History of Mohun Bagan A.C.

The game of football was introduced in India by the Britishers in the mid-nineteenth century. It spread because of the efforts of Nagendra Prasad Sarbadhikari. In 1888 the Durand Cup was founded by then India's Foreign Secretary, Mortimer Durand at Simla, India. In 1893 the IFA Shield was started as Calcutta, then capital of British India, soon became the hub of Indian football.

Origin and early history (1889-1900)

During the late 1800s the Indian independence movement was well into its beginning and the widespread rebellion of the Indian nationalists fired the imagination of all the Indians in the country and to help the movement, three families Bose family (of Shyam Pukur), Mitra Family (of Faria Pukur) and the Sen Family (of Bagh Bazar) founded Mohun Bagan under the name Mohun Bagan Sporting Club on 15 August 1889.^[1] Mohun Bagan’s first president was the eminent lawyer Bhupendra Nath Bose, a member one of the three founding families. Bose was also an important player in the Indian revolutionary movement and would become the president of Indian National Congress in 1914.^[2] The first meeting of the club was presided by Bhupendra Nath Bose himself and was held in 14, Balaram Ghosh Street of North Kolkata. The meeting featured some of the most famous people from the cream of Bengali society, including names like Jyotindra Nath Basu, Sir Bhupendra Nath Mitra, Girin Basu, Roybahadur Chunilal Basu, Dr.Manindra Nath Basu, Durga Charan Laha (Maharaja of Shyam Pukur), Rajendra Bhup Bahadur (Maharaja of Coochbehar) and Sir Rajendra Nath Mukhopadhyay.^[3] Situated in Faria Pukur Street, "Mohun Bagan Villa" the famous marble palace owned by Kirti Mitra of the Mitra family, served as the first ground, also inspiring name of the newly formed club.

Mohun Bagan Sporting club played their first football match in Mohun Bagan Villa ground against Eden Hindu Hostel the team list read - Girin Basu, Pramatha Nath Chattopadhyay, Sachin Bandhyopadhyay, Ram Goswami, Sarat Mitra, Hem Nath Sen, Nalin Basu, Upen Ghosh, Manindra Nath Basu, Manilal Sen, Manomoham Pandey, Probhas Mitra. Manilal Sen, the first captain of Mohun Bagan's football team, was a member of the founding Sen family and was also an accomplished cricketer. For the one year anniversary celebration of the club, Presidency College professor F.J. Rhow was invited as a guest. On his suggestion the club was renamed from Sporting to Athletic since it didn't organize any rifle shooting or angling or other related activities. The club was officially renamed as Mohun Bagan Athletic Club.^[1] By 1891 the club management had understood that their original ground was perhaps too small to play football and shifted their base to Shyam Pukur, aided by the Maharaja of Shyam Pukur.^[1]

Four years after their birth, Mohun Bagan participated in their first tournament – the 1893 edition of Coochbehar Cup, making their debut against "C Company of Sussex Regiment". For rest of 1890s the club continued to participate in numerous local tournaments, with little success.^[4] After the Calcutta Corporation opened the public square known as Shyam Square, the club was allotted space there along with Aryans and Baghbazar Club. Thus Shyam Square became the third ground for Mohun Bagan (1895–1900).^[4]

Initial triumphs (1900-1911)

In 1900 Subedar Major Sailen Basu, the First and Highest Ranking Indian Officer of the 49th Bengal Regiment took charge as Club Secretary. With Basu’s arrival, a new era started for Mohun Bagan and his importance in the club’s history is immeasurable. A high-ranking official of the army, Basu was a disciplinarian and placed high value on physical fitness. He personally oversaw trainings at times and ensured that the Mohun Bagan players were at peak of physical ability. His endeavors reaped rewards almost immediately as Mohun Bagan began to win local tournaments.^[5]

In 1904 the club won its first trophy, the Coochbehar Cup. In 1905 Mohun Bagan not only successfully defended the Coochbehar Cup but also added Gladstone Trophy to their cabinet.^[6] The Gladstone Cup victory was also memorable due to the fact that Mohun Bagan defeated Dalhousie club, a major name in Indian football at that time and the IFA Shield winners, with a 6-1 scoreline in the final. Dalhousie fielded a very strong starting line-up in the final, the same that had won Shield and they were expected to defeat Mohun Bagan. However, buoyed by an inspirational start thanks to Sibdas Bhaduri, who scored twice within the first three minutes, Bagan comprehensively won the title.^[7]

The Trades Cup was possibly the second most important Cup competition in Bengal at that time, after IFA Shield. In 1892, Sovabazar Club had become the first Indian club to win a trophy in football when they lifted the Trades Cup. In early 1900s Sovabazar’s triumph was often considered as the greatest landmark for Indian clubs. In 1906 Mohun Bagan became only the second native club to win Trades Cup. Not satisfied with their lone success, the club would go on to win Trades Cup for three more seasons till 1910. 1906 also saw Mohun Bagan being the only Indian club to get invited in Minto Fete Tournament, specially organized under the patronage of Her Excellency Lady Minto, wife of the then Viceroy of India, to muster a fund for helping nurses in India.

In this successful decade Mohun Bagan won Trades Cup, Gladstone Cup, Coochbehar Cup numerous times as well as other trophies like Nawab Asanullah Challenge Shield and Lakshmibilas Cup.

1911 IFA Shield & Immortal XI

Started in 1893 the IFA Shield was the most prestigious trophy in Bengal and one of the most glamourous tournaments in the country. It was also very elitist and only one "native" club was allowed to participate in first few seasons. Early success mostly came to British clubs like Calcutta FC and Dalhousie AC or British army teams like Gordon Highlanders. Mohun Bagan was first allowed to participate in 1909, winning their first round debut against YMCA. In second round eventual champions Gordon Highlanders knocked out Mohun Bagan with a 3-0 scoreline. The following year Mohun Bagan once again got past the first round by beating St. Xavier’s 2-1 but lost yet again in the second round to Rifle Brigade.

The Bhaduri family had played an important role in Mohun Bagan in first decade of the new century. Haridas, Ramdas, Dwijodas, Bijoydas and Sibdas had all played football for the club. Sibdas, the youngest of the lot was a celebrated footballer. His ability to dribble had earned him the nickname "Pichol babu" (Mr. Slippery).

Perturbed by Mohun Bagan’s continued failure in IFA Shield, Sibdas Bhaduri was given the responsibility to assemble a team which would challenge for the title. One of Sibdas Bhaduri’s most significant changes saw Abhilash Ghosh take his place as center forward. Srischanda "Habul" Sarkar^[8] moved up as an inside forward while Rajendranath Sengupta moved to the former’s position in midfield. This was a reasonably young team, with Bijoydas Bhaduri being the oldest at 30 and a number of players had been at the club for more than half a decade, forming a strong bond and understanding.

Hiralal Mukherjee played in goal. After playing in a number of positions in start of his career he finally settled down between the posts in Mohun Bagan. A brave and robust goalkeeper, he was well known for his ability to weather physical battering from opponent forwards. Bhuti Sukul, the right back, was originally from Uttar Pradesh. Sukul was a strong tackler and had great aerial ability. His partner, the right back Sudhir Chatterjee was a contrasting character. He was the only player in the team who wore boots. He was slightly slow but made up for his lack of speed with intelligent game reading and positioning sense.

In midfield, right half Manmohan Mukherjee was renowned for his ability to snatch possession in middle of the park, earning the nickname "Terrier". Left half Nilmadhab Bhattacharya was a cultured and skilled footballer, with an excellent passing range. Bhattacharya also had an excellent sense of humour and was often known to compose witty couplets during ongoing matches. Although one of the youngest members in the team, center half Rajendranath Sengupta gave stellar performance in perhaps the most vital position in a 2-3-5 formation. Sengupta was supremely fit and knew the right balance between attack and defending.

On Monday, 10 July 1911 Mohun Bagan started their IFA Shield campaign against St. Xavier’s. Sudhir Chatterjee, who worked in Bhwanipore College was not granted to leave to play the game and Kanu Roy was also absent. N Ghosh filled up for Roy but Mohun Bagan didn’t replace Chatterjee instead chose to play the match with 10 men. Abhilash Ghosh opened the scoring in middle of first half before Bijoydas Bhaduri scored twice to round off a convincing 3-0 victory for his team.

Four days later on 14 July, Mohun Bagan travelled to the Customs Ground to face off against Calcutta Rangers. The second round had been Mohun Bagan’s nemesis in Shield till that time and Rangers were a strong team. Heavy rain didn’t make things any easier, turning the ground into a cesspool of mud and slush. Despite the dampening conditions, both Bagan and Rangers played an attacking game. Just before half time Rangers defender mistimed and clearance, allowing Sibdas Bhaduri to open the scoring for Mohun Bagan. Soon after the first goal Kanu Roy, who was back in the team, sprinted along the touchline before crossing towards Sibdas Bhaduri, who doubled Mohun Bagan’s lead. In second half Rangers attacked with great fervor but Hiralal Mukherjee in goal proved to be a savior, even stopping a spot kick. A late consolation goal could not peg Mohun Bagan back as they progressed with a fantastic 2-1 victory.

