dempo is the most successful club in the tournament, with sixtteen titles.

History

Goa Primeira Divisão / Goa First Division

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.

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

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

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

Goa Pro League

Goa Pro League

Country	India
Level on pyramid	5
Promotion to	I-League 3
Relegation to	GFA First Division
Current champions	Dempo 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

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

List of Goan champions

GPL top scorers

Season	Top scorer	Club	Goals
2011	Koko Sakibo Victorino Fernandes	Dempo S.C. Sporting Clube de Goa	6
2012–13	Juanfri	Sporting Clube de Goa	3
2013–14	Melwin Fernandes	Wilred Leisure	13
2014–15	Victorino Fernandes	Sporting Clube de Goa	11
2015–16	Odafa Okolie	Sporting Clube de Goa	11
2016–17	Liston Colaco	Salgaocar F.C.	13
2017–18	Joel Sunday	Salgaocar F.C.	20
2018–19	Devendra Murgaonkar	Salgaocar F.C.	20
2019–20	Marcus Masceranhas	Sporting Clube de Goa	14
2020–21	Marcus Masceranhas	Sporting Clube de Goa	9

First Division League

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

Sources

• Goa Football Website Archived 22 August 2018 at the Wayback Machine
• First Division Scores
• First Division League News

See also

• Bandodkar Trophy
• Goa Police Cup

References

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

• Das, Shibashis (7 March 2022). "I-League 2: Looking back at when Dempo SC dominated Indian Football". footballexpress.in. Goa: Football Express India. Archived from the original on 22 July 2023. Retrieved 7 March 2022.

External links

• Goa Football League on Facebook

v t e Football in India
All India Football Federation State Football Associations
National teams	Men India U-23 U-20 U-17 Women India U-20 U-17 Others Beach soccer Futsal Men Women
League system	Men Indian Super League I-League I-League 2 I-League 3 Futsal Club Championship Women Indian Women's League Indian Women's League 2 State State Leagues Men Women Youth Youth League Reliance Foundation Development League
Cup competitions	International Intercontinental Cup Tri-Nation Series Gold Cup Club Super Cup Durand Cup others State (Senior) Santosh Trophy Women's Championship National Games Beach Soccer Championship State (Youth) B.C. Roy Trophy Mir Iqbal Hussain Trophy Junior Girl's NFC Sub–Junior Girl's NFC Subroto Cup JSW Youth Cup
Defunct competitions	Leagues National Football League National Football League 2nd Division National Football League 3rd Division National Football League U19 Cups Federation Cup Nehru Cup Indian Super Cup others
Sports complexes	AIFF National Center of Excellence
History Champions Men Women Clubs Stadiums Asian competition Women's football Awards

v t e State of Goa
History	History of Goa Bhojas of Goa Kadambas of Goa Goa Inquisition Portuguese conquest Portuguese rule Liberation movement Indian annexation 1967 status referendum
Government	Chief Ministers Legislative Assembly State seal Political parties Goa Police Fire and Emergency Services Goa civil code
Geography	Dudhsagar Falls Sonsogor Western Ghats Rivers
Districts	North Goa South Goa
Talukas	Bardez Bicholim Canacona Dharbandora Mormugao Pernem Ponda Quepem Salcete Sanguem Sattari Tiswadi
Cities	Panjim Margao Vasco da Gama Mapusa Ponda Old Goa
Heritage sites	Churches and Convents of Goa Basilica of Bom Jesus Church and Convent of St. Francis of Assisi Church of Our Lady of the Rosary Church of St. Augustine Se Cathedral St. Cajetan Church Old Goa Fontainhas Mahadev Temple Mangueshi Temple Shanta Durga Temple
Wildlife sanctuaries	Mollem Netravali Mahadayi Cotigao Bondla Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary Flora and fauna
Education	Goa University Colleges Schools
Science	Goans in science National Institute of Oceanography National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research
Culture	Comunidades Cuisine Goans Konkani people Konkani cinema Konkani language Literature Media Music Shigmo Zatra Goans in sports Tiatr
Sports	Teams Goa football team Goa cricket team Churchill Brothers S.C. Dempo S.C. Salgaocar F.C. Sesa Football Academy Sporting Clube de Goa Vasco S.C. FC Goa Stadia Fatorda Stadium Tilak Maidan Stadium Dr. Rajendra Prasad Stadium Competitions Goa Football League
Transport	Dabolim Airport Manohar Airport Kadamba Transport Corporation Konkan Railway Mormugao Port Trust
Category Wikiproject

• Regional Football leagues in India
• Goa Football League
• Football in Goa
• 1951 establishments in Portuguese India
• Recurring sporting events established in 1951