Mohammedan Sporting Club Adds a Gloomy 'First' to Its Glittering Past

Mohammedan Sporting's football history had added a sad chapter. The 123-year-old club, that represented the sporting passion of its millions of soccer fans across India, will be out of action indefinitely after club officials decided to discontinue football activities last week. The club said it did not have the funds to run its operations. (Read: Full story here | Video)

Mohammedan Sporting have a brilliant history. Even last year, they won the Durand Cup and the IFA Shield, two of the oldest football tournaments in the world.

Mohammedan Sporting's top 10 glittering spots are as follows:

1. Mohammedan Sporting became the first Indian team to win the Calcutta Football League in the Pre-Independence era in 1934 and repeated the feat of becoming again the first Indian side to win the same in the Post-independence era in 1948.

2. Mohammedan Sporting became the first Indian team to win the Calcutta Football League five years in-a-row from 1934-38.

3. Mohammedan Sporting is the only Indian team to win the Calcutta League in the very first year of its promotion in 1934. Overall they won the League 11 times.

4. They became the first Indian team to win Durand Cup when it was held in Delhi for the first time in 1940.

5. They became the first Indian team to win the Rovers Cup in 1940 without conceding a goal.

6. Mohammedan Sporting is the first Indian team to win a trophy overseas when they won the Aga Khan Gold Cup in Dhaka in 1960. They beat Indonesian club Makassar 4-1 in the final.

7. They were the first Indian team to score 100 goals in one season when they scored 110 goals in 1941.

8. Mohammedan Sporting was the only Indian club to reach the semi-final of the Nehru Club Cup in 1990, the only international club tourney held in the country.

9. Indian Test captain Sourav Ganguly played for them in their Jubilee Cup tournament in 2010.

10. The Prince of Nepal was the first Hindu player to don Mohammedan Sporting colours in 1943.

Trophies Won

Calcutta League - 11 times

IFA Shield - 6 times

Durand Cup - Twice

Rovers Cup - 6 times

Federation Cup - Twice

Aga Khan Gold Cup (Dhaka) - Once

(With inputs from football historian Gautam Roy)