Third round took place on 19 July with Rifle Brigade standing in between Mohun Bagan and a place in semi-finals. Bijoydas Bhaduri, a mainstay of Mohun Bagan attack had lost a close friend before this match, which badly affected his and his team’s performance in first half. A pep talk during half time from Bhupendra Nath Bose revived Bhaduri. In second half Mohun Bagan attacked with intent and threatened the goal a number of times. Finally it was Bijoydas himself who received the pass from Sibdas Bhaduri, staved off two defenders, before calmly scoring the only goal of this match. As Mohun Bagan reached semi-finals, their exploits on the field kept bringing in crowds to the games and the number of spectators kept swelling with every passing round.

The semi-final, held on Dalhousie Ground on 24 July saw the biggest crowd for a football match in India at that point. Army team "1st Middlesex Regiment", originally based in Dumdum was Mohun Bagan’s opponent. Egged on by the huge gathering, Mohun Bagan & Middlsex Regiment matched each other blow by blow. The only reason the scoreline remained 0-0 was due to excellence from both goalkeepers Hiralal Mukherjee and Middlesex captain Sgt. Piggot. Middlesex finally broke the deadlock and took a 1-0 lead in first half, thanks to a controversial goal. Mohun Bagan went all out in attack in second half and Kanu Roy scored the vital equalizer with a brilliant long-ranger. The full-time scoreline read Mohun Bagan 1-1 1st Middlesex Regiment.

A day later, the replay was arranged. Playing under heavy rain, the bare feet Mohun Bagan players struggled in the slippery ground and their opponents dominated the early exchanges. The decisive moment came just before half-time when Sgt. Piggot, one of the best goalkeepers in the tournament, went off with an eye injury. A man down and without their ace captain, the Regiment team simple imploded in second half. In last ten minutes of the match, Mohun Bagan finally made their dominance count as Sibdas Bhaduri, Habul Sarkar and Karu Roy struck in quick succession to seal their place in a historic IFA Shield final, no Indian team had managed it before. He didn’t score a goal, but Abhilash Ghosh, who had earned the nickname of "Black Devil" because of his rough and robust style, played an important role in this match. His bullet shot in first match broke the goalpost while after a collision with him both Uthen and Piggot, Middlesex Regiment’s two best players, were injured and had to go off.^[9]

1911 IFA Shield final

29 July 1911 was a landmark date in the history of Indian football and Indian sports. On that day all roads led to one location – the Calcutta Football Ground. There was such a great volume in the number of people coming to Kolkata from outskirts that East Indian Railway Company had to arrange for some special trains. 80,000 (by some estimates 100,000) gathered in the ground, some of them had made their way from Bihar and Assam! Such was the demand that tickets which were priced Rs. 2, were sold for as high as Rs. 15. A princely sum of over Rs. 6000 was collected from ticket sales alone. Mohun Bagan’s opponents – East Yorkshire Regiment, was a crack army team.

The match kicked off at 5.30 PM and both teams seemed to cancel each other out in first half. There was action in both ends but neither side managed to score the elusive goal. Fifteen minutes into second half Rajendranath Sengupta gave away a dangerous free-kick and East Yorkshire Regiment captain Jackson swung in an excellent free-kick to give his team a slender lead. A large section of the crowd didn’t have any direct visual of the ground to communicate scores to them black kites flew in the air, showing the scoreline.

Mohun Bagan survived a few more moments of scare but ten minutes before the full-time Sibdas Bhaduri dribbled his way past the opponent defence to score a wonderful goal, tying the game. The ecstatic celebrations from Mohun Bagan fans hadn’t even stopped when eight minutes later Bhaduri yet again set Abhilash Ghosh up, who typically bulldozed his way to score the match winner.

Mohun Bagan’s historic IFA Shield was more than just a sporting victory.^[10] Reeling from the partition of 1911, it gave Bengal and India a vital rallying point in their struggles against the British Raj. Among the numerous eulogies written by contemporary papers, one stands out – "[Mohun Bagan] succeeded in what the Congress and the Swadeshi-wallas have failed to do so far to explode the myth that the Britishers are unbeatable in any sphere of life" (The Englishman). Over hundred years later eminent historian Boria Majumdar wrote, "In the sporting realm in Bengal the best known achievement steeped in nationalist significance that heralded a freedom of sorts was Mohun Bagan's epochal 1911 IFA Shield Win beating East Yorkshire Regiment 2-1 in the final. It ushered some great scenes of celebration and contributed to building Indian self-confidence, which played its part in the ongoing freedom struggle."^[11]

Rise of legends and entry into Calcutta Football League (1911-1919)

The monumental victory in 1911 IFA Shield had established Mohun Bagan as a national institution, also building a fan base which could rival any club in the world at that time. A number of players from the 1911 Shield winning team had earned iconic status in the contemporary society and continued to play in the club for rest of the decade.

In 1913, a 17 year old defender named Gostha Pal^[12] made his debut for Mohun Bagan against Dalhousie in a friendly match. Two days later he would play the first official match against Black Watch. A fearless and intimidating defender, Pal would go on to become the first truly national football star in India. His physique, ability to physically dominate British players on the field earned him an incomparable reputation. He formed a steady partnership with Bhuti Sukul for much of the 1910s.

1914 saw Mohun Bagan achieve yet another distinction. Mohun Bagan’s steadily superlative performances earned the club a place in the Calcutta Football League structure making them the first Indian football club (along with Aryans FC) to do so. The Green & Maroons performed admirably in their debut season in second division Calcutta League, finishing second with 22 points. The club earned promotion in their very first attempt, becoming the first Indian club to play in the top division of India’s foremost football league. The same year Sailendranath Basu would forego his duties as the club secretory, calling curtains on arguably the most important phase in Mohun Bagan’s history.

On 15 May 1915 Mohun Bagan played its historic first match in First Division of Calcutta Football League against Calcutta FC.

1916 was a successful year for the club after a brief barren period. Mohun Bagan won three trophies that year, including the first Coochbehar Cup since 1908. The year also saw another magnificent player make his entry – Umapati Kumar. A man with supreme ball skills and an incredible passing range, Kumar was probably the most flashy player of his generation.

From 1916 to 1919 Mohun Bagan would win a number of smaller trophies but success in major tournaments remained elusive. A reason behind this was manipulations off the field. After the club’s success in IFA Shield and the nationalistic fervor it generated British officials and referees didn’t take kindly to Mohun Bagan’s meteoric rise. Mohun Bagan matches against British teams was often marred by dubious decisions. Rabi Ganguly joined the club in 1918 and would play in Mohun Bagan till 1930.

As the decade turned the last of the Immortal XI also left the club.

Entry into Rovers Cup and Durand Cup (1920-1929)

1920 was one of Mohun Bagan’s best years since 1911. The Green & Maroons finished a creditable second in Calcutta League and reached the semi-finals of IFA Shield. The same year, a fall-out from a Mohun Bagan – Jorabagan match would also see the birth of East Bengal FC.

In 1921, Mohun Bagan did well in the league yet again but failed to add a trophy to their cabinet. Meanwhile, the defence was bolstered by another new arrival who would go on to form a brilliant combination with Gostha Pal. The new man, Balaidas Chatterjee was also a boxer and a stout, strong, physically imposing player much in the mold of his defensive partner.^[13]

After a lean year in 1922 the club roared back in form in 1923, reaching their second IFA Shield final. However, the team fell short of repeating the heroics of 1911 and instead ended up in the wrong side of a 3-0 score-line against Calcutta FC.

Mohun Bagan would create yet another piece of history in 1923 by becoming the first Indian club to participate in Rovers Cup, one of the three major tournaments in the country. Held annually in Mumbai (then Bombay) Rovers Cup was the main tournament in Western India and till 1923 only British teams were allowed to participate. Mohun Bagan’s name drew thousands to the Cooperage Stadium in every match and the club dished out a dazzling series of performances to reach the Rovers Cup final in their very first attempt. Sadly, the final saw the team slump to a heavy defeat yet again, losing 4-1 against Durham Light Infantry. The Rovers campaign established Mohun Bagan as a truly national sporting institution. Gostha Pal became the first player to captain any form of Indian national team in 1924 when he was chosen to lead an IFA XI.^[14][15]

Still fresh from their Rovers Cup exploits the Green & Maroons reached new heights in 1925. Till 1925 only British military teams participated in the prestigious Durand Cup, India’s oldest football tournaments. This four decade long tradition was finally broken to accommodate Mohun Bagan, who became the first Indian as well as civilian side to play in Durand Cup. And just like Rovers Cup Mohun Bagan played some very good football, dispatching Royal Berkshire Regiment, The Yorks and Lancs, and Essex Regiment before falling to Sherwood Foresters in semi-final. The same year Mohun Bagan also came closest to lifting their first Calcutta League title, finishing second by just a single point. In 1925 Mohun Bagan also played for the first time against East Bengal, losing 1-0.

