Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Football Club, also known as ONGC F.C., is an Indianfootball club from Mumbai in Maharashtra, India. The club is affiliated with the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation which runs the club. This means that ONGC Football Club is an institutional club.[1]
History
2006–2010: I-League 2nd Division
In 2006 the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation founded a football club called ONGC F.C. in the hope of expanding their involvement in Indian football which included title sponsoring the old National Football League, Durand Cup and the Nehru Cup.[1] In their inaugural season in the I-League 2nd Division the club finished in 6th place.[1] After their first season the club went more professional in which they offered their players contracts and extended their salaries as well as inducting youth football in the team as well.[1] These changes helped the club finish in 5th place in the Final Round of the 2009 I-League 2nd Division after topping their group in the Group Stage.[1] The next season would finally see ONGC get promoted after the club won the 2010 I-League 2nd Division and went undefeated in the Final Round.[1]
2010–2013: I-League and back
After earning promotion into the I-League ONGC made some unexpected signings with the signatures of NigerianDavid Opara and re-signing Badmus Babatunde, who was the overall top-scorer during the 2010 I-League 2nd Division, and signing former India national football team goalkeeper Rajat Ghosh Dastidar.[1] ONGC played their first match of the 2010–11 on 4 December 2010 against East Bengal at the Salt Lake Stadium in which ONGC lost the match 1-0.[2] It took the club till 9 January 2011 against Viva Kerala at home with David Opara scoring the loan goal for ONGC.[3] Then on 12 February 2011 ONGC created the biggest shock of the season after defeating East Bengal, who were undefeated before the game, 1-0 with Babatunde scoring the goal for ONGC in the 58th minute at the Cooperage Ground.[4] Despite the unexpected result ONGC could only do so much as despite scoring 11 more goals in the 2nd half of the season winning three more matches than the first half the club ultimately finished in 14th place which was also last place and meant straight relegation back into the I-League 2nd Division after only one season in the top division.[5]
ONGC began their mission for a comeback to the I-League by entering the 2012 I-League 2nd Division. The immediately made an impact after finishing the group stage in first place in their group and entered the final round as automatic contenders.[6] After a tough 12 matches in Siliguri and Sikkim ONGC again finished in a promotion spot, 2nd place, and thus qualified for the 2012–13 I-League which was confirmed on 17 April 2012 after the club drew 1-1 with Aizawl.[7] ONGC finished the season on 9th position.
Explusion
In spite of finishing 9th in 2012–13 I-League, ONGC were excluded from the next season because they did not meet AFC's licensing criteria.[8]
