Real Kashmir FC

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Real Kashmir FC
Official Real Kashmir FC Logo.png
Full nameReal Kashmir Football Club[1]
Nickname(s)Sheeni Seh[2]
(Snow Leopards)
Founded2016; 5 years ago (2016)
GroundTRC Turf Ground
Bakshi Stadium (proposed)
Capacity11,000
OwnerSandeep Chattoo[3]
Head coachDavid Robertson
LeagueI-League
2020–21I-League, 5th of 11
WebsiteClub website
Departments of Real Kashmir FC
Football pictogram.svg Football pictogram.svg Football pictogram.svg
Football
(Men's) 		Football
(Women's)[4] 		Football
(Reserves & Youths)

Real Kashmir Football Club (RKFC) is an Indian professional football club based in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, that competes in I-League, the first tier of Indian football. Nicknamed as the Snow Leopards, Real Kashmir is the first ever club from Kashmir that earned its promotion to compete in any top flight football league of the country.[5][6][7]

History[]

Formation as a club[]

The seeds of Real Kashmir FC were sowed in 2014 after devastating floods swept through the region causing massive loss of life and property. To keep the youth, who had lost much during the floods -- engaged, Shamim Mehraj, editor of a local newspaper named " Kashmir Monitor", and Sandeep Chattoo, a local businessman, came together to arrange footballers.[8][9]

What began as a community outreach programme garnered massive support from the local populace and it soon started evolving into something more. Real Kashmir FC as a club, formalised in 2016,[10] and affiliated with Jammu & Kashmir Football Association under the tireless efforts by Chattoo, currently the owner of the club.[11] Founded in 2016, Real Kashmir FC emerged as the first ever top flight professional football club in Jammu and Kashmir, the most militarized zone on Earth.[12]

Participation in tournaments[]

Shortly after its formation, the club participated in their first national competition in September 2016 when they competed in the 2016 Durand Cup.[13] In July 2017, Real Kashmir became the first club from Jammu & Kashmir to play on foreign soil by playing 4 matches in Scotland. They have been participating in all four categories of the AIFF.

In May 2018,[14] Real Kashmir FC earned promotion to the I-League by winning the 2017–18 I-League 2nd Division after defeating Hindustan FC in the final game of the season by a score of 3–2.[15][16][17]

On 30 May 2018, Real Kashmir became champions of the I-League 2nd Division. This was only their second season at this level, after the club's inception in 2016, earning promotion to the I-League for the first time ahead of the 2018–19 season.

In August 2018, the Real Kashmir FC youth team travelled to Germany for pre-season training with one of the best football clubs in the world: Borussia Dortmund (BVB). The youth team visited the training centers where official BVB teams train. They also visited the famous BVB stadium Westfalenstadion.

On 19 December 2020, the Snow Leopards, as they are fondly called, added another golden chapter in their short yet eventful history by winning the 123rd edition of the IFA Shield tournament, defeating George Telegraph in Kolkata.[18] It is the first major domestic triumph since their inception in 2016.

For I-League 2021, they borrowed three players (Danish Farooq Bhat, Adnan Ayoub, Farhan Ganie) from J&K Bank Football Club.[19][20] In the 2020–21 I-League, the club finished their campaign in fifth place (Play-off), accumulating 21 points with 5 wins in 15 matches.[21][22]

Worldwide attention[]

Real Kashmir have received international acclaim following their participation in a BBC Scotland documentary named "Return to Real Kashmir FC" that followed the team and their Scottish manager David Robertson,[23][24] which won the 'Single Documentary' category at the British Academy Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) or BAFTA Film Awards Scotland.[25]

Kit manufacturers and shirt sponsors[]

Period Kit manufacturer Main shirt sponsor Minor sponsor
2016–2018 None Hotel Ch2 Kashmir Monitor
2018–present Adidas[26]

"Through sport, we have the power to change lives and the Real Kashmir team is a great example of this. Real Kashmir and its players have shown dedication and perseverance under difficult circumstances and we are proud to support them as they create history."

— Dave Thomas, MD of Adidas India, expressed on a positive future with RKFC[27]

On 22 October 2018, Adidas India announced its official partnership with Real Kashmir Football Club, the first football team from the Kashmir valley to qualify for the country's top tier I-League. Beginning with the 2018–2019 I-league season, Adidas became the official kit partner for the club. Also, beyond kit sponsorship, Adidas India aims at redefining the ‘Real’ Kashmir through the lens of sports and becoming a proponent of changing lives in Kashmir through football.[28][27]

Stadium[]

Real Kashmir FC are currently using 11,000 seater TRC Polo Synthetic Turf Ground in Sri Nagar, as their home ground until the renovation of Bakshi Stadium.[29] Since 2015, the ground is being used in the I-League 2nd Division as the home ground for their rival Lonestar Kashmir and I-League for Real Kashmir. The ground is operated by the Jammu & Kashmir Football Association and renovated in 2015.[30] It has artificial turf.