Mohun Bagan continued their strong performances in Calcutta League, finishing in top-3 in almost every season till 1928. In 1927 the club also played a series of exhibition matches to help collect relief funds for a flood in Gujarat. The same year Balaidas Chatterjee left the club and to fill his gigantic shoes in stepped Dr. Sanmatha Dutta.^[16] Dutta, a doctor by profession and a versatile player who could play in virtually all positions became Gostha Pal’s trusted partner in defence. Satu Chowdhury joined the club in 1928 and soon became a vital team member.

In 1929, there were some unsavory incidents in a match between Mohun Bagan and Dalhousie. As a result, the Indian clubs withdrew initially from IFA but later rejoined following a change of rule that allowed equal number of Indian and British teams in the league.

First Calcutta League title (1930-1939)

The 1930s began on a tragic note for the club as two main architects of the 1911 IFA Shield victory passed away in quick succession. Sailendra Nath Basu breathed his last on 7 June 1931 while captain of Immortal XI, Sibdas Bhaduri passed away on 27 February 1932. Mohun Bagan saw very little on field action in 1930 as games were called off due to a volatile political climate.

Karuna Sankar Bhattacharya, a highly skillful and gifted inside-forward joined the club in 1931 and would become one of the most celebrated players in the club in the 1930s.^[17] "Football Wizard" Samad also donned the Green & Maroon jersey in early 1930s.^[18]

In 1933, Gostha Pal was once again chosen to captain the IFA XI on its tour to Ceylon (modern Sri Lanka). Pal was injured in 1934 so his defensive partner Dr. Sanmatha Dutta led the IFA XI to a tour of South Africa. Mohun Bagan continued to win a host of local trophies and finished near the top of Calcutta League table.

1935 saw a great change in Mohun Bagan’s tradition of playing with bare-feet. On the behest of Abdul Hamid, a renowned player of his era who arrived from Quetta in present Pakistan, the club decided to use boots for the first time.

Perhaps boosted by their change of gear Mohun Bagan had an extremely successful season in 1936, reaping a rich haul of five trophies.

The team didn’t enjoy same kind of success in 1937 but it was a momentous season nonetheless. Mohun Bagan had faced British teams in past but those were teams based in India. In 1937 Mohun Bagan played a truly foreign team for the first, facing off against English amateur side Islington Corinthians F.C.^[19] The English side was on a world tour which would take them from the Netherlands and Egypt to Hawaii and Philippines. Mohun Bagan gave a good account of themselves, losing narrowly by 1-0.

In 1938 the tradition of Mohun Bagan players leading IFA teams continued with Karuna Bhattacharya captaining a side to Australia. Bhattacharya performed admirably during the tour, scoring against Australian National team as well as Queensland during the tour.^[20] Mohun Bagan also broke a 29-year-old barren run in Trades Cup in 1938.

In second half 1930s both Umapati Kumar and Gostha Pal had retired. But the squad got competent reinforcements – Anil Dey in half back position and Satyen "Mana" Guin in attack. Guin, a right winger was nicknamed "Racing Deer" for his speed along the flanks.^[21]

Captained by Bimal Mukherjee (son of Manmohan Mukherjee, a member of 1911 team) and with a host of quality players like Guin, Dutta and Dey, Mohun Bagan broke their long wait for a major trophy in 1939 when they won their first ever Calcutta Football League title. ^[22]

1939 was the most successful year of Mohun Bagan’s history at that time, as the Green & Maroons lifted six more trophies along with their first league title. The occasion was made more momentous by the fact that the club celebrated its 50th anniversary and the celebrations were carried with great pomp.

Rising to the top in Independent India (1940-49)

In 1940 Mohun Bagan had a golden chance of winning IFA Shield but lost heavily to Aryans FC in the final.

Mohun Bagan maintained their good run as the 1940s began, winning half a dozen trophies yet again in 1941. The Green & Maroons successfully defended the Coochbehar Cup won in 1940 and also won their last ever Lakshmibilas Cup in this year.

In 1942 a young defender named Sailen Manna playing for Howrah Union was pursued by both Mohun Bagan and East Bengal but Manna, attracted by the storied past of the former joined Bagan. It was the start of one of the greatest careers in Indian football history.^[23] A tactically flawless defender and clean tackler, Sailen Manna’s exploits would make him one of the greatest names in Indian football. Boosted by new arrivals Mohun Bagan went on to win five trophies in 1942 and 1943, including their second Calcutta League title in 1943, winning 39 out of 48 possible points. That same year Dr. Talimeren Ao joined Anil Dey in midfield. A stalwart half-back Ao was also the first star footballer to emerge from North Eastern India.^[24] 1943 also saw Mohun Bagan take a revolutionary step off the field, when they implemented medical insurances to help injured footballers.

By mid 1940s Mohun Bagan had a truly great team, with strong players in almost every department. They would improve on their record from 1943, winning the league title yet again by scooping 40 out of 48 points. Under Anil Dey’s captaincy Mohun Bagan added six more trophies to their cabinet in 1944. With India facing an increasingly unstable situation leading up to independence and due to Second World War football took a backseat in 1945 and 1946. Mohun Bagan still won three trophies in 1945 but 1946 was a completely barren year after a long gap.

India became independent on 15 August 1947, remarkably on the 58th birthday of Mohun Bagan. With British teams out of equation in independent India Mohun Bagan quickly became the top team in the country, engaged in a keen tussle of power with East Bengal.

In 1947, Mohun Bagan ended their 36-year-old wait for IFA Shield defeating East Bengal in the final by a solitary goal. Mohun Bagan had reached the final thrice between 1911 and 1947 but failed to break the barren run in all three attempts.

1948 was a very significant year for Mohun Bagan. Bagan became the first Indian club to successfully defend IFA Shield title by defeating Bhawanipore in the 1948 final. Along with Shield, three more trophies found their way to the club tent. But the most remarkable feat was Mohun Bagan captain T. Ao leading the national football team in their first major tournament – the 1948 London Olympics. Sailen Manna and Mahabir Prasad also played in that team coached by Balaidas Chatterjee. The same year Mohun Bagan’s fame as the foremost Indian football club yet again came to forefront when Afghanistan Government invited the club for their Independence Day celebrations, a request which could not be fulfilled due to scheduling conflicts.

Mohun Bagan turned 60 years in 1949 and yet again a glittering ceremony took place. Helsingborgs IF from Sweden was invited to play three friendly matches in Kolkata as part of the celebrations. West Bengal Chief Minister Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy was present during the ceremonies and along with football, cricket and hockey exhibition matches were also played. Runu Guhathakurta, a stylish outside forward who was an expert in setting up goals joined Mohun Bagan this year.

As the decade turned Mohun Bagan, despite boasting some of the best players in India was struggling to win the major trophies. East Bengal with their famous "Five Pandavas" side dominated Calcutta League^[25] and IFA Shield while Syed Abdul Rahim’s Hyderabad City Police was running riot in Rovers Cup.^[26]

Sustaining success, games against Yashin and Hamrin (1950-1959)

The first few years of 1950s may have been a barren period for Mohun Bagan in terms of trophies but it was in these years that two players joined the club who would help the Green & Maroons to win a number of trophies during rest of the decade. Skillful and prolific forward Mohammad Abdus Sattar joined the club in 1950 from Mohammedan SC and would become a first choice striker for the club for next half decade. Two years later Samar "Badru" Banerjee came into the team. Samar Banerjee was perhaps the first modern striker in Indian football and would become the first Indian striker to play the deep lying centre forward role during 1956 Olympic Games.^[27] Banerjee also had a knack of scoring important goals.^[28]

In 1951, Mohun Bagan ended a seven-year wait for the Calcutta league by piping rivals East Bengal and Mohammedan for the title. The Green & Maroons also suffered heartbreaks in both IFA Shield and Durand Cup finals, losing both trophies after replays. In 1951 Sailen Manna captained the national team to a gold medal in 1951 Asian Games.

Dr. Ao left the club in 1952 and was replaced by Sushil Guha, a strong and energetic full-back who perfectly complimented Sailen Manna’s elegance. Mohun Bagan went on to win IFA Shield that season. 1953 was a momentous year for the club. With Badru Banerjee striking goals in both semi-final and final Mohun Bagan won their first ever Durand Cup. Sailen Manna was injured for the final but Sushil Guha performed extremely well and helped Mohun Bagan defeat National Defence Academy 4-0 with braces from S. Raman and Badru Banerjee.

