Air India (football club)
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| Full name | Air India Football Club |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Pilots |
| Founded | 1952 |
| Owner | Air India |
| 2012–13 | I-League, 13th (Relegated) |
Air India FC, is an Indian professional football club founded by Anand Prajapati in 1952, based in Mumbai, Maharashtra. They are sponsored by Air India and have enjoyed some success in the Mumbai Football League.
Founded in 1952, Air India Football Club is one of the oldest institutional sides in the country. Though never considered as frontrunners in the I-League, the Mumbai-based club has often proved to be a thorn in the flesh for many top sides. They used to play in NFL 2nd Division but got promoted to Premier Division and have maintained their position there till now. Generally a low budget side, Air India’s best finish in the National Football League (now I-League) came in the 1997–1998 season when they were placed sixth in the table and their coach Bimal Ghosh received the Best coach award.
Four times champions in the local league in Mumbai, Air India are best known for nurturing youngsters into big time players. Many of these boys have played with distinction for bigger teams in the later years.
Air India FC had been playing in the Premier Harwood League since 1980. The team though qualified for the National Football League in 1995. In 1996 the club finished 6th in the League and then 5th in 1997.
After being relegated to the second division in 1998, Air India paved their way back into the first division the next year and played in the National Football League in 2000 as well. The years 2001 to 2004 saw Air India going through a tough phase as they were playing in the second division. In 2005 the team qualified to the National Football League first division and then 2007 saw Air India finishing 7th and were the Mumbai Harwood Champions in 2005.
On 25 February 2012 it was announced that parent company Air India do not have any plans on fulfilling the AFC Criteria required to play in the league and thus may fold the club by the end of the 2011–12 I-League season.
Air India has always used a crest different from the logo of the parent company. For the 2011–12 season, however, Air India used the parent logo on both the home and away jersey.
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