Rovers Cup

The Rovers Cup was an annual football tournament held in India, organized by the Western India Football Association. It was the second oldest tournament in India after Durand Cup.

Rovers Cup
Organising bodyWestern India Football Association (WIFA)[1]
Founded1890 (1890)
Abolished2001 (2001)
Region India
Last championsMohun Bagan AC (14th title)
Most successful club(s)Mohun Bagan AC (14 titles)[2]

History
2nd Battalion, Middlesex Regiment winning the Rovers Cup in 1926

The championship was started by some British football enthusiasts at Bombay, Maharashtra in 1890, as a form of amusement. The First Worcester Regiment was the first team to win the title. The championship was last time held in the 2000–01 season, when Mohun Bagan AC beat Churchill Brothers SC by 2–0 in the final.

After the inception of the National Football League, the Rovers Cup started facing problems. With huge costs and sponsorship deals issues, the tournament was finally stopped in 2001. The WIFA is making efforts to revive the tournament.[3]

Results
Year Winners Score Runners-up Notes
1890 1st Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment 2–0 Band & Drums of the Worcestershire Regiment
1891 1st Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment 1–0 2nd Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers
1892 1st Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment 4–1 Bombay Rovers Club
1893 2nd Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers –
1894 2nd Battalion, Royal Scots – 1st Battalion, Loyal North Lancashire Regiment
1895 2nd Battalion, Royal Scots 3–0 2nd Battalion, Welsh Regiment
1896 2nd Battalion, Durham Light Infantry –
1897 2nd Battalion, Middlesex Regiment 1–0 2nd Battalion, Durham Light Infantry
1898 2nd Battalion, Highland Light Infantry –
1899 2nd Battalion, Royal Irish Regiment 3–0 1st Battalion, Royal Fusiliers
1900 1st Battalion, Black Watch 2–1 1st Battalion, Shropshire Light Infantry
1901 1st Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles 1–0 2nd Battalion, Oxfordshire Light Infantry
1902 1st Battalion, Cheshire Regiment 1–0 1st Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment
1903 1st Battalion, Cheshire Regiment 3–0 2nd Battalion, Royal Scots
1904 1st Battalion, Cheshire Regiment 2–1 1st Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders
1905 1st Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders 1–0 1st Battalion, Cheshire Regiment
1906 2nd Battalion, Royal Scots 1–1, 0–0, 1–0 2nd Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment
1907 2nd Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment 3–0 6th Battalion, Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers)
1908 2nd Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment 1–0 2nd Battalion, Royal Scots
1909 2nd Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment 5–0 1st Battalion, King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment)
1910 2nd Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment 1–0 1st Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment
1911 1st Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment 1–0 2nd Battalion, Loyal North Lancashire Regiment
1912 2nd Battalion, Dorsetshire Regiment 0–0, 1–0 2nd Battalion, Royal Irish Regiment
1913 1st Battalion, Royal Scots 1–0 1st Battalion, Durham Light Infantry
1914–20 Tournament not held, due to World War I
1921 1st Battalion, Shropshire Light Infantry 1–0 1st Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
1922 2nd Battalion, Durham Light Infantry 3–1 1st Battalion, Shropshire Light Infantry
1923 2nd Battalion, Durham Light Infantry 4–1 Mohun Bagan
1924 2nd Battalion, Middlesex Regiment 0–0, 2–1 (a.e.t.) 1st Battalion, Royal Scots
1925 2nd Battalion, Middlesex Regiment 2–0 1st Battalion, North Staffordshire Regiment
1926 2nd Battalion, Middlesex Regiment 4–0 1st Battalion, Gordon Highlanders
1927 1st Battalion, Cheshire Regiment 4–1 2nd Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers
1928 2nd Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment 2–0 1st Brigade, Royal Field Artillery
1929 2nd Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment 4–0 2nd Battalion, Duke of Wellington's Regiment
1930 2nd Battalion, King's Own Scottish Borderers 2–0 2nd Battalion, Duke of Wellington's Regiment
1931 2nd Battalion, Royal West Kent Regiment 2–1 16th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery
1932 Royal Irish Fusiliers 3–1 2nd Battalion, Duke of Wellington's Regiment
1933 1st Battalion, King's Regiment (Liverpool) 1–1, 2–2, 1–0 2nd Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment
1934 2nd Battalion, Sherwood Foresters 6–1 2nd Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment
1935 1st Battalion, King's Regiment (Liverpool) 2–1 2nd Battalion, Durham Light Infantry
1936 1st Battalion, King's Regiment (Liverpool) 2–0 1st Battalion, Shropshire Light Infantry
1937 Bangalore Muslims FC 1–0 Mohammedan Sporting
1938 Bangalore Muslims FC 3–2 2nd Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
1939 28th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery 2–0 Howrah District XI
1940 Mohammedan Sporting 1–0 Bangalore Muslims FC
1941 2nd Battalion, Welch Regiment 2–0 Mohammedan Sporting
1942 Bata Sports Club 3–1 Western India Automobile Association Staff
1943 Royal Air Force 5–0 Bombay City Police
1944 British Base Reinforcement Camp 3–1 Western India Automobile Association Staff
1945 Corps of Military Police 0–0, 3–1 Albert David XI (Calcutta)
1946 British Base Reinforcement Camp 2–1 Tata Sports Club
1947 Tournament abandoned when the stands collapsed during the quarterfinal 1
1948 Bangalore Muslims FC 1–0 Mohun Bagan
1949 East Bengal 3–0 East Indian Railway
1950 Hyderabad City Police 1–0 Aryan FC
1951 Hyderabad City Police 2–0 WIMCO (Western India Match Company, Madras)
1952 Hyderabad City Police 0–0, 1–0 Bombay Amateurs
1953 Hyderabad City Police 2–0 Bangalore Muslims FC
1954 Hyderabad City Police 2–1 Keamari Union (Karachi)
1955 Mohun Bagan 2–0 Mohammedan Sporting
1956 Mohammedan Sporting 3–1 Mohun Bagan
1957 Hyderabad City Police 3–0 Mohammedan Sporting
1958 Caltex Club (Bombay) 3–2 Mohammedan Sporting
1959–60 Mohammedan Sporting 0–0, 3–0 East Bengal
1960 Andhra Pradesh Police 1–0 (a.e.t.) East Bengal
1961–62 Elec. & Mech. Engineering Centre 1–0 Mohun Bagan
1962 Andhra Pradesh Police and East Bengal - (joint winners) 1–1, 1–1 2
1963–64 Andhra Pradesh Police 1–0 East Bengal
1964–65 Bengal Nagpur Railway 1–1, 1–0 Mohun Bagan
1965 Mafatlal Mills (Bombay) 1–0 Mohun Bagan
1966–67 Mohun Bagan 1–0 Vasco SC
1967 East Bengal 0–0, 2–0 Mohun Bagan
1968 Mohun Bagan 0–0, 3–0 Leader FC (Jalandhar)
1969 East Bengal 3–0 Mohun Bagan
1970–71 Mohun Bagan 0–0, 1–0 Mahindra United FC
1971–72 Mohun Bagan 1–0 Vasco SC
1972–73 Mohun Bagan and East Bengal - (joint winners) 0–0, 0–0 (a.e.t.) 3
1973–74 East Bengal 3–2 Tata Sports Club
1974–75 Dempo SC 0–1, 1–0 Tata Sports Club 4
1975–76 East Bengal 1–0 Mafatlal Group
1976 Mohun Bagan 0–0, 1–0 Mafatlal Group
1977 Mohun Bagan 0–0, 2–1 Tata Sports Club
1978–79 Dempo SC 2–1 Orkay Mills
1979–80 Dempo SC 2–0 JCT FC
1980 Mohammedan Sporting and East Bengal - (joint winners) 1–1 (a.e.t.) 5
1981 Mohun Bagan 2–0 Mohammedan Sporting
1982 Salahaddin FC 2–1 Mohammedan Sporting
1983 Al-Jaish Army SC 2–1 Mohammedan Sporting
1984 Mohammedan Sporting 1–0 JCT FC
1985 Mohun Bagan 2–0 Salgaocar FC
1986 Dempo SC 2–0 Mohun Bagan
1987 Mohammedan Sporting 2–0 Mohun Bagan
1988 Mohun Bagan 1–0 East Bengal
1989–90 Salgaocar FC 1–0 Dempo SC
1990 East Bengal 1–0 Mahindra United FC
1991 Mohun Bagan 1–0 Mohammedan Sporting
1992 Mohun Bagan 2–0 JCT FC
1993 Mahindra United FC 0–0 (3–0 p) Bank of India (Mumbai) 6
1994 East Bengal 2–1 Air India FC
1995 Oman Club 2–0 Sesa Sports Club
1996 Salgaocar FC 1–0 Air India FC
1997 JCT FC 1–0 Churchill Brothers
1998 Bengal Mumbai FC 3–0 Central Railway SC
1999 Salgaocar FC 1–0 Churchill Brothers [4]
2000–01 Mohun Bagan 2–0 Churchill Brothers