Mohun Bagan’s performance improved even further in 1954 and the team, captained by Sailen Manna won their first major "double" by winning the Calcutta League and IFA Shield, the latter coming after a memorable 1-0 victory over the legendary Hyderabad City Police team thanks to a goal from Badru Banerjee.

The same year a young inside forward named Subimal "Chuni" Goswami would make his debut for the club after graduating from junior team. Goswami would end his career as one of the most successful Mohun Bagan and Indian footballer and has since been considered arguably the greatest Indian footballer of all time. Chuni Goswami was supremely skilled, an ace dribbler and a finisher per excellence. He was also extremely popular because of his stylish looks and entertaining playing style.

Mohun Bagan’s upward surge continued in 1955 when they lifted their first ever Rovers Cup title after defeating Mohammedan SC 2-0 in the final, Badru Banerjee again found the net. The club successfully defended their league title in 1955.

Under Sattar’s captaincy Mohun Bagan became the first club in independent India to complete a hattrick of Calcutta League titles in 1956. In this season Mohun Bagan also trounced Aryan SC in the Shield final, winning their second "double" within a space of few years. Mariappa Kempiah, an extremely hardworking midfielder who could play equally well in offence and defence joined Mohun Bagan in 1956. In international scene Badru Banerjee captained the Indian side which would go on to reach semi-finals of 1956 Olympics. Mohun Bagan also went on a tour of South East Asia on the request of Indian Government. With burly center forward Krishnachandra "Keshto" Pal in supreme form, Mohun Bagan won most of their games on the foreign tour.^[29]

After the highs of past few seasons Mohun Bagan endured a trophyless year in 1957. In 1958 the club came agonizingly close to winning a double but lost the IFA Shield final to East Bengal and surprisingly, lost the league title to Eastern Railways FC in last round of the league with Badru Banerjee missing a crucial penalty kick. 1958 was a tragic year in terms of trophies but the same season a young and exuberant defender named Jarnail Singh Dhillon would arrive from Rajasthan FC. Fearless, tough tackling and a born leader, Jarnail Singh went on to become arguably the greatest defender India has ever produced.^[30]

Following disappointments of 1957 and 1958 Mohun Bagan needed bit of a shakeup and in came Sanath Sett, the first star goalkeeper to play for the club. Thazhatheri Abdul Rahman arrived in defence to form a strong partnership with Jarnail Singh.^[31] The change in result was almost immediate as Mohun Bagan captured Calcutta League title and lifted the Durand Cup in 1959.

In 1950s Mohun Bagan also had the opportunity to play against two legends of the game. In December 1954, Swedish club AIK came to India to play three friendly matches. AIK had in their ranks Kurt Hamrin, who later became a Fiorentina legend and also scored 4 goals in 1958 World Cup. Mohun Bagan was the only club against with AIK played, winning 3-1.^[32] Sattar scored Bagan’s only goal while Hamrin scored one of the three goals for the visiting team. In January, 1955 USSR came to India as part of a diplomatic tour to play 19 friendlies across the country. Mohun Bagan took on USSR on 3 March in Kolkata. With Lev Yashin playing in goal the Soviets went on to win 3-0.^[33]

Golden era, Shield success and Platinum Jubilee celebrations (1960-1969)

In terms of consistency, the 1960 season was one of the best in the club’s history. Mohun Bagan captured Calcutta League, IFA Shield as well as the Durand Cup, losing just once in 42 matches played in these three tournaments.

A significant credit for Mohun Bagan’s success in late 1950s went to two men off the field. Dhiren Dey became the Assistant Secretary in 1959 and was already involved with the club for a long time. Dey was a sophisticated and serious official who ensured Mohun Bagan players followed a strict regime.^[34] His ability to spot young, talented players and provide a positive influence over upcoming footballers was vital to Bagan’s success. Coach Arun Sinha^[35] was the first man to use the three defender system in Mohun Bagan, scrapping the archaic 2-3-5 formation. Sinha was primarily responsible for properly grooming the likes of Chuni Goswami and Jarnail Singh. Soon Sailen Manna joined the team, bringing an aura of gentlemanly conduct with him which set the club apart from their rivals. Along with Goswami, the trio was together lovingly referred as "CMDA" by fans.

In 1961 Mohun Bagan won IFA Shield but narrowly lost in both Durand and Rovers Cup finals. This year was significant because Mohun Bagan became the first club from India to go on a tour of East Africa. Mohun Bagan left Kolkata on 12 February 1961 and played a total of 19 games on their tour, against teams from Uganda, Nairobi, Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar. The star studded team won 15 matches, scoring 61 goals and conceding just 21 times. Among Mohun Bagan players Amiyo Chatterjee, Chuni Goswami, Dipu Das and Isaiyah Arumayinayigam performed extremely well. Arumayinayigam, a young and dazzling winger had just joined Mohun Bagan before the tour, on recommendation from Goswami and Kempiah and would make his Mohun Bagan debut in East Africa. The diminutive attacker was nicknamed "Baby Taxi" for his superb speed and acceleration.^[36]

With star players entering the prime of their careers Mohun Bagan began on an all-conquering run, lifting Shield and Calcutta League in 1962, thus becoming the first club to win the league 10 times. The same year Chuni Goswami was the captain of the Indian football team which won Gold in Asian Games and Jarnail Singh played an important role in the triumph.^[37] Gostha Pal became the first Indian footballer to win Padma Shri on 27 April 1962.

In 1963, Mohun Bagan won the Calcutta League yet again and added Durand Cup to their cabinet after a 2-0 victory of Andhra Pradesh Police. Ashok Chatterjee, a well-built center forward was another vital component in Mohun Bagan’s dominance in 1960s and spent eight seasons in the club. A new club tent was inaugurated this year by Joyanto Nath Chaudhuri, the Chief of Army Staff.

1964 saw Mohun Bagan celebrate its Platinum Jubilee in a manner that was unprecedented. A yearlong celebration was planned, involving football and numerous other sports. For football famous Hungarian club FC Tatabánya came to Kolkata to play a series of friendly matches. An exhibition cricket match was arranged between Indian team and Commonwealth XI, featuring names like Nawab Pataudi, Vijay Manjrekar, Farokh Engineer, M. L. Jaisimha, Salim Durani, Sir Garfield Sobers, Colin Cowdrey, Mushtaq Mohammad and Lance Gibbs. Indian hockey team took on Calcutta XI in a friendly hockey match. For the tennis match Indian stars like Ramanathan Krishnan, Joydeep Mukherjee participated along Bob Hewitt and Martin Mulligan. A team of East German athletes came to take part in the Athletics meets along with Indian team. Off the field numerous processions and shows were organized to celebrate this occasion and a number of celebrities attended the festivities.

In a fitting manner, the football team completed the hattrick of Calcutta League titles and captured Durand Cup after cruising past arch rivals East Bengal.

1965 saw the unbeatable Mohun Bagan side script two firsts. A 2-0 victory over Punjab Police saw Mohun Bagan become the first Indian club to win a hattrick of Durand Cup titles. The Green & Maroons also became the first club to win four back to back Calcutta League titles since independence. Pradyut Burman, who had competently replaced Sanat Sett in goal, was usually the first choice goalkeeper in this era. Mohun Bagan reached finals of all three major trophies in 1965 but lost the Rovers and Shield finals.

Rovers Cup was the only major title missing from Mohun Bagan’s cabinet in 1960s and this 11 year old drought was finally broken in 1966 with Mohun Bagan Vasco SC in the final. Chandreshwar Prasad, a tough and uncompromising defender who was superb in the air, joined Mohun Bagan this season.^[38] Skillful Pungab Kannan and Sukalyan Ghoshdastidar, who was famous for his booming long rangers also joined the club in second half of 1960s.

In 1967 and 1968, Mohun Bagan managed to win just 2 trophies, Shield and Rovers Cup, respectively. Chuni Goswami retired from football in 1968 and thus Mohun Bagan’s golden era slowly started coming to an end.

One last flash came in 1969 thanks to a young and eccentric coach named Amal Dutta. Dutta was the first coach in Indian football to introduce the concept of overlapping full-backs.^[39] Bhabani Roy, who joined Mohun Bagan back in 1966, was a primary candidate for this role and her performed his duties exceptionally well. With the new strategy in place Mohun Bagan played scintillating football in 1969 and captured Calcutta League and Shield double. The IFA Shield was memorable due to the fact that Mohun Bagan dominated rivals East Bengal in the final to win 3-1 with ace winger Pranab Ganguly scoring a brace.^[40] A few months later Mohun Bagan once again faced East Bengal in Durand Cup final, losing 3-0. This match was the signal of the start of a new period where the balance of power would shift.

In 1960s, Mohun Bagan reached the IFA Shield final 7 times out total 9 editions and won the title on 5 occasions.

