The Durand Cup started in India in 1888, even before the establishment of Mohun Bagan FC. Durand Cup is not only the first official football tournament in India but also in Asia as well as the third official tournament in the world. The cup has been named after Sir Mortimer Durand, who founded the cup in India.
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The History of Durand cup
Sir Mortimer Durand wanted to instill the importance of physical fitness in the Indian Army and eventually into the Indian public, so he decided to start a football championship and offer a price to the winners. Hence, he started the football cup, which was eventually named after him among the then Indian Army players. Initially, it was confined to just the army man and the army grounds. But, later on, the tournament widened its appeal by the spread of the word and became open for the civilians also. The biggest administrative and decisive changes that the tournament has seen were in 2006 when the Indian Army handed over the administration of the tournament to the civilians.
The British Era
Before Independence, The Durand Cup matches were just reserved for the British Army, the Indian army and various other troops and military forces like Provincial frontier, security regiments and other volunteer regiments. The Indian army players mostly preferred playing hockey as compared to football, but the Nepalese and Gurkha regiment members were interested in football. In 1888 the first-ever Durand cup tournament was played between the then Indian and British army officers.
The Inaugural final match of the first Durand Cup was a Scottish derby played between Royal Scotts Fusiliers vs Highland Light Infantry. The Royal Scotts Fusiliers were the winners of the first-ever Durand cup final.
Durand Cup post Independence
After Independence, the Durand Cup matches were played on the grounds of Shimla. But, then the Army headquarters shifted to Delhi, hence the Durand cup playgrounds were also shifted in Delhi and the matches were played at the Ambedkar Stadium in New Delhi.
The Indian Army teams that play for the Durand cup are Indian Air force, Army Green, Army Red, Indian Navy, Punjab Border Security Force, and Army XI. Army Green won the Durand Cup tournament in 2016 and Army XI won the Durand Cup in 2005.
The Border Security Force sports club is located in Jalandhar Punjab. The team currently plays for Punjab State Super Football League and is known as The Punjab Border Security Force. The team is mainly known for playing in the Durand Cup. The team has won the Durand Cup seven times: in 1968-69, 1971-72, 1973-74, 1975-76, 1976, 1981,1988. The team is one of the strongest contestants in the Durand Cup.
These are the Army teams that are participating in the tournament. The other Prominent teams playing in Durand Cup are Mohun Bagan, East Bengal FC, and The Goa football club teams. In 2003 the Goan team Salgaoncar won the title, then in 2006 Dempo SC defeated JCT mill and won the championship. Another team that has dominated the win over the Durand Cup is the Churchill brothers who have won the tournament in 2007, 2009, and 2011.
The Durand Cup was postponed twice during the two world wars. Other than that the tournament has been played every year until 2016. Then the tournament took a three-year break and was relaunched this year (in 2019) with a new zest and zeal.
The winners of this trophy are given three trophies: The President’s Cup, The Durand Cup, and The Shimla trophy.
List of the Durand Cup Winners:
| Year | Team | Score |
| 1888 | Royal Scotts Fusiliers | 2-1 |
| 1889 | Highland Light Infantry | 8-1 |
| 1890 | Highland Light Infantry | 2-0 |
| 1891 | King’s Own Scottish Borderers | 2-0 |
| 1892 | King’s Own Scottish Borderers | 3-1 |
| 1893 | Highland Light Infantry | 2-1 |
| 1894 | Highland Light Infantry | 2-1 |
| 1895 | Highland Light Infantry | 1-0 |
| 1896 | Somerset Light Infantry | 6-1 |
| 1897 | Black Watch | 1-0 |
| 1898 | Black Watch | 4-0 |
| 1899 | Black Watch | 3-0 |
| 1900 | South Wales Borderers | 2-0 |
| 1901 | South Wales Borderers | 2-1 |
| 1902 | Hampshire Regiment | 2-1 |
