Royal Wahingdoh FC
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| Full name | Royal Wahingdoh Football Club | ||
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| Nickname(s) | Royals | ||
| Founded | 1946 | ||
| Ground | Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium,[1] Shillong | ||
| Capacity | 22,000[2] | ||
| Owner | Royal Wahingdoh Sports Club Pvt. Ltd. | ||
| Chairman | Domnic Tariang | ||
| Manager |  Santosh Kashyap | ||
| League | I-League | ||
| 2013-14 | I-League 2nd Division,1st | ||
| Website | Club website | ||
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Royal Wahingdoh Football Club is a men's professional football club based in Shillong, Meghalaya that currently participates in the Indian I-League. Royal Wahingdoh F.C. currently holds the record for the highest number of consecutive Shillong Premier League titles, having won the finals in December 2010, 2011 and most recently in 2012. They played in I-League 2nd Division for the 2013-14 season. They won the league by defeating Bhowanipore F.C. in the last match of the league and qualified to play for the 2014-15 season of the I-League.
History
1946-2010
Founded in 1946 as the Wahingdoh Sports Club, the club won numerous titles and thereafter, saw its share of fame and honor. However, with changing times and professionalisation, the amateur club began to face some amount of difficulty competing with younger clubs and it was then, that the decline began.
In 2007, Wahingdoh Sports Club was almost relegated to the 2nd Division League and as a result of inconsistent performance, the Wahingdoh community felt the need for a younger and more innovative approach .
In 2008, the club turned professional when it merged with Royal Football Club before being renamed Royal Wahingdoh FC under the able leadership of the club's owner Dominic Sutnga Tariang. With the club witnessing several dramatic changes, a new chapter was in the making and in the very same year, the club bounced back to claim Third spot in the 2nd Div Regional League, a sign that brought hope for a brighter future.
Royal Wahingdoh FC fans still remember the team's stupendous performance in the First Division 2009 season where they established a record by winning all their games besides scoring 52 goals en route to lifting the title and along with it, an entry into the top tier of Meghalaya football, "The Shillong Premiere League." Ever since, Royal Wahingdoh FC has earned the reputation of being a highly consistent team with its crop of young, exciting and aggressively tactical players.
Royal Wahingdoh FC is presently Shillong's Champion Club. In the 2010 season, they lifted the Shillong Premier League - in their DEBUT season. A new record and one that would take a while to be beaten.[3]
Kit manufacturers and shirt sponsors
| Period | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| 2006– | Uhlsport | Imperial Blue |
2011 Season
In 2011, it was announced that Royal Wahingdoh FC would join the newly re-done I-League 2nd Division. The club appointed UEFA Pro License holder Volker Hofferbert as its head coach while Carlton Chapman and newly appointed coach from Manipur, Nandakumar Singh have been assigned the roles of assistant coaches.[4] They won their opening match 3–1. They won their second match against Chandini FC 3-0. They won the third match 2-1 and fourth match 3-1 against VASCO SC.[5] They won their fifth match in row against Eagles FC 3-2.Currently they have the longest winning streak in 2011 I-League 2nd Division. They won all their matches in Group C and qualified to 2011 I-League 2nd Division Final Round. Royal started their final round in by losing two and drawing one out of the 3 games played. After six rounds in final round, they won one match and lost 3 of them and are in 5th position with 5 points. [citation needed]
Royal Wahingdoh have also entered into the Federation Cup 2011 season, topping the group during the qualifying round with wins in all their matches and faced Mohan Bagan in their first match. RWFC beat Mohun Bagan 2-1 courtesy a brace from Chenco. This was followed by a 2–1 win over Churchill Bros FC. However, the Royals lost to local rivals Shillong Lajong FC in the final group match and though both Shillong teams ended up with 6 points, it was Lajong that progressed on the head-to-head rule. [citation needed]
2012 Season
Royal Wahingdoh F.C. qualified for the final round of the 2012 I-league 2nd Division. During the preliminary phase, they won 5 matches and drew 2 of their games. In the final round, the team fielded four foreigners against ONGC F.C. which the club claimed was an 'honest' blunder. According to AIFF rules, no side can field more than three foreigners at a time. They won the match 4-1, but the game was eventually awarded 3-0 to ONGC F.C. .[6]
The 'Royals,' as they are fondly referred to by fans, secured their third successive Shillong Premier League title, which is incidentally a new record. The final was won 3-1 against Rangdajied United F.C. who fielded their first side including the likes of Babatunde, Jeribe, Enyinnaya and Argha. In the match, the scores were locked at 1-1 after regulation time with Beekay being RWFC's lone goal scorer. Babatunde headed in an equaliser in the second half to put his side in contention. However, it was the extra time goals by Chencho and Milancy that did it for the 'Royals' and in the process, hand them their third successive finals win.[7]
2014 Season
Royal Wahingdoh won 2014 I-League 2nd Division and will be promoted to 2014–15 I-League. The club has also appointed Santosh Kashyap as their Manager for the upcoming I-League season [8]
Players
Current squad
- As of 31 March 2015[9]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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References
- ^ http://www.royalwahingdohfc.com/shillong-premier-league-2012/
- ^ http://nl.soccerway.com/national/india/i-league/20132014/regular-season/r22699/venues/?ICID=PL_3N_05
- ^ http://royalwahingdohfc.com/about.html
- ^ http://www.goal.com/en-india/news/136/india/2012/06/26/3199749/royal-wahingdoh-fc-appoint-germanys-volker-hofferbert-as http://www.telegraphindia.com/1120623/jsp/northeast/story_15645257.jsp#.UEcvnrIgfqs
- ^ http://the-aiff.com/pages/news/index.php?N_Id=2392
- ^ http://arunfoot.blogspot.com/2012/03/i-league-division-2-royal-wahingdoh.html
- ^ http://www.shillongsa.com/leagues/shillong-premier-league-2/
- ^ "ROYAL WAHINGDOH ARE SECOND DIVISION CHAMPIONS". I-League. 11 April 2014.
- ^ http://int.soccerway.com/teams/india/royal-wahingdoh-fc/18324/
External links
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