Decline, revival, second golden era and Pele (1971-1979)

Mohun Bagan struggled to assert their dominance in the first half of 1970s. Their arch rivals East Bengal, propelled by officials such as Jibon Chakravarty and Poltu Das, assembled strong teams with star players and Mohun Bagan failed to match them in terms of team building. Mohun Bagan did win trophies in 1970, 1971 and 1972, winning Rovers Cup in every season and thus became only the second Indian club to complete a hattrick of Rovers titles. However, Mohun Bagan fared poorly in other major tournaments in India. To make matters worse, Mohun Bagan played second fiddle in the Kolkata derby, failing to beat East Bengal even once between the IFA Shield Final of 1969 to 1974. The club also lost to their arch-rivals in Durand Cup and IFA Shield finals multiple times in this era. In 1973 the club didn’t win a single trophy. There were slight signs of recovery when the next major trophy came at the end of 1974/75 season in the form of Durand Cup with Mohun Bagan ending a five-year barren era to defeat East Bengal in semi-final. Mohun Bagan won their first Bordoloi Trophy in 1974.

The lowest point of this unsuccessful era came in 1975 IFA Shield final when Mohun Bagan lost 5-0 to East Bengal, the biggest margin of defeat in the derby. Mohun Bagan fans were irate after the match and laid siege to the club tent. One fan, Umakanta Paladhi committed suicide out of sheer shock. In his suicide note he expressed a desire to be born as a Mohun Bagan player in his next birth so that he could exact a revenge for this humiliating loss.^[41]

After struggling to build a strong team between 1970 and 1973, Mohun Bagan did recruit a number of young players in 1974 and 1975 who would play an important role in the club later. Lanky defender Subrata Bhattacharya was famous for his leadership ability, never say die attitude and ability to score crucial goals. In midfield Prasun Banerjee, brother of famous footballer PK Banerjee, was adept in playing the role of a "linkman" to bridge the gap between attack and defence.^[42] Narayanswami Ulaganathan, a speedy winger from Bangalore became one of the most popular Mohun Bagan players in 1970s.^[43] Each of these three players joined as youngsters in 1974. In 1975, fresh from his stint with India Junior team in Junior Asian Championships, defender Compton Dutta joined Mohun Bagan and would go on to become an impeccable right-back.^[44] Combative full-back Dilip Palit also joined in 1975.

In 1976 the wheel had finally turned as Mohun Bagan assembled their best team in years, led by Secretary Chandra Madhab Roy. Along with the strong core group that joined in 1974 and 1975, the club added a host of players from their two rivals, including brothers Mohammad Habib^[45] and Mohammad Akbar and Subhash Bhowmick. Habib was an expert schemer, Akbar, a prolific striker and Bhowmik was one of the most dangerous wingers of his generation.^[46] These players also had a wealth of experience in the Kolkata derby and helped Mohun Bagan claw their way back against East Bengal. Young winger Bidesh Bose also donned the Green & Maroon jersey for the first time and would soon make his mark thanks to darting runs along the touchline. To partner Subrata Bhattacharya in defence sturdy Pradeep Chowdhury arrived from Mumbai and would form a strong defensive combination.^[47]

Mohun Bagan’s most important investment was on the coaching chair where P.K Banerjee was employed after five hugely successful seasons with East Bengal.

Under Banerjee, 1976 turned into one of the best seasons in the club’s history. Mohun Bagan won their first Calcutta League and IFA Shield titles since 1969 and added the third major trophy by defeating Mafatlal Mills in Rovers Cup final. Two more trophies were added in 1976, a hattrick of Bordoloi Cup was completed along with a victory in Darjeeling Gorkha Brigade Gold Cup.

Most significantly, Mohun Bagan ended a seven-year wait to win the Kolkata derby in Kolkata on 1976. The match began in spectacular fashion as Ulaganathan sprinted off to snatch a long pass and floated in a perfect cross towards Mohammad Akbar, who headed in the opening goal. That goal was scored after just 17 seconds and remains a derby record till date. Led by flawless Bhattacharya and Chowdhury, Mohun Bagan defence held on firmly to seal a memorable derby win.

Revival - 1977 Triple Crown and New York Cosmos

Mohun Bagan’s strong team of 1976 became even stronger the following season after arrivals for a number of star players from East Bengal. Leading the new arrivals was clinical striker Shyam Thapa, one of the top scorers in the history of Kolkata derby.^[48] Along with Thapa, classy defender Sudhir Karmakar and Goutam Sarkar, who was affectionately called "Indian Beckenbaur" for his snatching abilities in midfield, also joined Mohun Bagan. Goalkeeper Shibaji Banerjee played his first season for the club in 1977 and would go on to make a name as an expert penalty kick stopper.

This was arguably the most star studded team in the history of the club thought they surprisingly started with a stutter. The inaugural Federation Cup was held in 1977 and Mohun Bagan reached the final. But in final the Green & Maroons were shocked by unheralded ITI, losing 1-0 after missing a host of chances. Mohun Bagan also lost the first derby that season but eventually started to meet their potential.

The first trophy to arrive in the club tent in 1977 was Bordoloi trophy where Mohun Bagan thrashed city rivals Mohammedan 4-0 in the final. Following this Mohun Bagan set a new record in Indian football by becoming the first club to win the "triple crown". They won the IFA Shield by defeating East Bengal, Rovers Cup by defeating Tata Sports Club and Durand by defeating JCT Mills.

1977 also saw Mohun Bagan play one of the most significant matches in their history when New York Cosmos arrived in Kolkata to play a friendly match.^[49] On 24 September 1977, 80,000 people gathered in Eden Gardens to watch Cosmos take on Mohun Bagan. Along with Pele the star studded New York Cosmos side also had Carlos Alberto, captain of World Cup winning Brazilian side of 1970 World Cup and Giorgio Chinaglia, Serie A top scorer in 1974. Under overcast conditions Cosmos took a lead through Alberto but Shyam Thapa equalized soon. Mohun Bagan surprised the spectators by taking a lead through Mohammad Habib but late in the game Chinaglia’s goal kept the final scoreline at 2-2. For Mohun Bagan along with the goalscorers Subrata Bhattacharya and Pradeep Chowdhury played well in defence. Goutam Sarkar did a stellar job marking Pele while Shibaji Banerjee made a brilliant save to deny a Pele free-kick.^[50]

Mohun Bagan’s successful team of 1977 remained largely unchanged in 1978. Two significant additions were those of Manas Bhattacharya, who despite being a winger was a prolific scorer and left-back Shyamal Banerjee, who was famous for his overlapping runs and immaculate sense of positioning.^[51] Mohun Bagan won the Calcutta League after a record breaking performance in 1978 after scoring 78 goas in 22 games. They also won IFA Shield and the first Federation Cup title (jointly with East Bengal).

1978 saw Mohun Bagan play yet another famous match against a foreign opposition. Ararat Yerevan from USSR had arrived to participate in IFA Shield. Ararat were one of the top teams in Soviet Union in that decade, having won the Soviet Top League in 1973 and Soviet Cup in 1973 and 1975.^[52] In 1974/75 season Ararat defeated eventual European Champions Bayern Munich in European Champions Cup, although they lost the tie on 2-1 aggregate. The Yerevan side had Arkady Andreasyan in their ranks, who was top scorer in Soviet Top League in 1976 and Khoren Oganesian, who in 2003 would get selected as "Golden Player" of last 50 years by Armenian Football Federation.

Ararat had defeated major Kolkata clubs with ease. To stop them P.K Banerjee lineup Mohun Bagan in a defensive 5-2-3 formation but the visitors still took an early lead. Rains started during the match and as the Ararat players struggled with conditions Banerjee changed to a more attacking 4-2-4 formation by bringing on winger Bidesh Bose. Bose instantly changed the game as Mohun Bagan raced to a 2-1 lead thanks to goals from Habib and Manas Bhattacharya. A late goal from Oganesian prevented a famous win for Mohun Bagan.^[53]

In 1979 Mohun Bagan squad saw the arrival Keralite striker Xavier Pius who would become extremely popular among the Green & Maroon fan-base for his individual flair.^[54] Mohun Bagan had a 100% success record in that season winning all four trophies they participated in, including Calcutta League, Durand Cup and IFA Shield.

Federation Cup success, Durand Cup dominance and first foray into Asia (1980-1989)

The winning momentum of late 1970s was maintained in 1980s as Mohun Bagan clinched Federation Cup as well as the Durand Cup. However, the season is remembered more for the tragic events off the field. On 16 August a heated Calcutta league derby match took place in Eden Gardens. Fights broke out in the stands after handcuffs between Bidesh Bose and Dilip Palit and a stampede ensued which was not checked by the authorities in time. As a result, 16 football fans tragically lost their lives as the Calcutta League and Shield was cancelled in aftermath.^[55]

1981 was another very successful season for Mohun Bagan as they won Federation Cup title after defeating Mohammedan SC in the final by two goals to nil. The Green & Maroons also won Rovers Cup and IFA Shield this season.