Notes:

1. ^ The tournament was abandoned when the stands collapsed during the quarterfinal between Mohun Bagan and 1st Bn, South Staffordshire Regiment
2. ^ Joint winners after replay
3. ^ Joint winners after replay
4. ^ Replay after first match was abandoned at 84', with the score at 0–1, as Dempo refused to continue after having a goal disallowed
5. ^ Joint winners
6. ^ Penalty shootout

Performance by teams

Performance by Indian teams

During its initial years, only British teams contested in the tournament. Mohun Bagan AC was the first Indian team to participate in this tournament on invitation in 1923, but they lost in the finals to Durham Light Infantry by 1–4 margin. The first Indian team to win this tournament was Bangalore Muslims, in 1937.[5]

Statistics: Teams with at least 2 wins, (including joint wins)[5]

# Club Wins Last Win Runners-up Last Runners-up
1 Mohun Bagan AC 14 2000-01 10 1987
2 East Bengal Club 10 1994 4 1988
3 Hyderabad City Police 9 1963 1 1943
4 Mohammedan SC 6 1987 9 1991
5 Dempo SC 4 1986 1 1989
6 Bangalore Muslims 3 1948 2 1953
7 Salgaocar SC 3 1999 1 1985

Performance by overseas teams

Overseas teams had often been invited to participate in Rovers Cup.

Winners

Runners-up
  • Kemari Union FC (1954)

See also

References
  1. Chittu Shetty (11 August 2019). "Why this would be the right time to bring back 'Rovers Cup'". footballcounter.com. Football Counter. Archived from the original on 27 June 2021. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  2. "Mohun Bagan Trophy room". themohunbaganac.com. Mohun Bagan Athletic Club. Archived from the original on 26 January 2022. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  3. WIFA making attempt to revive Rovers Cup
  4. Chaudhuri, Arunava. "99th "Bristol" Rovers Cup 1999:". indianfootball.de. Indian Football Network. Archived from the original on 16 March 2002. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  5. "India - List of Rovers Cup Finals". www.rsssf.com. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
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