Tollygunge Agragami

Full name	Tollygunge Agragami Football Club
Nickname(s)	Agragami (The Pioneer)
Short name	TAFC
Founded	1943; 81 years ago (1943) (as Russa Agragami Samity)
Ground	Rabindra Sarobar Stadium
Capacity	22,000
Chairman	Subhankar Ghosh Dostider
Head coach	Arindam Deb
League	CFL Premier Division
Home colours Away colours

Tollygunge Agragami Football Club is an Indian professional multi-sports club known for its football section.^[1][2] It is based in Tollygunge, Kolkata, West Bengal.^[3][4] Founded in 1943 as "Russa Agragami Samity", the club competes in Calcutta Premier Division League.^[5][6][7][8]

Tollygunge Agragami previously participated in the National Football League,^[9][10] then top flight of Indian football league system.^[11][12] Later, they also appeared in I-League 2nd Division.^[13] Beside CFL, the club participates in other regional tournaments alongside the Kolkata giants Mohun Bagan SG, East Bengal and Mohammedan Sporting.^[14]

Tollygunge Agragami, as a football club, founded in Kolkata, India, during the British raj. The team was incorporated in 1943 as Russa Agragami Samity.^[15][16] It was later renamed to "Tollygunge Agragami" in 1955. The club uses Rabindra Sarobar Stadium as its home ground,^[17][18] which has a capacity of 22,000. Although the team has not been as successful as their city rivals, East Bengal Club, Mohun Bagan AC, alongside Mohammedan Sporting, but they are a team to watch out for.^[19][20]

The club in 1971, reached the final of prestigious IFA Shield, but was defeated by Mohamedan Sporting 2–0.^[21][22] The team was then managed by legendary coach Sushil Bhattacharya, who guided them earning promotion to Calcutta Football League first division.^[23][24] Winning the 1997–98 season of the National Football League 2nd Division, is Tollygunge's biggest achievement since their inception. Nepali international Hari Khadka donned in the club colours in 1996–97 season.^[25] Amal Dutta became Tollygunge coach in 1999, helped the club reaching final of the 105th edition of IFA Shield in that year.^[26]

In July 2000, after a brilliant display at the NFL, Tollygunge goalkeeper Prasanta Dora was included in Sukhwinder Singh managed national team of India during their historic England-tour, where they played three matches against English Premier League sides Fulham, West Bromwich Albion, and arch-rival Bangladesh.^[27][28]

Tollygunge Agragami participated in the 2018 Calcutta Premier Division playoffs, finishing tenth. They were relegated to the Calcutta Premier Division B and defeated Mohammedan Sporting by 2–1.^[29] They won two matches, drew two, and lost the rest. They did not qualify for Calcutta Premier Division A in 2019 and 2020.

In 2021, Tollygunge announced Modern Institute of Engineering and Technology as their main sponsor ahead of the 2021–22 Calcutta Premier Division.^[30]

In June 2023, the Indian Football Association (IFA) announced the merger of both Premier Division A and B of the Calcutta Football League, ahead of its 125th edition, in which Tollygunge Agragami was placed within Group I.^{[31][32][33][34]}

In 1998, Tollygunge Agragami emerged as one of the finest sides from Kolkata to participate in the inaugural National Football League, then top tier Indian football league system. They finished as 4th in the Group A of the 1998–99 National Football League with 14 points.^[35] In the 1999–2000 National Football League, they again competed with the top clubs and finished as 8th with 26 points, behind Kingfisher East Bengal.^[36] In the fifth season of the National Football League, the club competed bravely, finishing 8th again with 24 points.^[37] Tollygunge enjoyed their back to back appearances in the top flight league in which they finished 9th in the 2001–02 National Football League (sixth season) with 23 points.^[38][39]

In the 2002–03 National Football League, they again finished 9th with 23 points.^[40] The 2003–04 National Football League^[41] was tough for them, where they finished 10th behind the giants Mohun Bagan A.C. with only 20 points.^[42] In 2004–05 National Football League, Tollygunge relegated after finishing at the bottom with 17 points.^[43] They lost 11 games and won only 3, as East Bengal FC and Vasco SC thrashed Tollygunge by 5–0 respectively and Mohun Bagan rout them by 4–0.^[44][45][46]

