Calcutta Football League & Durand Cup: Clash of dates causing scheduling issues!

The Indian Football Association (West Bengal) is set to kick-off the 2021 edition of the Calcutta Football League – Premier Division A with 14 clubs divided into two groups of seven teams each.

The IFA is looking to kick-off the CFL – Premier Division A on Wednesday, August 18 and finish it off before Durga Puja’s in October 2021.

But now there is a potential huge scheduling issue with the 2021 Durand Cup set for a September 5 kick-off. The Durand Cup is organised by the Indian Army and they are set to hold the competition for a second time in Kolkata after 2019, which had been won by current I-League champions Gokulam Kerala FC.

For the IFA the issue would be that their top three teams in ATK Mohun Bagan, SC East Bengal and Mohammedan Sporting Club are set to be invited to play the Durand Cup and the clubs would like to play the tournament due to the tough competition by other Indian Super League and I-League teams besides for the fact that all three clubs occupy Army land on the Kolkata Maidans.

On the other hand, the IFA needs to clear the Durand Cup competition as it is being planed to be played in Kolkata again, but they also don’t want to get into any arguments and problems with the Army authorities.

Talks are currently ongoing between the two sides, but what the solution will be is unclear at the moment. The IFA prefers to finish the CFL – Premier Division A in one go with no breaks and they are asking the Army to consider to hold the Durand Cup after the conclusion of the CFL – Premier Division A, while the Army currently wants to stick to their September slot with format and names of teams still unconfirmed.

One will have to wait and see how this scheduling problem is solved.