Tamil Nadu Football Association

The first football tournament in Madras was held in 1894 with 10 teams from all over the country.[3] From the year 1895, the Madras Gymkhana Club hosted an annual tournament at Madras. The winning team gets the EK Chetty Cup. Regimental units like Queens Own Regiment, Lancashire Fusiliers, 2nd Battalion the Dorsetshire Regiment, and 5th Field Battery - Royal Regiment of Artillery participated in the tournament. The EK Chetty Cup was won by regimental teams till 1933. The Pachaiyappa High School became the first Indian and non-military team to win it. The South Indian Athletic Association instituted the Jatprole Cup tournament.[4]

Madras Football Association was formed in October 1933, with jurisdiction for the whole of the original undivided State of Madras, including the present Andhra and Kerala States, by the members of the Madras United Club - a body founded by sport loving Indians.[5] Madras Football Association League championship was started in 1934. Pachaiyappa's Football Club won the inaugural 1934-35 League Championship. The Gymkhana Club became a member of the MFA. The MFA started conducting the First Division League Football matches from 1936, and the Second Division from 1937. In the year 1972, Madras city clubs formed a separate Association, and in the year 1978, a central controlling body for all the District, naming it as "Tamilnadu Football Association".

N. Vittal served as the president of Tamil Nadu Football Association. He also served as the vice-president of All India Football Federation. T.R. Govindarajan served as the secretary of the TFA.[6]

Some of the tournaments conducted by the TFA are Vittal trophy,[7] Champions Trophy - Universal Cup,[8] and TFA Shield.[9] At present, all these three tournaments are not conducted.[10] The major leagues in the Tamil Nadu happens in districts like Chennai, and Madurai. Chennai district league is conducted by Chennai Football Association (CFA), and the Madurai district league is conducted by Madurai District Football Association. The Tiruvallur District Football Association conducted the Don Bosco - Fr. McFerran Trophy All India Football Tournament as sanctioned by the Tamil Nadu Football Association and All India Football Federation (AIFF).[11]

Chennai Football Association has 96 affiliated clubs and conducts about 450 league matches for its Member Clubs, dividing them in to Senior, I to IV Division, apart from conducting league/matches for the Schools and Colleges. The CFA conducts Chennai Football Association senior division league every year. St. Joseph's Group of Institutions was the principal sponsor for the last nine years.[12] Rohit Ramesh is the president of the Chennai Football Association.[13] The Chennai Football Association and the Tamil Nadu Football Association are always at loggerheads.[14]

• Indian Football