Current squad[]

As of 14 August 2021

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
2 DF India IND Arjun Naghial
3 DF Scotland SCO Mason Robertson (captain)
8 MF India IND
12 MF India IND Farhan Ganie
13 DF India IND Dharmaraj Ravanan
14 DF India IND
15 FW India IND Robin Singh (on loan from Hyderabad)
17 MF India IND Samuel Kynshi
18 DF India IND Abhash Thapa
20 MF India IND Vicky Meitei
21 DF India IND Sena Ralte
No. Pos. Nation Player
19 MF India IND Adnan Ayoub
22 GK India IND Ujawar Nabi Bhat
24 DF India IND Shahid Nazir
27 GK India IND
28 MF India IND Shakir Ahmad Shaikh
29 MF India IND Asifullah Khan
33 MF India IND Hyder Yousuf
— DF India IND Basit Ahmed Bhat
— DF India IND Abdul Jack Yule
— MF India IND Shahnawaz Bashir
— FW India IND Rohit Jhamat
— FW India IND Ifham Tariq Mir

Out On loan[]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
16 MF India IND Chesterpoul Lyngdoh (on loan to Ryntih)

Current technical staff[]

As of 28 July 2017
Position Name
Head coach Scotland David Robertson
Assistant coach Scotland Jimmy Lindsay
Goalkeeping coach Scotland Jonathan Craig

Club records[]

Season Div. Tms. Pos. Attendance/G Federation Cup/Super Cup Durand Cup AFC Champions League AFC Cup
2016–17 I-League 2nd Division 12 G3 600 DNP Group stage DNP DNP
2017–18 I-League 2nd Division 18 1 2,109 DNP DNP DNP DNP
2018–19 I-League 11 3 11,206 Round of 16 DNP DNP DNP
2019–20 I-League 11 4 8687 DNP Semi Final DNP DNP
2020–21 I-League 11 DNP DNP DNP DNP
  • Attendance/G = Average league attendance

Seasons[]

As of 3 March 2019
Year League Federation
Cup
Division P W D L GF GA Pts Pos.
2016–17 I-League 2nd Division 6 3 0 3 7 8 9 PR —
2017–18 I-League 2nd Division 13 8 5 0 23 14 29 Champions —
2018–19 I-League 20 10 7 3 25 14 36 3rd —

PR: Preliminary Round

Top scorer[]

As of 30 May 2018
Season Player Goals
2016–17 Ivory Coast Lago Dogbo Bei 4
2017–18 Ivory Coast Kouassi Yao
India Atinder Mani
India Ritwik Kumar Das
India Danish Farooq Bhat
India Ifham Tariq Mir 		4
2018–19 India Surchandra Singh 3

Head coaching record[]

updated on 19 February 2020

Name Nationality From To P W D L GF GA Win%
David Robertson  Scotland 2016[31] present 70 34 20 16 96 64 048.57

Notable former players[]

For current and former notable Real Kashmir FC players with a Wikipedia article see Real Kashmir FC players

Women's team[]

In September 2020, Real Kashmir FC launched women’s development initiative named She Power Programme, in collaboration with Delhi Public School, for U-14 and U-10 girls teams.[32][33] Senior team was announced in August 2021.

Honours[]

League[]

3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Third Place (1): 2018–19[34]
1st place, gold medalist(s) Champions (1): 2017–18[35]

Cup[]