Mohun Bagan became the first club to complete a hattrick of Federation Cup titles in 1982. Other major trophies won in 1982 were Durand Cup and IFA Shield. Krishanu Dey, one of the best passers in Indian football in 1980s played the first of his six seasons in Mohun Bagan in 1982.^[56] Defender Krishnendu Roy also joined Mohun Bagan in 1982 and would spend much of 1980s in the club. Industrious and all-action midfielder Sudip Chatterjee donned the Green & Maroon jersey this season for the first time and spent a total of six seasons in the club.^[57]

1983 was a comparatively unsuccessful season for the Mariners after six golden years with the club only managing to win the Calcutta League title but losing in the Durand and Federation Cup finals. Manas Bhattacharya top scored in Kolkata League that season.

Eager for a shake-up a host of new players joined Mohun Bagan in 1984, the most notable name among them as Prasanta Banerjee, who at that time was at his peak and was one of the best midfielders in India.^[58] Winger Babu Mani joined in 1984 and his lethal crosses would be source of many goals for Mohun Bagan forwards during the following seasons.^[59] With Shibaji Banerjee ageing Tanumoy Basu stepped in to take up the gloves. There was an immediate improvement in performance with the team winning four trophies, including Durand Cup and Calcutta League. Chuni Goswami received Padma Shri in 1984.

Mohun Bagan did a Rovers-Durand double in 1985. The same year young and powerful striker Sisir Ghosh made his debut for Mohun Bagan. During his peak years few strikers could match Ghosh in terms of aerial prowess and he formed a deadly combination with Babu Mani on wings.^[60]

1986 Mohun Bagan created a unique record by becoming the first club to win Durand Cup three consecutive times on two occasions after defeating East Bengal in the final by a solitary goal. The Mariners ended a four-year wait for the Federation Cup in 1986 and also won the Calcutta League. Midfielder Satyajit Chatterjee joined in 1986 and would go on to have a long and decorated career at the club. With Shyamal Banerjee struggling with a hamstring injury Aloke Mukherjee came in the squad and would seamlessly replace Banerjee thanks to an extremely strong left-foot and tireless overlaps. Strong tackling central defender Amit Bhadra also joined in ’86.^[61]

The following year Mohun Bagan got the first taste of Asian football by playing in 1987 Asian Club Championship. Mohun Bagan played well in group stage, winning twice after scoring 12 goals in 4 matches, thanks to 6 goals from Sisir Ghosh.^[62] However, the Green & Maroons finished second in the group behind Iraq’s Al Rasheed and failed to progress to semi-final. Mohun Bagan won IFA Shield and Federation Cup this season but lost in Rovers and Durand finals.

Mohun Bagan was back in continental football in the 1988-89 Asian Club Championship and did extremely well during the group stages, winning all matches. The highlight of this performance was a 8-0 thrashing of Crescent Textile of Pakistan, with Sisir Ghosh scoring a hattrick. Mohun Bagan failed to win any matches in the second group stage. There was little success in 1988 except a Rovers Cup victory.

Mohun Bagan celebrated their 100th anniversary in style in 1989. A grand torch rally was held on this occasion. The rally started from Basu Bati in North Kolkata and covered several important places in Mohun Bagan’s history before finally reaching the Mohun Bagan Ground. Mohun Bagan became the first club to be honoured by a postage stamp from the Indian Government on their centenary year. Then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi arrived for the celebrations on his speech referred to Mohun Bagan as "National Club of India". Fittingly, Mohun Bagan won IFA Shield on their 100th year by defeating T.F.A in the final by a solitary goal. In 1989 Calcutta League Mohun Bagan picked up a dominant 2-0 victory in the derby. Sisir Ghosh scored a brace and could have become the first player to score a hattrick in the derby but this third goal was dubiously cancelled by the referee.

1980s were a remarkable decade for Mohun Bagan. In Durand Cup the Green & Maroons reached the final an unprecedented 8 times out of 10, winning the title on 5 occasions.

First foreigners, first sponsors and first National League title (1990-1999)

1990 World Cup star Roger Milla came to Kolkata as part of the centenary celebrations in 1990. He was member of an assembled team named Diamont Club and played against Mohun Bagan. Diamont won 3-1 with Milla scoring one goal.^[63] The Mariners won the Calcutta League in 1990 but otherwise it was a disappointing season with East Bengal matching Mohun Bagan’s feat of Triple Crown from 1977. Dhiren De passed away this year. 1990 was also the final season of Subrata Bhattacharya in Mohun Bagan. After serving Mohun Bagan for 17 years Bhattacharya played his last match in front of a sold out crowd. Bhattacharya won 52 trophies in the club, a national record and was also the first Indian defender to score 50 goals.

Needing a major shake-up a new generation of Mohun Bagan officials came into the club led by Swapan Sadhan Bose, Anjan Mitra, Balaram Chowdhury and Biru Chatterjee. One of the most significant changes made in the early 1990s was a change in Mohun Bagan’s constitution which had prevented non-Indian players from playing full-time at the club. By this time foreigners had become a staple part of Indian football thanks to Iranian and Nigerian imports. After change of constitution Chima Okorie became the first foreign player to play a full season in Mohun Bagan in 1991.^[64]

Mohun Bagan invested significantly in early 1990s bringing in Krishanu Dey, Bikash Panji and Babu Mani along with Chima. In 1992 Bernard Oparanozie became the second foreigner to play for Mohun Bagan and even though he was initially a striker he eventually excelled as a defender.^[65] I. M. Vijayan, a skilled striker from Kerala signed in 1991 after garnering national attention after his exploits with Kerala Police in Federation Cup.

Bolstered by these new signings Mohun Bagan pegged back East Bengal and once again started a successful cycle. In 1991 Mohun Bagan won three trophies including the Rovers Cup. 1992 brought even more success as the Green & Maroons won their first Federation Cup since 1987 after beating East Bengal in the final and also defended the Rovers title successfully. In 1993 when regular captain Amit Bhadra was injured Bernard Oparanozie was given the captain’s arm-band. Oparanozie became the first foreigner to lead Mariners to a title when Mohun Bagan piped Mahindra & Mahindra in the final of Federation Cup.

In 1993, Mohun Bagan snatched a famous victory over Croatian club NK Varaždin in the DCM Cup. Known as NK Varteks at that time, Varaždin was a strong team which had reached the quarter-finals of Croatian Cup the previous season. They defeated P.S.E.B 4-0 and Mohammedan 9-0 but lost to Mohun Bagan 2-0. Varteks eventually went on to win the trophy after scoring 8 goals in semi-final and final while Mohun Bagan was knocked out in last four.^[66]

1994 was an excellent year for the club as they clinched four trophies including three major ones. Mohun Bagan ended an eight-year wait for Durand Cup by defeating East Bengal 1-0 in the final. A penalty shootout victory over Salgaocar ensured that Mohun Bagan became the first Indian club to completed hattrick of Federation Cup titles twice. Mariners also won Calcutta League this season. In AFC Cup Mohun Bagan thumped Club Valencia (7-1) and Ratnam FC (5-1) in group stages of AFC Cup but lost in the second round.^[67]

1995 and 1996 were disappointing years for Mohun Bagan as the Green & Maroons failed to capture any major trophy. In December 1996 the first National Football League kicked off but Mohun Bagan’s performance in the inaugural season as disastrous. In Group B the Mariners finished second last after winning just one out of five matches.

