Viva Kerala Football Club (also known as Chirag United Club Kerala)[2] was an Indian professional association football club based in the city of Kochi, Kerala, India.[3][4][5] The club was originally formed in 2004, as Viva Kerala.[6] They participated in the National Football League,[7][8] and later in the I-League,[9][10] then the top tier of Indian football league system,[11] alongside the Kerala Premier League.[12] The club was dissolved in 2012.[13]
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Full name | Viva Kerala Football Club[1] | ||
---|---|---|---|
Short name | VKFC | ||
Founded | 9 May 2004 | (as Viva Kerala)||
Dissolved | 2012 | ||
Ground | EMS Corporation Stadium Jawahar Municipal Stadium Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium | ||
Capacity | 80,000 (EMS Stadium) 30,000 (JM Stadium) 80,000 (JLN Stadium) | ||
Owner | Chirag United Sports Pvt Ltd | ||
Described as one of the most talented and youngest sides in I-League,[14][15] Viva Kerala was one of the unluckiest sides in domestic league history.[16][17] The club was briefly managed by noted Indian coach T. K. Chatunni.[18][19] They got dissolved in 2012.
History
Formation and journey
Chirag United Club Kerala was formed on 8 August 2004 in Kochi.[20][21] The club officially took off on 19 August in a ceremony at the FACT grounds. The team was predominantly formed by a group of businessmen who felt the need for the state's representation in country's domestic top flight league, the National Football League (NFL).[22] Viva Kerala's name is the result of a contest, won by Dr. P Ramakrishnan of Ernakulam.[23] The club became registered with Ernakulam District Football Association.[24] Later known as "Chirag Kerala", the club won the 2005–06 season of Kerala State Football League,[25] it's only regional title. In September 2006, they emerged victorious in Tirur All-India Football Tournament in Tirur, beating Travancore Titanium XI 1–0.[26] They also reached the final of E. K. Nayanar Memorial Football Gold Cup in 2007 but lost at the end to the visiting Ghanaian club Nania Accra, by 3–0 margin.[27]
In 2007, the opportunity for an NFL spot came in the way of Second Division NFL.[28] Viva Kerala surprised everyone by finishing second in its group and qualified for the final phase.[29] In the final phase, they finished as runners-up of the Second Division NFL to book their place in the I-League 2007–08 on 6 April 2007.[23][30] The club along with Salgaocar, were relegated to 2nd division at the end of I-league 2007–08, for the first time in the league history.[31] In the next season, Viva Kerala were promoted to the 2009–10 I-League,[32][33][34][35][36] after finishing runners-up in 2009 I-League 2nd Division.[37][38][39] In 2010, it was announced that I-League clubs needed to complete the AFC club licensing criteria; Viva Kerala signed P. K. Kunhikrishnan (A-licensed coach) as the new head coach.[40] In August 2011, Chirag Computers was announced as the to be new majority owners and the club name would change to Chirag United Club Kerala.[23]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Pradeep_and_chintha.jpg/220px-Pradeep_and_chintha.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7b/TKarma.jpg/220px-TKarma.jpg)
In June 2011, Kolkata-based Chirag Computers bought the financially troubled Viva Kerala. They took over a 60% stake in the club while original owners retained a 40% stake. They also changed the name of the club to Chirag United Club Kerala.[41] Chirag Computers have also said that they might move the team to Kolkata if they do not find a suitable stadium in Kerala.[42] The name of the team was officially changed to Chirag United Club Kerala on 6 August 2011. While the new owners announced that team will be based in Kerala for the 2011–12 I-League, there were talks of shifting the team to Kolkata after the season. This would leave the state of Kerala without representation in the I-League.[43] Many supporters of the club had come out strongly against this idea.