In 1999–2000, the club was known as "Manaksia Tollygunge Agragami" due to their sponsorship ties with Manaksia Steel Company.^[47] In January 2003, Indian courier company DTDC Express Limited was unveiled as club's title sponsor.^[48] In 2011, Tollygunge Agragami roped in Kolkata Weir Industries Ltd (KWIL) as their main sponsor.^[49] In 2014, the club entered into a sponsorship of Shree Venkatesh Films, and registered by the name of "Tollygunge Agragami SVF Football Club Private Limited".^{[50][51][52][53][54]}

In 2015, the club acquired service of Trak-Only as their main shirt sponsor.^[55]

The club plays its home matches at the Rabindra Sarobar Stadium which is located in Lake Gardens, Kolkata.^[56][57]

22,000 seater Kishore Bharati Krirangan, located in Jadavpur, was used as the home ground of Tollygunge Agragami for both the National Football League and Calcutta Football League for a long time.^[58][59]

Tollygunge has the rivalries with other two Calcutta Football League sides Kalighat Milan Sangha and Bhawanipore FC, which is often referred to as the "South Kolkata Derby".

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (July 2022)

• Sushil Bhattacharya (1970–1972)^[23]
• Amal Dutta (1999–2000)^[60][61]
• Shankar Mitra (2000–2001)^[62]
• Aloke Mukherjee (2001–2002)^[63][64]
• Chandu Roy Chowdhury (2002)^[65]
• Amal Dutta (2002–2003)^[65]
• Subrata Bhattacharya (2003)^[66][67]
• Krishnendu Roy (2003–2004; 2005)^[68][69][70]
• Swarup Das (2011)^[71]
• Mridul Banerjee (2011–2013)
• Bastob Ray (2013)^[72]
• Subrata Bhattacharya (2013–2014)^[73]
• Ranjan Chaudhuri (2015–2016)^[74][75]
• Monoranjan Bhattacharya (2018)^[76][77]
• Bimal Ghosh (2018–2019)^[77][78]
• Arindam Deb (2023–present)^[79]

For all current and former notable Tollygunge Agragami players with a Wikipedia article, see: Category:Tollygunge Agragami FC players.

World Cup player

• Anthony Wolfe (2017) – appeared at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, representing Trinidad and Tobago.^[80]

Other players

• Ashim Biswas (2001–2003) – won both the IndianFootball.com 'player of the Year' and 'rookie of the year' award with Tollygunge Agragami in 2003.^[81]
• Hari Khadka (1996–1997) – all-time top goalscorer of Nepal.^[82][83]
• Deepak Mondal (2017–2018)^[84][85] – recipient of both the Arjuna Award and AIFF Player of the Year.^{[86][87][88][89][90]}

• National Football League II
  • Champions (1): 1997–98^[91]
• Calcutta Football League
  • Runners-up (2): 1996–97,^[92] 2014^[93]
  • Third place (7): 1997–98,^[94] 1998–99, 1999–00,^[95] 2001,^[96] 2002, 2003,^[97] 2014–15^[98]

• IFA Shield^{[note 1]}
  • Runners-up (2): 1971, 1999^[99]
• All Airlines Gold Cup^[100]
  • Runners-up (3): 1998,^[101] 2000, 2002^[102]
• McDowell's Cup
  • Champions (1): 1999^[103]
• Yamaha Libero Cup
  • Champions (1): 2003^[104][105]

Tollygunge Agragami is having its men's cricket section. It is under the state jurisdiction of Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB),^[106][107] which is governing body of cricket in West Bengal, and competes in CAB First Division League, J.C. Mukherjee T-20 Trophy and other tournaments.^[108][109]

Tollygunge Agragami has a tennis department and the club is an affiliated member of the Bengal Tennis Association (BTA).^[110]