In a bid to overturn the misfortunes veteran coach Amal Dutta was appointed in 1997 and under him Mohun Bagan returned to the path of success. Using a 3-4-3 and playing a system which would become famous as "Diamond System", Amal Dutta’s Mohun Bagan dazzled the Indian football fans in Federation Cup, defeating National League runners-up Churchill Brothers 6-0 on their way to the semi-final.^[68] Bolstered by the fleet footed Abdul Khaleq and Chima Okerie in attack Mohun Bagan was an ultra-attacking side. The 1997 Federation Cup semi-final was one of the most anticipated matches in Indian football history, pitting old rivals Amal Dutta against P.K Banerjee, who was coaching East Bengal. With a 131,000 strong present in the Salt Lake Stadium, Mohun Bagan’s defensive frailties were exposed by Baichung Bhutia, who scored a hattrick in a 4-1 victory.^[69]

Mohun Bagan soon shrugged off the Federation Cup and played attacking football to seal the Calcutta League title. A late header from Dipendu Biswas ensured that the Green & Maroons picked up a 1-0 win over East Bengal in the derby following the Federation Cup debacle.^[70]

1998 was a memorable year for the Mariners as they won three major trophies. IFA Shield and Federation Cup titles arrived after defeating arch rivals East Bengal.^[71] The major success though, came in the form of Bagan’s first ever National Football League title under the mentor-ship of T.K. Chathunni.^[72]

Mohun Bagan began their campaign on a disastrous note on 20 December 1997 by losing 1-0 against Air India. However, the team soon regained form and would remain unbeaten for ten rounds before finally falling to Salgaocar in Kolkata in mid-February. That loss would prove to the last loss in Mohun Bagan’s campaign as the club sealed the national title with a 3-0 win over Mahindra & Mahindra on 22 March 1998. Among stikers Chima Okerie (9) and Dipendu Biswas (4) scored most of Mohun Bagan’s 20 goals. The Green & Maroons also had the best defence in the league led by Reazul Mustafa and Ranjan Dey. In midfield Lolendra Singh, R.P Singh provided youthful energy along with Satyajit Chatterjee’s calm presence. Basudeb Mandal, with his excellent passing range established himself as one of the best players in National League. Sri Lankan Roshan Perreira also played a vital role with his speed and mazy runs. Mohun Bagan’s performance in January, 1998 earned them the AFC title of "Diadora Team of Asia" for that month.^[73]

Mohun Bagan won the IFA Shield in 1999 but had to surrender the National League title to Salgaocar. In IFA Shield Mohun Bagan defeated Uzbek giants Pakhtakor Tashkent FK 2-1 in group stage.^[74] Mohun Bagan’s AFC Champions League started well after a 2-1 aggregate win over Muktijoddha Sangsad, Bangladesh. But in second round, Mohun Bagan lost 8-0 to eventual tournament runners-up Jubilo Iwata from Japan.

Mohun Bagan had a number of quality foreigners for 1999/00 National League. Uzbek striker Igor Shkvyrin was a former Soviet First League and Uzbek League top-scorer as well as top scorer in 1994 Asian Games. Winger cum striker Stephen Abarowei was part of JCT Mills’ first National league team and won Man of the Match five times in the inaugural NFL.^[75] Full-back Dusit Chalermsan was a regular for Thai National team. Samuel Omollo was possibly the best foreign defender plying his trade in India at that time. Last but not the least, Brazilian Jose Ramirez Barreto joined Mohun Bagan just before start of National League and would go on to become one of the most decorated Bagan players in the new millennium.

Along with possibly the finest collection of foreign players ever assembled by any Indian club Mohun Bagan also had highly competent Indians. Many players from the National league winning team of 1999/2000 were still playing in the club and consistent full-back Dulal Biswas had joined the team. Subrata Bhattacharya had returned to Mohun Bagan bench as a coach and quickly become one of the best coaches in the country thanks to his match reading ability.

Mohun Bagan’s star studded team took a while to get off the blocks and won just once in first three games. In fifth round a derby win came courtesy of a goal from James Singh after an assist by Abarowei. With the foreigners slowly starting to combine Mohun Bagan’s campaign gathered steam in second half of the season with the Mariners winning eight out of eleven matches in the return leg. In the end Mohun Bagan comfortably won the league after gathering 47 points from 22 matches and with a six-point cushion. Shkvyrin finished as NFL top scorer with 11 goals while Barreto and Abarowei scored 6 and 4 goals respectively.^[76]

In 1990s Mohun Bagan got their first sponsors in brands like SAIL, Emami, Pepsi and Tata Tea. From 1998 onward liquor giant UB’s Mcdowell’s brand became Mohun Bagan’s title sponsors.

Foreign coaches and a decade of mixed results (2000-2009)

The first year of the new millennium was an extremely successful for Mohun Bagan. The second National League triumph was completed in 2000 and the club added more trophies to the cabinet. Striker R.C Prakash joined Mohun Bagan from HAL in this season and he played a crucial part in helping the club to win their 16th Durand Cup title. Prakash scored both goals against Churchill Brothers in the semi-final as well as the trophy clinching golden goal against Mahindra United in the final.^[77] A bid to win back to back National League titles was shattered when Mohun Bagan finished second by just a point behind winners East Bengal. Jose Ramirez Barreto finished as top scorer in National League.

Mohun Bagan captured the Federation Cup in 2001 thanks to heroics of Jose Ramirez Barreto and goalkeeper Bibhas Ghosh. The Brazilian striker scored in quarter-final, semi-final and final and was selected as the best player of Federation Cup.^[78] Mohun Bagan also won the Calcutta League and sealed their 14th Rovers Cup title after a 2-0 defeat of Churchill Brothers. Mohun Bagan also triumphed in the Bordoloi Trophy after thrashing Thai club Raj Pracha Thailand F.C. 4-0 in the final.

Buoyed by their excellent form throughout the year Mohun Bagan was aiming for a third National League title as the year turned. Mohun Bagan’s squad didn’t have as much quality as the 1999/00 title winning team. However, Jose Ramirez Barreto was in top form and the likes of Debjit Ghosh and Rennedy Singh were also at peak of their powers. Subrata Bhattacharya was still the Mohun Bagan coach and foreign recruit Abdulatif Seriki made an important contribution during the campaign.

Mohun Bagan began strongly winning their first two matches, including a derby victory thanks to a goal from Jose Barreto. However, the Green & Maroons slumped to a poor run of form in next four rounds, failing to win even once. Engaged in a keen tussle with Churchill Brothers, who was coached by T.K Chathunni, Bagan’s first National league winning coach, Mohun Bagan struggled to create a cushion over their rivals. Back to back to defeats in rounds 11 and 12 pegged Mohun Bagan back somewhat but they came back in style, winning next two games, with Barreto settling yet another derby. Rounds 17 and 18 saw Mohun Bagan travel to Punjab to play two games which could potentially decide the title race. The Mariners were in trouble against JCT Mills in the first match with the score tied at 1-1. However, on 76th minute Uday Konar, who was not a regular starter, came off the bench to score the vital winner.^[79] Favourable results in next rounds meant Mohun Bagan travelled to Goa to play the last two matches of their campaign with destiny in their own hands.

In Goa, Mohun Bagan’s opponents were Salgaocar, who still had a mathematical chance of winning the title and direct rivals Churchill Brothers, in the ultimate match. Against Salgacoar Mohun Bagan raced to a 3-0 lead within first 30 minutes only to lose the match with an incredible 4-3 scoreline. Churchill Brothers won in the same round, moving to 42 points while Mohun Bagan was stuck on 41. The last match turned into a virtual final where Churchill Brothers only needed to avoid defeat to clinch their maiden national title.

Up against all odds, Mohun Bagan defended stoutly, led by Debjit Ghosh as the first half ended goal-less. On 73rd minute a corner from Basudeb Mandal was headed in by unheralded Nigerian defender Abdul Wastu Saliu. That would prove to be the only in this match, sealing Mohun Bagan’s third National League title. Mohun Bagan became the first club to win both Federation Cup and National League in the same season. Jose Barreto finished as second highest scorer with 15 goals and Seriki scored 7 times.^[80][81]

In 2002 and 2003 the club plunged into uncertain times owing to internal administrative problems as well as problems with the sponsors. Internal strife within club officials saw Mohun Bagan failing to retain most of their players from the National League winning side as the squad quality dramatically degraded. Problems with sponsors reached such a critical stage that UB threatened to sue Mohun Bagan at one point.^[82][83]

As a fall out, Mohun Bagan’s on field form slumped remarkably with the club winning just one major piece of silverware in these two years, in the form of IFA Shield. Jose Barreto scored twice in the 2003 IFA Shield even though Mohun Bagan needed a penalty shootout to upstage a stronger East Bengal side in the final. One of the major signings for Mohun Bagan in early 2000s was Baichung Bhutia but the striker had minimal impact due to injuries. To make matters worse Jose Ramirez Barreto, Mohun Bagan’s inspirational player since he also left the club. With East Bengal winning back to back National League titles Mohun Bagan finished 7th and 9th in 2002/03 and 2003/04 seasons respectively.

In 2002, one of the more significant developments saw Mohun Bagan flag off the first residential academy by any top flight Indian club. The academy was set up in Durgapur with the assistance of steel company SAIL.^[84]

Mohun Bagan’s Cup form improved in 2004 but the barren period of trophies didn’t end as the club finished runners up in four tournaments. In Federation Cup Mohun Bagan was blanked by Dempo in the final with Cristiano Junior tragically losing his life after a clash with Subrata Paul. Durand Cup as well as Calcutta League saw Mohun Bagan finish runners-up behind East Bengal. Inspired by Brazilian Roberto "Beto" Mendes Silva Mohun Bagan thrashed Renown Sports Club from Sri Lanka 9-0 in IFA Shield group stage.^[85] Beto scored in semi-final again as Mohun Bagan knocked East Bengal out in penalty kick. The Brazilian yet again put Mohun Bagan into lead during extra time in the final but the Mariners conceded a late goal and eventually lost out to Myanmar Finance & Revenue.