Last season (2011–12)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/86/VivaDefence.jpg/300px-VivaDefence.jpg)
Chirag was eliminated from the Federation Cup in the group stages when they lost all three group D matches;[44] Team coach K. P. Kunhikrishan was replaced by Sri Lankan manager Mohamed Nizam Packeer Ally.[45][46] He guided the team in I-League.[47] Pakir was sacked in February after a poor run; Ananta Kumar Ghosh was appointed coach while Biswajit Bhattacharya was appointed technical director.[48] Chirag finished second to last at 12th in the 2011–12 I-League season, Pailan Arrows had finished 13th were exempted from relegation as a "developmental team", and so Chirag relegated.[49][50][51][52][53] Though in that season, they achieved fame after giving a tough fight to Campeonato Brasileiro Série A club Botafogo in their 1–0 defeat at a group stage match in 2012 IFA Shield.[2] Players may have had difficulty being paid when Chirag Computers may not have released sponsorship money to the club, and the reason why club got dissolved.[54][55][56][57]
Club crest and kits
Crest
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/6e/Chirag_United_Club_Kerala.jpg/150px-Chirag_United_Club_Kerala.jpg)
The Chirag crest was very colourful. It shows a yellow shield with the words "Chirag United Kerala", which is imposed over a Coconut tree and a Soccer ball.[58][59]
Kit manufacturers and shirt sponsors
Period | Kit Manufacturers | Shirt Sponsor |
---|---|---|
2004–2010 | Adidas | |
2010–2011 | Musli Power X-tra[60] | |
2011–2012 | RP Clothing | Chirag Computers[61] |
Stadiums
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1b/Kozhikode_EMS_Stadium.jpg/220px-Kozhikode_EMS_Stadium.jpg)
Ever since their creation Chirag United Kerala have used multiple stadiums in Kerala.[24] For their first three I-League seasons Chirag used the Municipal Corporation Stadium which holds a capacity of 80,000 in Kozhikode,[62][63][64] and Jawahar Municipal Stadium which holds a capacity of 30,000 in Kannur.[65]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b8/Jawaharlal_Nehru_Stadium_%28Kochi%29.jpg/220px-Jawaharlal_Nehru_Stadium_%28Kochi%29.jpg)
They then after getting bought by Chirag Computers decided to move to the Jawarharlal Nehru International Stadium in Kochi which boasts a capacity of 70,000 and has working floodlights.[2] They played all their home games of 2011–12 I-League at the Jawarharlal Nehru International Stadium.[2]
Rivalries
Chiang United Kerala shared rivalries with other Kerala-based clubs including Kerala Police FC, SBI Kerala,[66] FC Kochin, Travancore Titanium XI and Quartz Calicut,[67][68][69] whom they faced in both the domestic and regional leagues.
Ownership
The club was established in 2004 by a group of businessmen with an objective to represent Kerala in higher circles of domestic football in India.[70] Interestingly, the name of the club was arrived upon through a public contest organised by the promoters of the club.[71][72]
The club was run by Musli Power X-tra Kunnath Pharmaceuticals. In July 2011, Chirag Computers came in and brought full stake in the club, changing the name to "Chirag United Club Kerala".[73][74][75]
Notable players
The following foreign players of Viva Kerala have been capped at senior/youth international level, with their respective countries. Years in brackets indicate their spells at the club.
Georji Ventseslavov Bizev (2006–2007)[76]
Yaw Amankwah Mireku (2007–2008)[77][78]
Wisdom Abbey (2007–2008)[79][80]
Wisoot Bunpeng (2009)[81]
Peter Opiyo (2009–2010)[82]
Charles Dzisah (2009–2011)[83][84]
Bello Razaq (2009–2012)[85]
Karma Tsewang (2010–2011)[nb 1][86]
Mohamed Kallon (2011)[87][88]
Simon Azoulay Pedersen (2011–2012)[89]
Isaac Boakye (2012)[90]
Managerial history
Name | Nationality | Years | Note |
---|---|---|---|
T. K. Chathunni | ![]() | 2004–2006 | [91] |
A. M. Sreedharan | ![]() | 2006–2010 | [92] |
K. P. Kunhikrishan | ![]() | 2010–2011 | [93] |
Mohamed Nizam Packeer Ally | ![]() | 2011–2012 | [94] |
Ananta Kumar Ghosh | ![]() | 2012 | [95] |
Honours
League
- National Football League II
- Runners-up (1): 2006–07[96]
- I-League 2nd Division
- Kerala Football League
- Kerala State Club Football Championship
- Runners-up (1): 2005[100]
- National Football League III (South Zone)
Cup
See also
Footnotes
References
Cited sources
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.