The IFA Shield won by Real Kashmir on one occasion in 2020
Simple cup icon.svg Winners (1): 2020[36]
  • Kashmir Invitational Cup
Simple cup icon.svg Winners (2): 2008 (Joint winners with Punjab F.C.), 2018[37]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Real Kashmir Football Club team info, matches, transfers and archive Archived 2 February 2021 at the Wayback Machine Global Sports Archive. Retrieved 26 March 2021
  2. ^ "Real Kashmir fc nicknamed the snow leopard or sheenishe in local tongue". twitter.com. Real Kashmir F.C. Archived from the original on 20 July 2021. Retrieved 16 December 2018.
  3. ^ "David Robertson and family could be heading home - Sandeep Chattoo". sportstar.thehindu.com. Archived from the original on 20 December 2020. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
  4. ^ PTI. "RKFC forms an all-women's football team in Kashmir". Sportstar. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  5. ^ "Real Kashmir all set for I-League debut". thehindu.com. The Hindu. Archived from the original on 3 December 2019. Retrieved 31 October 2018.
  6. ^ "I-League 2nd Division Fixtures". The Indian League. 17 December 2016. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 18 December 2016.
  7. ^ "Real Kashmir makes history after booking I-League berth". espn.in. 30 May 2018. Archived from the original on 2 June 2018. Retrieved 30 May 2018.
  8. ^ "Real Kashmir FC: How the Snow Leopards chased down an impossible dream". OlympicChannel.com. Archived from the original on 22 January 2021. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
  9. ^ "Un'real' Kashmir — How a Muslim and a Pundit is giving hope to an entire nation". The Bridge. Archived from the original on 20 July 2021. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
  10. ^ India - List of Foundation Dates RSSSF. Retrieved 17 August 2021
  11. ^ "Real Kashmir: Its dreams and challenges". Sportstar.theHindu.com. Archived from the original on 18 December 2020. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
  12. ^ "Real Kashmir Football Club from the Kashmir valley to the top flight of Indian football". Anandabazar Patrika. Archived from the original on 1 March 2021. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
  13. ^ Ghosh, Sayan (7 November 2016). "Real Kashmir FC like a whiff of fresh air in troubled Valley". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 18 December 2016.
  14. ^ "FC Pune City 'B' share spoils with Real Kashmir, FC Kerala defeat Madhya Bharat". Goal.com. 21 March 2018. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
  15. ^ "Eighteen Teams Will Contest In Second Division League 2017-18". I-League. 20 February 2018. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  16. ^ "2nd Division I-League: Real Kashmir promoted to I-League". goal.com. 30 May 2018. Retrieved 30 May 2018.
  17. ^ "Real Kashmir makes history after booking I-League berth". espn.in. 30 May 2018. Retrieved 30 May 2018.
  18. ^ "IFA Shield 2020 FULL MATCH - Real Kashmir make history, beat George Telegraph in final". thefangarage.com. Archived from the original on 22 January 2021. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
  19. ^ "ShieldSquare Captcha". validate.perfdrive.com. Archived from the original on 28 January 2021. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
  20. ^ J&K Bank's star trio to join Real Kashmir FC in I-League in Kolkata Archived 20 July 2021 at the Wayback Machine The Times of India. Retrieved 26 March 2021
  21. ^ "Real Kashmir end I-League campaign with victory against Mohammedan Sporting". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 20 July 2021. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
  22. ^ "I-League: Real Kashmir end campaign with victory against Mohammedan Sporting". The Bridge. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
  23. ^ "BBC iPlayer - Real Kashmir FC". Bbc.co.uk. 26 February 2019. Archived from the original on 2 March 2019. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
  24. ^ "Return to Real Kashmir FC review – football, fighting and feral dogs". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 11 December 2020. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
  25. ^ "Real Kashmir FC's BBC Documentary Wins at BAFTA Scotland". News18.com. Archived from the original on 30 July 2020. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
  26. ^ "Real Kashmir FC: Official Website". Real Kashmir FC. Archived from the original on 12 December 2020. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
  27. ^ Jump up to: a b "Adidas India and Real Kashmir Football Club Announce Official Partnership". www.sportskeeda.com. sportskeeda. Archived from the original on 4 November 2018. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
  28. ^ "A true story TheRealKashmir FC supported by adidas". www.youtube.com. Real Kashmir FC. Archived from the original on 3 November 2018. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
  29. ^ Real Kashmir's TRC Turf Ground becomes the first group in Jammu and Kashmir to receive floodlights Archived 6 May 2021 at the Wayback Machine Outlook India. Retrieved 26 March 2021
  30. ^ "J&K gets its first synthetic turf football stadium". 3 September 2014.
  31. ^ "Real Kashmir FC sign Scottish coach for I-League 2nd division". Times Of India. 2 January 2017. Archived from the original on 17 March 2017. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
  32. ^ "Real Kashmir FC launches She Power initiative". Greater Kashmir. 20 September 2020. Archived from the original on 28 October 2020. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
  33. ^ "RKFC announces Women's Football Development Programme". Rising Kashmir. 22 September 2020. Archived from the original on 4 October 2020. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
  34. ^ 2018–19 I-League table standings Archived 10 May 2021 at the Wayback Machine https://amp.sportsmole.co.uk Archived 8 May 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 8 May 2021
  35. ^ "2nd Division I-League: Real Kashmir promoted to I-League". goal.com. 30 May 2018. Archived from the original on 5 June 2018. Retrieved 30 May 2018.
  36. ^ "IFA Shield 2020 FULL MATCH Real Kashmir Make History, Beat George Telegraph In Final | The Fan Garage (TFG)". thefangarage.com. 19 December 2020. Archived from the original on 22 January 2021. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  37. ^ Jammu & Kashmir invitational cup - archives: Bengaluru FC B losing 2-3 to Real Kashmir Archived 20 July 2021 at the Wayback Machine Arunava About Football. Retrieved 28 February 2021

External links[]

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