JCT FC

JCT
Full nameJagatjit Cotton & Textile Mills FC
Nickname(s)The Millmen
Founded1971; 53 years ago (1971)
Dissolved2011; 13 years ago (2011) (senior squad dissolved, academy still continues that participate in Punjab State Super Football League)
GroundGuru Nanak Stadium
Capacity30,000
ChairmanSamir Thapar
LeagueNational Football League
Punjab State Super Football League
Websitewww.jctfootball.com Edit this at Wikidata

Jagatjit Cotton & Textile Football Club (formerly known as JCT Mills FC; abbreviated as JCT FC, or simply JCT)[1][2][3] is an Indian football academy based in Phagwara, Punjab.[4][5] Founded in 1971, the club was sponsored by Jagatjit Cotton and Textile Mills under the leadership of Samir Thapar and participated in the National Football League which was later rebranded as I-League.[6][7][8] The club currently participates in Punjab State Super Football League after disbanding their senior squad in 2011.[9][10]

Nicknamed "The Millmen",[11][12] JCT have won many tournaments and brought laurels to the State of Punjab. They won the inaugural edition of the National Football League in 1996.[13][14][15] They were one of the benchmark teams in North Punjab along with Border Security Force and Punjab Police, winning prestigious state level tournaments. It was the first team from India to sign a foreign coach and the first team outside of Calcutta to win the IFA Shield, second oldest football tournament in India.[16] JCT's corporate team also took part in All India Public Sector tournaments.[17]

In 2011, JCT emerged as sixth ranked Indian team, and 957th universally, in the international rankings of clubs during the first ten years of the 21st century (2001–2010), issued by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics.[18]

  1. ^ K. John, Binoo (2 February 1998). "With over Rs 1 cr as prize money for Philips League, local clubs sign up foreign players". www.indiatoday.in. India Today. Archived from the original on 1 February 2022. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
  2. ^ "JCT, Salgaocar in battle of equals". Times of India. Archived from the original on 8 November 2014. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
  3. ^ "Keita revives Pune FC campaign as host beat JCT 4–0". the-AIFF.com. 30 January 2011. Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 26 November 2012.
  4. ^ "A look back into the dysfunctional clubs in the past decade of Indian football". The Bridge. 11 April 2019. Archived from the original on 12 May 2021. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
  5. ^ Arunava, Chaudhuri. "News for the month of May: 1998". indianfootball.de. Indian Football Network. Archived from the original on 15 August 2021. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
  6. ^ "JCT FC VS. MOHAMMEDAN 2 – 0". Soccerway. Archived from the original on 11 July 2020. Retrieved 4 November 2013.
  7. ^ "MUMBAI VS. JCT FC 3 – 2". Soccerway. Archived from the original on 25 February 2020. Retrieved 4 November 2013.
  8. ^ "I-League: How newly-promoted teams have performed". Goal.com. Archived from the original on 12 May 2021. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
  9. ^ "JCT decide to disband football club". Indo-Asian News Service. 20 June 2011. Archived from the original on 21 December 2019. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
  10. ^ "Five Indian football clubs fans wish were still in existence". Khel Now. 13 April 2021. Archived from the original on 14 July 2021. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
  11. ^ Datt, Anil (21 March 2009). "JCT stun Sporting". Tribune India. Archived from the original on 9 July 2021. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  12. ^ "I-League 2010/11: Promising Young Performers – The Unpolished Diamonds". The Hard Tackle. 14 May 2011. Archived from the original on 27 December 2013. Retrieved 22 October 2012.
  13. ^ "India File — Starry opening to National Soccer League". The Indian Express. 14 December 1996. Archived from the original on 22 April 1997. Retrieved 18 October 2018.
  14. ^ Menon, Ravi (17 March 1997). "JCT wins inaugural Philips NFL title". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 20 April 1997. Retrieved 18 October 2018.
  15. ^ Bose, Saibal (17 December 1996). "National League all set for kick-off". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 22 April 1997. Retrieved 18 October 2018.
  16. ^ Sharma, Sukalp (30 May 2010). "Indias biggest league". financialexpress.com. Archived from the original on 16 July 2021. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
  17. ^ Khan, M. M. Jafar (8 March 2016). "Departments' League — A solution to many problems". englisharchives.mathrubhumi.com. Kochi: Mathrubhumi. Archived from the original on 4 August 2023. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
  18. ^ "IFFHS HISTORY : THE WORLD'S BEST CLUB OF THE FIRST DECADE (2001–2010)". iffhs.de. Bonn, Germany: International Federation of Football History & Statistics. 2010. Archived from the original on 28 March 2019. Retrieved 26 November 2017.