The Mumbai Football League, also known as the Harwood League, is organised by the Mumbai Football Association (MFA), as a ladder-based competition involving a total of five divisions and over 300 teams. It is the top football league in Mumbai and the second-oldest football league in Asia after Calcutta Football League.
The league was named after colonel Harwood who founded the Bombay Football Association and became first president.
Structure Maharashtra State LeagueTierDivision1(Maharashtra football pyramid)Maharashtra State Senior Men's Football League↑promote (I-League 3) ↓relegateMumbai Football League1(Mumbai football pyramid)Mumbai Premier League↑promote ↓relegate2(Mumbai football pyramid)Mumbai Super League↑promote ↓relegate3(Mumbai football pyramid)MFA First Division Championship↑promote ↓relegate4(Mumbai football pyramid)MFA Second Division Championship↑promote ↓relegate5(Mumbai football pyramid)MFA Third Division Championship↑promote
Maharashtra State Senior Men's Football League
Mumbai Premier League
Mumbai Premier League, formerly known as the MFA Elite Division or MDFA Elite Division, is the first tier of the Mumbai Football League competition.History: The Harwood League . wifa.in. Retrieved 17 August 2021. In March 2022, the Mumbai Premier League was rechristened as the Harwood Premier League, on the lines of the name that was once associated with the Mumbai's top division football, stretching back to 1902.
Mumbai Super League The Mumbai Super League, formerly known as the MFA Super Division or MDFA Super Division, is the second tier of the Mumbai Football League competition, organized by the Mumbai District Football Association. The top two teams from super six of the Mumbai Super League get promoted to the Mumbai Premier League. The last-placed teams in the groups get relegated to the First Division. It is contested by 37 teams. The current champions are Mumbai City U19 and India on Track are runners-up.
Format All the 37 teams are divided into three groups. Two groups with 12 teams and one with 13. The top two teams from each group will advance to the playoffs (super six). The points and goals scored in the preliminary phase will not be carried forward to the next round. The top two teams at the end of the league will be promoted to the Mumbai Premier League.
First Division Championship
All the teams in the division will be divided into five groups and shall play a preliminary phase of round-robin games. The top two teams from each group will advance to the post-season playoffs. The points and goals scored in the preliminary phase will not be carried forward to the next round. The team standing first and second after the completion of the round-robin playoff league shall be declared the winner and runner-up and will be promoted to the Super Division. The teams in last place in each group after the completion of the preliminary league will be demoted to the Division Two.
Second Division Championship
All the teams in the division will be divided into six or more groups and shall play a preliminary phase of round-robin games. The top two teams from each group will advance to the post-season playoffs. The points and goals scored in the preliminary phase will not be carried forward to the next round. The post season playoffs will include a league phase followed by a single-leg knock out format to decide who will contest the Division Two final. All eight quarter-finalists will be promoted to the Division One
Third Division Championship
All the teams in the division will be divided into eight or more groups and shall play a preliminary phase of round-robin games. The top two/three teams from each group will advance to the post-season playoffs. The points and goals scored in the preliminary phase will not be carried forward to the next round. The post season playoffs will include a league phase followed by a single-leg knock out format to decide who will contest the Division Three final.
Champions YearChampionNote1902 Oxfordshire Light Infantry1903 Royal Garrison Artillery1904 Cheshire Regiment1905 Yorkshire Regiment1906 Royal Scots190719081909 Gloucestershire Regiment1910 Royal Garrison Artillery1911 Royal Warwickshire Regiment1912 Royal Army Temperance Association1913 Sherwood Foresters19141915 Royal Garrison Artillery1916–1920NoneNot held1921 King's Shropshire Light Infantry19221923 Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers1924 West Yorkshire Regiment19251926 South Staffordshire Regiment1927 Cheshire Regiment1928 Royal Ulster Rifles1929 Royal Warwickshire Regiment1930 Duke of Wellington's Regiment19311932 King's Own Scottish Borderers1933 Royal Irish Fusiliers1934 Royal Artillery (Colaba)1935 Durham Light Infantry19361937 Cheshire Regiment19381939 South Lancashire Regiment1940 Welch Regiment1941 Y.M.C.A.1942 Western India Automobile Association StaffFirst native club to win the league.19431944 Embarkation Headquarters1945 Tata Sports Club1946 Trades India Sports Club1947Trades India Sports Club1948Tata Sports Club1949Trades India Sports Club1950Tata Sports Club1951India Culture League19521953Tata Sports Club1954Indian Navy1955NoneAbandoned1956Burmah-Shell Sports Club1957Indian Navy1958Tata Sports Club1959Western Railway SC1960Tata Sports Club19611962Western Railway SC1963Central Railway SC1964Tata Sports Club1965Central Railway SC1966Tata Sports Club19671968Mafatlal Group19691970Mahindra & Mahindra1971Mafatlal Group19721973Tata Sports Club1974–751975–76Mafatlal Group19761977Orkay Mills1978–79Mafatlal Group1979Tata Sports Club1980Orkay Mills1981Century Rayon FC1982Mahindra & Mahindra1983Mafatlal Mills1984Mahindra & Mahindra19851986Bank of India (Mumbai)1987Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilisers (RCF)1988Orkay Mills1989Union Bank of India Two separate leagues ran in competition to each other. The BDFA league retained the right to use the name "Harwood League", while the best teams eventually migrated to the WIFA league. 1990–99WIFA League, Super DivisionBDFA/MDFA League (The Harwood League)1990Bank of India (Mumbai)Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilisers (RCF)1991Central BankUnited Boys (Sahar)1992Air IndiaCentral Railway SC1993Bank of India (Mumbai)ONGC (Oil & Natural Gas Commission)1994Air IndiaCarmelites SC1995Mahindra & MahindraCentral Railway SC1996Air IndiaRoyal Caterers1997Abandoned1998Bengal MumbaiVillage Amboli1999Air Indiaunknown (Holy Family/Chembur English/Rhino) In 2000, the two leagues merged when MDFA and WIFA resolved their various disputes. The resultant league has since been run by the MDFA (affiliated to WIFA), with the restored title of The Harwood League. Mumbai Football League Elite Division / Mumbai Premier League2000Mahindra United2001–022002200320042005Maharashtra State Police2006–07Mahindra United2007–082008–092009–10Air India2010–11Mumbai2011–12ONGC2012–13NoneNot held2013–14Air India2014–152015–16ONGC2016–17Air India 2017–18ONGC2018–19Mumbai Customs2019–20Karnataka Sporting Association (KSA)2020–21NoneCancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic in India2021–22Ambernath United Atlanta2022–232023–24MYJ–GMSC2024–25India On Track FCSource: Mumbai (Bombay) League champions
See also Western India Football Association Mumbai Football Association Rovers Cup Nadkarni Cup Pune Football League
References
Further reading
External links of the Mumbai Football Association