Mohun Bagan AC
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| Mohun Bagan AC | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Mohun Bagan Athletic Club | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Nickname(s) | Mariners | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Founded | 1889 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ground | Salt Lake Stadium (Yuva Bharati Krirangan), Mohun Bagan Ground (Capacity 120000, 30000) |
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| Manager | Karim Bencharifa (Morocco) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| League | I-League | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007-08 | 4th | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Mohun Bagan Athletic Club (Mohun Bagan AC) is a Sports Club, best known for its football team, based in the city of Kolkata, West Bengal, India. Mohun Bagan AC is one of the oldest football clubs in Asia, having been established on August 15, 1889 and was later declared as the National Club of India. The first President of this club was Bhupendra Nath Bose. Mohun Bagan club has a complete Football Academy in collaboration with Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) at Durgapur.
The football team has been hugely successful since its eastablishment, and has maintained its status as one of India's most successful club having won multiple times, trophies of national significance, like Federation Cup (India), Rovers Cup, Durand Cup, IFA Shield and National & Domestic League. Mohun Bagan was the first Indian team to defeat a European team, when the team defeated the East Yorkshire Regiment, 2-1 to lift the 1911 IFA Shield. Mohun Bagan has carried on an intense local rivalry with the East Bengal Club.
[edit] History
Mohun Bagan Sporting Club, as it was initially known, was founded on 15th August 1889. The club's first meeting was held at 14, Balaram Ghosh Street in Kolkata and included several high profile individuals including Bhupendra Nath Bose who was later to become the President of the Indian National Congress. The club's first secretary was Jatindranath Basu.
The club's first ground was at the famous marble palace, known as Mohun Bagan Villa. It was situated at Fariapukur Street, in northern Kolkata. Not sufficiently large enough as football field, it is believed that Mohun Bagan played their first ever match on this very ground against the students of Eden Hindu hostel. The club's membership requirements at this time stipulated that the management required students to join with permission from their parents, and special attention was given to etiquette and education. Shortly before the club's first anniversary, students of Presidency College, who were also the members of Mohun Bagan, invited their professor, the famous grammatologist Prof. F.J. Rhow to visit. Rhow pointed out that due to a lack of facilities for sports such as shooting and angling, the word 'Athletic' would be more appropriate. Thus, the club came to be known as "Mohun Bagan Athletic Club". The 2nd anniversary assembly was presided by Sir Thomas Holland who was later appointed as a member of Governor General Council.
In 1891, the benevolence of the Maharaja of Shyampukur, Durga Charan Laha saw the club's ground relocated to his grounds at Shyampukur. Later, with the assistance of Mr. Harry Lee, the chairman of Kolkata Corporation, the club's ground moved to Shyam Square which it now shared with the Aryans Club and Bagbazar Club. Mohun Bagan's first tournament was the Coochbehar Cup, which was held in 1893. Mohun Bagan's first opponent team was a European team, the 'C' Company of Sussex Regiment.
The first sport to be played is reported to be football, but other games were soon introduced to the club. This included hockey, tennis, badminton and athletics. Cricket was introduced to the club's schedule in the 1900s. The annual athletics event at the club is held with great pomp and show.
The biggest event in the club calendar is the Mohun Bagan Day. This is held on July 29, which is the day the football team lifted the IFA Shield for the first time in 1911 defeating the British. "Mohun Bagan is not a football team. It is an oppressed country, rolling in the dust, which has just started to rise its head" - said Achintya Kumar Sengupta in "Kallol Jug" magazine after the historic victory of 1911 IFA Shield. The prestigious Mohun Bagan Ratna award is given to former greats of the club at this event. The club has many famous players who have worn the prestigious Green & Maroon jersey. These players have not only successfully represented the team, but also the Indian national football team. A postage stamp was issued by the Government of India in 1989 during the club's centenary year to commemorate the 1911 victory of the team. The then Indian Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi honoured Mohun Bagan with the title as the "National Club of India" for boosting up the Indian Nationalism which occurred after this win. Mohun Bagan's fans are proud of the fact that this has been the only postage stamp created in India for a football club.
[edit] Match against Pele and Roger Milla
Though the standard of Indian football is not comparable with the standard of Europe or America , football is hugely popular in India, especially in Kolkata. So some world famous players played matches with Mohunbagan. Mohunbagan is the only club of India which got an opportunity to play against famous footballer like Pele (playing for New York Cosmos on 22nd September,1977) and that match resulted in a 2-2 draw. Roger Milla (playing for Diamond club, on 21st November, 1990) also played a match against Mohunbagan. Both the matches attracted a huge crowd.
[edit] The Farewell Match of Oliver Kahn
Oliver Kahn, the goalkeeper of Bayern Munich played his farewell match against Mohun Bagan on 27 May, 2008 at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata. The Star-packed Bayern Munich team, including stars like Oliver Kahn, Zé Roberto, Mark van Bommel and José Ernesto Sosa easily managed to win the match but Mohun Bagan, who were missing 5 of their star players (off for National duty) did not go down without a fight. The youngsters of Bagan earned much appreciation from the Bayern coach, Ottmar Hitzfeld. Ottmar Hitzfeld stated that Mohun Bagan played very well, infact better than the national team of Indonesia, and much beyond his expectations. He also praised some Bagan players like Pachau Lalampuia and Isfaq Ahmed for their excellent performance. The match was played in front of a record breaking 125,000 people leaving the German team awestruck.