- Nath, Nirmal (2011). History of Indian Football: Upto 2009–10. Readers Service. ISBN 9788187891963. Archived from the original on 22 July 2022.
- 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.
- Shreekumar, S. S. (15 August 2020). THE BEST WAY FORWARD FOR INDIA'S FOOTBALL. HSRA Publications. p. 244. ISBN 9788194721697. Archived from the original on 4 February 2023. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
- Sharma, Nikhil Paramjit; Gupta, Shantanu (4 February 2019). India's Football Dream. SAGE Publications India. ISBN 9789353283063. Archived from the original on 4 October 2022. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
Further reading
- Bhutani, Rahul (14 May 2018). "Chirag United and United Sikkim: The Two Extremes of Indian Football". thehardtackle.com. The Hard Tackle. Archived from the original on 14 July 2012. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
- "Football — the passion play in Kolkata". ibnlive.in. IBN Live. 13 December 2011. Archived from the original on 11 January 2012. Retrieved 11 August 2014.
- "Viva Kerala signs british born Patrick Sisupalan". footballkerala.com. Archived from the original on 16 August 2011. Retrieved 16 June 2009.
- "Can Viva Kerala prove their mettle this time?". The New Indian Express. 15 May 2012. Archived from the original on 28 April 2023. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
- "Viva Kerala pulls out from IFA Shield". indianfootball.com. Archived from the original on 21 November 2020. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
- "Senyo sparkles in Indian league". ghanasoccernet.com. Modern Ghana. 30 October 2009. Archived from the original on 8 August 2018.
- Sengupta, Rahul (17 January 2010). "I-League: Viva Ride Reuben Goal To Win At Home". Goal.com. Archived from the original on 8 August 2018.
- Easwar, Nisanth V (12 May 2020). "Down the memory lane: The magnificent Kerala Police of the 1980–90s". Goal.com. Archived from the original on 5 September 2021. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
- R, Ramu (20 February 2020). "For TTPL, football and volleyball teams are a distant dream". The New Indian Express. Thiruvananthapuram. Express News Service. Archived from the original on 5 September 2021. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
- "Dempo rope in Anil Kumar". The Times of India. Margao. PTI. 18 June 2011. Archived from the original on 19 April 2012.
- George, Arun. "Chirag United Kerala regains its striker". Deccan Chronicle. Archived from the original on 11 December 2011. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
- Noronha, Anselm. "Sporting Clube De Goa 2–0 Chirag United Kerala – James Moga And Victorino Fernandes Score for the Home Side". goal.com. Archived from the original on 22 January 2012. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
- "Chirag United Kerala 1–1 Salgaocar SC – Packeer Ali's Side Pick A Point Against The Defending Champions". goal.com. Archived from the original on 3 February 2012. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
- "Chirag Kerala 1–3 Mohun Bagan: Okolie comes to the rescue again as the Mariners grab all three points". goal.com. Archived from the original on 1 May 2012. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
- "Lajong, Pune FC in I-League". The Times of India. TNN. 19 April 2009. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 20 October 2013.
- Chatterjee, Arup (4 August 2011). "United SC ink deal with new sponsor". The Times of India. Kolkata: Times of India. TNN. Archived from the original on 15 April 2022. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
- "Josco FC to build soccer city". newindianexpress.com. Kochi: The New Indian Express. 26 March 2010. Archived from the original on 24 September 2021. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
- Ghoshal, Amoy (1 July 2011). "Players To Watch: India Under-23's Saba Saleel". Goal.com. Goal.com. Archived from the original on 15 October 2012. Retrieved 5 May 2012.
External links
- Chirag United Kerala at Soccerway
- Chirag United Kerala at WorldFootball.net
- Chirag United Kerala at Everything For Football (archived 5 May 2022)
- Viva Kerala FC on X
- Chirag United Kerala at Global Sports Archive
- Viva Kerala FC at FootballKerala.com (archived 16 October 2009)