Vasco S.C.

In 1951, residents from the port town of Vasco da Gama, Goa, including the Portuguese garrison stationed there formed the club called Clube de Desportos Vasco da Gama.

It was named after the famous Brazilian club Club de Regatas Vasco da Gama, and similar colours were adopted by it. The open fields where the present Tilak Maidan Stadium and were the practice grounds for the players. Later a club house was built nearby, which still stands today.

During the last five decades the club participated in most of the major tournaments in India. The sixties and seventies were the most productive years for the club and they won some of the major tournaments during that time like the Kerala Trophy, Stafford Cup, Bandodkar Gold Trophy, Chakola Gold Trophy and Sait-Nagjee Trophy. In 1968, it won the first edition of Goa Police Cup and in 1969 it became the first Goan side to win Sait Nagjee Football Tournament. It failed to stamp its mark in other tournaments like the Rovers Cup, Bordoloi Shield, Nehru Memorial Tournament, having lost out in the final.

As far as honors at home go, the club won the Goa Professional League title on six occasions starting in 1954 until 1969 and is the oldest registered Club still participating in the State's top League competition, never once having been relegated in the Club's history.

After two decades of major victories, the 1980s saw a decline in the efficacy of the Club in terms of All India and State Tournaments. However, it retained a prominent position among the top five Clubs in Goa. The decline started when the Bandekar group withdrew support and there were no new white knights to fund the increasing cost of top class players.

Over the last five decades the club has received a lot of financial help from many philanthropic benefactors not only from the port town of Vasco, but from different parts of Goa and Goans residing abroad.

Undaunted, from the mid 1990s the Club, under the leadership of Nõel da Lima Leitão, took the help of Zeca Miglietti from Portugal, former Benfica defender, as coach for its training programme. His hard work saw the Club reach the quarterfinal phase of the KBL Federation Cup and among the contenders for qualification to the Premier Division National League.

Vasco Sports Club has a new title sponsor in the local NRB Group and the team would be from now on known as NRB Vasco. This was announced in the Goan clubs Club House. The initial deal is of one-year duration which was announced by the NRB managing director Narayan Bandekar, who hope to help the club qualify for the I-League after years in the 2nd Division.

Currently when Vasco S.C. played in the I-League 2nd Division then they would have used the Tilak Maidan Stadium in Vasco, Goa.

• List of football clubs in India
• Goa Professional League

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