In 1985, Tollygunge Agragami became affiliated with fellow CFL Premier Division side Russa United Club, and formed a football academy alongside operating coaching camps in Kolkata.^[111]

• Football in Kolkata
• List of football clubs in Kolkata
• List of football clubs in India

Bibliography

• Kapadia, Novy (2017). Barefoot to Boots: The Many Lives of Indian Football. Penguin Random House. ISBN 978-0-143-42641-7.
• Martinez, Dolores; Mukharji, Projit B (2009). Football: From England to the World: The Many Lives of Indian Football. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-138-88353-6. Archived from the original on 2 July 2022.
• Dineo, Paul; Mills, James (2001). Soccer in South Asia: Empire, Nation, Diaspora. London, United Kingdom: Frank Cass Publishers. p. 33. ISBN 978-0-7146-8170-2. Archived from the original on 25 July 2022.
• Bandyopadhyay, Kausik (2008). "Football in Bengali culture and society: a study in the social history of football in Bengal 1911–1980". Shodhganga. University of Calcutta. p. 35. hdl:10603/174532. Archived from the original on 7 October 2022. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
• Nath, Nirmal (2011). History of Indian Football: Upto 2009–10. Readers Service. ISBN 9788187891963. Archived from the original on 22 July 2022.
• "Regionalism and club domination: Growth of rival centres of footballing excellence". Soccer & Society. 6:2–3 (2–3). Taylor & Francis: 227–256. 6 August 2006. doi:10.1080/14660970500106410. Archived from the original on 1 March 2023. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
• Majumdar, Boria; Bandyopadhyay, Kausik (2006). A Social History Of Indian Football: Striving To Score. Routledge. ISBN 9780415348355. Archived from the original on 29 June 2021.
• Basu, Jaydeep (2003). Stories from Indian Football. UBS Publishers' Distributors. ISBN 9788174764546. Archived from the original on 11 October 2022.

Other sources

• "IFAWB Clubs: Men's Division (CFL PREMIER DIVISION)". ifawb.org. Indian Football Association. Archived from the original on 9 October 2022. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
• "অমল দত্ত ট্রফি পাচ্ছেন মৃদুল" [Mridul Banerjee to be felicitated with Amal Dutta Trophy]. anandabazar.com. Kolkata: Anandabazar Patrika. 6 October 2016. Archived from the original on 20 July 2023. Retrieved 24 December 2016.
• Menon, Ravi (7 December 1999). "FC Kochin rope in coach Chathunni". expressindia.indianexpress.com. Kochi: The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 19 February 2014. Retrieved 28 January 2014.
• "CFL champions East Bengal score 3–0 win against Tollygunge Agragami!". arunfoot.com. 23 August 2018. Archived from the original on 21 September 2018. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
• Sarkar, Sanjoy (16 July 2023). "তিন বছর পর ক্লাবের মাঠে খেলতে মুখিয়ে নাওরেমরা — হ্যাটট্রিকের অপেক্ষায় সবুজ-মেরুন ব্রিগেড" [After three years, Naorem and others looking forward to play at home — the green-and-maroon brigade waiting for a hat-trick]. bartamanpatrika.com (in Bengali). Kolkata: বর্তমান. Archived from the original on 16 July 2023. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
• "Calcutta Football League Premier Division B — Championship Round". kolkatafootball.com. Kolkata: Kolkata Football News. Archived from the original on 5 April 2023. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
• "Amal Dutta (1930—2016): The forgotten visionary of Indian football". newindianexpress.com. Kolkata: The New Indian Express. 11 July 2016. Archived from the original on 30 December 2023. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
• Mergulhao, Marcus (29 September 2008). "The League of foreign coaches". timesofindia.indiatimes.com. Margao: The Times of India. TNN. Archived from the original on 16 June 2024. Retrieved 28 November 2023.

• Tollygunge Agragami FC at Soccerway
• Tollygunge Agragami FC archives at arunfoot.com (Arunava about football)
• Team info at Global Sports Archive
• Tollygunge Agragami at WorldFootball.net