In 2004, Mohun Bagan became the first Indian club to launch a credit card in association with ICICI Bank.^[86] FIFA formed an elite task force the same year and Mohun Bagan was one of only eleven clubs selected globally along with names like River Plate, F.C. Barcelona and Bayern Munich.^[87]

Amal Dutta took over the reins in 2005 and under his tutelage Mohun Bagan played some of their best football in the Calcutta League seen since early 2000s. Togolese striker Gley Yao Rodrigue scored seven goals in the league, including match deciding goals against East Bengal in identical 1-0 victories.^[88] Mohun Bagan came close to winning the league with a 100% record but slumped to a 2-2 draw against Mohammedan in the very last match, picking up 40 points from 14 games. Mehtab Hussain, Mehrajuddin Wadoo, Dharamjit Singh, Dipendu Biswas and Brazilian defender Eduardo "Du" Chacon Coelho also played important parts in this league win.^[89]

With internal problems slowly subsiding Mohun Bagan assembled a strong side in 2006. Jose Ramirez Barreto made a grand return to the Green & Maroons along with combative Brazilian midfielder Douglas de Silva. The team was further bolstered with top class Indian players like Baichung Bhutia, Sangram Mukherjee, Deepak Mondal as well as youngsters like Lalawm Puia, Lalkamal Bhowmick and Sushil Kumar Singh.

Before Federation Cup, Mohun Bagan’s season seemed to implode when coach Biswajit Bhattacharya put in his resignation. As an emergency Brazilian physio Robson Mattos was hastily promoted as a coach. Baichung Bhutia was in prime form in Federation Cup 2006 and scored braces in both first round and semi-final. But the real star for Mohun Bagan was custodian Sangram Mukherjee who pulled off heroic performances as Mohun Bagan defeated Churchill Brothers, Dempo and Sporting Clube de Goa to win their 12th Federation Cup.^[90] 2006/07 National League didn’t go well for Mohun Bagan with as many as three foreign coaches taking part during the campaign in the form of Robson Mattos, Chima Okerie and Bernard Oparanozie.

In 2007 Mohun Bagan sealed their first ever AIFF Super Cup with a 4-0 victory of National League champions Dempo with Baichung Bhutia scoring a hattrick. Under Brazilian coach Carlos Perreira Mohun Bagan performed extremely well in the Calcutta League, picking up 36 points from 14 matches after scoring 39 goals.^[91] The star of Calcutta League was Jose Ramirez Barreto yet again, scoring 14 times. The highlight of this campaign was a 4-3 victory over East Bengal in the derby with excellent performances from Barreto and Shanmugam Venkatesh.^[92]

FIFA president Sepp Blatter came to Kolkata in April and was present during a derby which Mohun Bagan won 2-1. On Mohun Bagan Day the club became the first in India to launch an official mascot which was a tiger named "Baggu".^[93]

Moroccan manager Karim Bencherifa brought success to Mohun Bagan in 2008 when they Green & Maroons captured both Federation Cup and Calcutta League. In Federation Cup Sangram Mukherjee once again became the hero in penalty shoot-out as Mohun Bagan defeated East Bengal for the seventh consecutive time in Salt Lake Stadium. A goal from Jose Ramirez Barreto settled the final against Dempo. Young striker Lalam Puia was the standout performer in Calcutta League after scoring eight goals.

Mohun Bagan played host to the 2002 World Cup Golden ball winning former German ‘keeper Oliver Kahn on his last match before retirement in 2008.^[94] With starts like Kahn, Ze Roberto Bayern Munich defeated Mohun Bagan 3-0 in front of 120,000 spectators in Salt Lake Stadium. The same year Diego Maradona also paid a visit to the club tent during a visit to India. 2009 was a memorable year for Mohun Bagan. Marcos Perreira had an unsuccessful stint with the club in early 2000s but made a triumphant return in 2008, playing an important role in Bencherifa’s side. Japanese Ryuji Sueoka and Nigerian striker Chidi Edeh also added more quality to Mohun Bagan squad. With this strong team Mohun Bagan reached both IFA Shield and Durand Cup finals but was undone by Odafa Okolie’s goals in both games.

In I-League, Mohun Bagan dished out their best performance in years, stringing together a 10 match winning streak which remains a record till date. Mohun Bagan failed to win I-League but the highlight of their campaign was 5-3 win over East Bengal.^[95] Edeh Chidi scored four goals in that victory, a new record in the derby. Mohun Bagan was finally able to exact a revenge of their heavy defeat in 1975 IFA Shield final. Mohun Bagan also ended the first decade of the new millennium with a hattrick of Calcutta League titles.

Decline followed by first I-League title (2010-2015)

Mohun Bagan struggled for supremacy in first five years of the new decade. The seasons of Mariners were marked by poor team recruitment which lacked balance and overpaying for players. Mohun Bagan also focused on recruiting star names while ignoring essential areas of the team which needed bolstering. The Green & Maroons foreign players rarely stayed fit or in-form during the season. Some of the foreign stars recruited by Mohun Bagan in this era were Odafa Okolie (a record signing in Indian football in 2011), Muritala Ali and Tolgay Ozbey. These players failed to replicate the form shown in other clubs and as a result Mohun Bagan teams which were often built around them also suffered.

Jose Ramirez Barreto was ageing and finally made his exit in 2012. A crowd of 30,000 turned up in Salt Lake stadium on 6 May 2012 as Barreto played his last match for Mohun Bagan against Pune FC, scoring once. The Brazilian ended his Mohun Bagan career as the first foreigner to score over 200 goals in India fot a particular club and his final tally read 228 goals in 371 matches.

Mohun Bagan endured a phase of five years without a major trophy between 2010 and 2015, the longest such phase since independence. The Mariners were also involved in a dire relegation fight in 2012/13 and 2013/14 I-League seasons and often made their exit at the group stages of Federation Cup. A revolving door of coaches saw established names like Subrata Bhattacharya, Subhash Bhowmick and Karim Bencherifa failed to end the dire times of the club along with younger coaches like Stanley Rosario and Santosh Kashyap.

First I-League Triumph (2014/15)

Mohun Bagan started the 2014/15 season with Subhash Bhowmick in coaching chair. However, poor performance in Calcutta League and Bhowmik’s lack of AFC A license saw Sanjoy Sen, former United SC and Mohammedan SC coach take over the reins before Federation Cup. Mohun Bagan’s Federation Cup campaign didn’t go well and they crashed out of the tournament after a 4-1 loss against Salgaocar.

Before I-League started Sanjoy Sen made some important tactical changes. Pierre Boya, who was struggling as a striker was pulled back in a deeper role, playing behind the lone striker Balwant Singh in a 4-2-3-1 formation. The trident of foreigners – Katsumi Yusa, Pierre Boya and Sony Norde was backed by energetic ball winners like Sehnaj Singh. Led by veteran Bello Razaq and Pritam Kotal Mohun Bagan defence was also strong and composed while young goalkeeper Debjit Mazumdar was extremely consistent in goal.

Mohun Bagan began their campaign with a 3-1 win over Mumbai FC and then strung together an unbeaten streak of 12 matches. This 12 match streak contained a 4-1 victory over defending champions Bengaluru FC with Norde playing a major part and a Debjit Mazumdar inspired derby victory. Mohun Bagan’s run took a body blow in 15th, 16th and 17th rounds when the team picked up just one point from three matches. Back to back home wins created a similar situation like 2001 as Mohun Bagan travelled to Bangalore to take on Bengaluru FC in a match which was effectively a final.

The last match of I-League 2014/15 season was attended by a 23,000 strong crowd in Sree Kanteerva Stadium, Bangalore with a sizable away support for Mohun Bagan. Mohun Bagan dominated the possession and saw a shot from Sony Norde come off the post with Balwant Singh also missing a sitter. Bengaluru F.C. took the lead just before half time through John Johnson. On 86th minute a corner kick from Norde was headed in Bello Rassaq from close range. Mohun Bagan held on to the scoreline to seal their first major trophy in five seasons and first National league title in eleven years.^[96]

Debjit Mazuumdar was awarded "Best Goalkeeper Award" while Sanjoy Sen and Bello Rassaq picked up the "Best Coach" and "Best Defender" awards respectively.

Great scenes of celebrations took place when the Mohun Bagan team returned to Kolkata. By some estimates over 200,000 people gathered in airport, on the streets and Mohun Bagan ground to celebrate this famous victory. FIFA president Sepp Blatter also congratulated Mohun Bagan in a special letter.^[97]

Mohun Bagan then became the first Indian club to qualify for second round of AFC Champions League Qualifiers after defeating Tampines Rovers 3-1 in Kolkata. In second round they lost to Shandong Luneng with a 6-0 scoreline.

References