[edit] FIFA Club Task Force
Mohun Bagan Athletic Club has been chosen among the top 11 clubs by FIFA to form an Elite Task Force for club football. As of September 2007, there are representatives from clubs like Bayern Munich, River Plate and Manchester United. This task force will work for the betterment of the club football. From India, only Swapan Sadhan Basu, Honorary President of Mohun Bagan Athletic Club is the representative at FIFA representing Mohun Bagan.[1]
[edit] The Mascot
The name of the mascot of Mohun Bagan is "Baggu" (means 'Tiger'). It is a lovely tiger in green and maroon jersey of the club. The mascot was inaugurated on the 29th of July, 2007. The theme song of the club is being prepared by Mr. Bappi Lahiri. Mohun Bagan is the first club of India to have a mascot and a theme song.
[edit] Fans
Right from the beginning there is a huge fan base of this club. Now Mohun Bagan's fans are seen almost everywhere in India. And there are some Mohun Bagan fan in other countries also. Generally about 40,000-50,000 supporters come to watch Mohun Bagan's derby matches in Salt Lake Stadium. In 2004, members and fans set up a fan society "Green and Maroon, a group of Mohun Bagan Supporters". This society played a crucial role in the club election in 2005, which took place after 12 years. Green and Maroon run the premere fansite www.MohunBaganClub.com. The society also given the charge to develop and maintain the official website of the club www.MohunBaganAC.com. Which they are doing successfully till date. In 2007 some young enthusiasts formed another fan club with the name [[Sabuj Maroon Swapno]]. Sabuj Maroon Swapno has taken the responsibility of the nursery football team of Mohun Bagan. There is an intense rivalry between Mohun Bagan fans and East Bengal fans also which can be noticed during the local derby matches.
[edit] Recipients of the Mohun Bagan Ratna award
- Dhiren Dey
- Sailen Manna
- Talimeran Ao
- Sibdas Bhaduri
- Gostha Pal
- Chuni Goswami
- Umapati Kumar
[edit] Current Roster
2008-2009 squad :
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[edit] Other famous players
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[edit] Honours
- National Football League (India) titles: 3 (joint most titles)
- Champions in: 1997 - 1998, 1999 - 2000, 2001 - 2002.
- Durand Cup (India) titles: 16 (joint most titles)
- Federation Cup (India) titles: 12 (most titles)
- Champions in: 1978, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1986, 1987, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1998, 2001,2006.
- Super Cup (India) titles: 1
- Champions in: 2006-07.
- Calcutta Football League /Kolkata Super Division League / Premere division league titles 27
- Champions in: 1944, 1951, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1959, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1969, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1997, 2001, 2005, 2007.
- IFA Shield titles: 22
- Rovers Cup titles: 14 (most titles)
[edit] Performance in AFC Competitions
- AFC Champions League: 1 appearance
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- 2002-03: Qualifying East - 3rd Round
- Asian Club Championship: 5 appearances
- AFC Cup: 1 appearance
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- 2007: Group Stage
- Asian Cup Winners Cup: 1 appearance
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- 1990/91: First Round
[edit] Milestiones and facts
1. Mohun Bagan is the only club whose two members became the Governor Of West Bengal.
2. Mohun Bagan is the first club of India which went overseas to play football and cricket both in the year 1940.
3. Mohun Bagan is the only club of India who had arranged a match where Pele participated on behalf of his club Cosmos. Alberto, the then captain of Brazil’s national team, showed his colour through his first goal — a dribble that dodged aside around five players.Mohun Bagan’s Shyam Thapa scored the equaliser and Habib sent the ball in the net to score the second goal maiking it 2-1 for Bagan. Pele scored for Cosmos through a penalty and the match was tied at 2 - 2.
4. Mohun Bagan has the record of wining all the trophies in Kolkata for football,cricket,hockey and tennis in the year 1969.
5. Mohun Bagan is the first club to win National Football League (India)(2001-02) and Federation Cup (2001) both in the same year.
6. ICICI Bank and Mohun Bagan has presented the ICICI Bank Mohun Bagan Credit Card. They are the third club in world to have launched a co-branded credit card in their name after Manchester United and Barcelona FC.
7. In three consecutive seasons,( 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08) Mohun Bagan won all the Kolkata league matches against their arch rival, East Bengal Club. These double-Hatrick( 2 wins in each season) is a record by itself between these two local giants.
8. Famous German football club Bayern Munich played a friendly match against Mohun Bagan at the Salt Lake Stedium on 27th May, 2008 during their Asia tour which will be the last professional match of famous goal-keeper Oliver Kahn. Other famous international footballers like Zé Roberto,Mark van Bommel,José Ernesto Sosa,Breno also played in that match.
[edit] General Information on Mohun Bagan Athletic Club
- Hometown: Kolkata, West Bengal
- Founded: 1889 (oldest club in Asia)
- Current sponsor: McDowell's (United Breweries Group)
- Ground: Mohun Bagan Ground, Maidan, Kolkata
- Capacity: 22,000
- I-League home ground: Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata
[edit] Stadium
The club plays most of his local matches in its own home ground, the Mohun Bagan Ground which is within the club premises. It is only stadium in the Maidan area of Kolkata to have concrete seats and flood-lights, built after being granted special permission from the Military. Efforts are being made to modernize the stadium and the club premises to give it a more professional look, but the required military permission is not yet granted.
As its I-League homeground, the club boasts of the enigmatic Yuva Bharati Krirangan, also known as Salt Lake Stadium, Asia's biggest composite stadium. The Salt Lake Stadium has seating arrangement for 120,000 people at a time.
[edit] External links
- Official web-site of Mohun Bagan Athletic Club
- Premier Mohun Bagan fan site
- Latest News/blogs on Mohun Bagan Athletic Club
- All the latest news on Mohun Bagan AC and Indian football
[edit] Notes
- ^ a Joint winners with East Bengal
- ^ Joint winners with Ararat Erevan
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