| 1903 | Royal Irish Rifles | 2-1 |
| 1904 | North Staffordshire Regiment | 1-0 |
| 1905 | Royal Dragons | 2-0 |
| 1906 | Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) | 2-1 |
| 1907 | Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) | 2-0 |
| 1908 | Lancashire Fusiliers | 2-0 |
| 1909 | Lancashire Fusiliers | 2-0 |
| 1910 | Royal Scotts | 2-0 |
| 1911 | Black Watch | 1-0 |
| 1912 | Royal Scotts | 1-0 |
| 1913 | Lancashire Fusiliers | 2-0 |
| 1914-1919 | The tournament postponed | World War 1 |
| 1920 | Black Watch | 2-0 |
| 1921 | Worcestershire Regiment | 1-0 |
| 1922 | Lancashire Fusiliers | 1-0 |
| 1923 | Cheshire Regiment | 1-0 |
| 1924 | Worcestershire Regiment | 2-0 |
| 1925 | Sherwood Foresters | 2-0 |
| 1926 | Durham Light Infantry | 1-0 |
| 1927 | York and Lancaster Regiment | 1-0 |
| 1928 | Sherwood Foresters | 4-0 |
| 1929 | York and Lancaster Regiment | 3-0 |
| 1930 | York and Lancaster Regiment | 2-0 |
| 1931 | Devonshire Regiment | 3-0 |
| 1932 | King’s Shropshire light infantry | 2-1 |
| 1933 | King’s Shropshire light infantry | 3-0 |
| 1934 | Royal Signals | 3-1 |
| 1935 | Border Regiment | 1-0 |
| 1936 | Argyll and Sutherland highlanders | 2-0 |
| 1937 | Border Regiment | 3-1 |
| 1938 | South Wales Borderer | 2-0 |
| 1939 | Tournament not held | World War II |
| 1940 | Mohammedan sporting club | 2-1 |
| 1941-1949 | Tournament put on hold | World War II and Partition |
| 1950 | Hyderabad city police | 2-2,1-0 |
| 1951 | East Bengal club | 1-1,2-1 |
| 1952 | East Bengal club | 1-0 |
| 1953 | Mohun Bagan AC | 4-0 |
| 1954 | Hyderabad city police | 1-1,1-0 |
| 1955 | Madras Regimental center | 3-2 |
| 1956 | East Bengal club | 2-0 |
| 1957 | Hyderabad City Police | 2-1 |
| 1958 | Madras Regimental Center | 2-0 |
| 1959 | Mohun Bagan AC | 1-1,3-1 |
| 1960 | Mohun Bagan AC and East Bengal club were joint winners | 1-1, 0-0 |
| 1961 | Andhra Pradesh Police | 1-0 |
| 1962 | Tournament postponed | Indo-China war |
| 1963 | Mohun Bagan AC | 0-0,2-0 |
| 1964 | Mohun Bagan AC | 2-0 |
| 1965 | Mohun Bagan AC | 2-0 |
| 1966 | Gorkha Brigade | 2-0 |
| 1967 | East Bengal club | 1-0 |
| 1968 | Border Security Force | 1-0 |
| 1969 | Gorkha Brigade | 1-0 |
| 1970 | East Bengal club | 2-0 |
| 1971 | Border Security force | 0-0,1-0 |
| 1972 | East Bengal club | 0-0,2-0 |
| 1973 | Border Security Force | 2-1 |
| 1974 | Mohun Bagan AC | 3-2 |
| 1975 | Border Security Force | 1-1,2-1 |
| 1976 | Border Security force and JCT mills were joint winners | |
| 1977 | Mohun Bagan AC | `1-1,2-1 |
| 1978 | East Bengal club | 3-0 |
| 1979 | Mohun Bagan AC | 1-0 |
| 1980 | Mohun Bagan AC | 1-0 |
| 1981 | Border Security Force | 1-0 |
| 1982 | Mohun Bagan AC and East Bengal club were joint winners | 0-0 |
| 1983 | JCT Mills | 2-1 |
| 1984 | Mohun Bagan AC | 2-0 |
| 1985 | Mohun Bagan AC | 0-0(aet, 3-2 pens) |
| 1986 | Mohun Bagan AC | 1-0 |
| 1987 | JCT Mills | 1-0 |
| 1988 | Border Security Force | 3-2 |
| 1989 | East Bengal club | 0-0(aet 3-1 pens) |
| 1990 | East Bengal club | 3-2 |
| 1991 | East Bengal club | 1-1 ( aet, 5-3 pens) |
| 1992 | JCT Mills | 1-0 |
| 1993 | East Bengal club | 1-0 |
| 1994 | Mohun Bagan AC | 1-0 |
| 1995 | East Bengal club | 0-0 (aet 4-3pens) |
| 1996 | JCT Mills | 1-0 |
| 1997 | FC Kochin | 3-1 |
| 1998 | Mahindra & Mahindra | 2-1 |
| 1999 | Salgaocar sports club | 0-0 ( aet, 3-2 pens) |
| 2000 | Mohun Bagan Ac | 1-1,1-0 |
| 2001-02 | Mahindra United | 5-0 |
| 2002-03 | East Bengal club | 3-0 |
| 2003-04 | Salgaocar sports club | 1-1 (aet, 4-3 pens) |
| 2004 | East Bengal club | 2-1 |
| 2005 | Army XI | 0-0 (aet, 5-4pens) |
| 2006 | Dempo sports club | 1-0 |
| 2007 | Churchill brothers SC | 1-0 |
| 2008 | Mahindra United | 3-2 |
| 2009 | Churchill brothers SC | 3-1 |
| 2010 | Prayag United | 1-0 |
| 2011 | Churchill Brothers SC | 5-4 |
| 2012 | Air India | 3-2 |
| 2013 | Mohammedan Sporting club | 2-1 |
| 2014 | Salgaocar FC | 1-0 |
| 2016 | Army Green | 0-0 (aet, 6-5 pens) |
| 2019 | Gokulan Kerala | 2-1 |
So, this is all you want to know about the Durand Cup. If you know of something else do let us know in the comment section.
