# Mumbai Football League

The Mumbai Football League, also known as the Harwood League, is organised by Mumbai Football Association (MFA), as a ladder-based competition involving a total of five divisions and over 300 teams. It is the top football league in Mumbai and the second-oldest football league in Asia after Calcutta Football League.
The league was named after colonel Harwood who founded the Bombay Football Association and became first president.

## Structure

Mumbai Football League :
| Tier | Division |
| 1 $_{(5onIndianFootballpyramid)}$ | Mumbai Premier League $_{↑promote(toI-League3)↓relegate}$ |
| 2 $_{(6onIndianFootballpyramid)}$ | Mumbai Super League $_{↑promote↓relegate}$ |
| 3 $_{(7onIndianFootballpyramid)}$ | MFA First Division Championship $_{↑promote↓relegate}$ |
| 4 $_{(8onIndianFootballpyramid)}$ | MFA Second Division Championship $_{↑promote↓relegate}$ |
| 5 $_{(9onIndianFootballpyramid)}$ | MFA Third Division Championship $_{↑promote}$ |

## Mumbai Premier League

Mumbai Premier League, formerly known as the MFA Elite Division or MDFA Elite Division, is the first tier of the Mumbai Football League competition. In March 2022, the Mumbai Premier League was rechristened as the Harwood Premier League, on the lines of the name that was once associated with the Mumbai's top division football, stretching back to 1902.

## Mumbai Super League

The Mumbai Super League, formerly known as the MFA Super Division or MDFA Super Division, is the second tier of the Mumbai Football League competition, organized by the Mumbai District Football Association. The top two teams from super six of the Mumbai Super League get promoted to the Mumbai Premier League. The last-place teams in the groups get relegated to the First Division. It is contested by 37 clubs. The current champions are Mumbai City U19 and India on Track are runners-up.

### Format

All the 37 teams are divided into three groups. Two groups with 12 teams and one with 13. The top two teams from each group will advance to the playoffs (super six). The points and goals scored in the preliminary phase will not be carried forward to the next round. The top two teams at the end of the league will be promoted to the Mumbai Premier League.

## First Division Championship

* All the teams in the division will be divided into five groups and shall play a preliminary phase of round-robin games.
* The top two teams from each group will advance to the post-season playoffs.
* The points and goals scored in the preliminary phase will not be carried forward to the next round.
* The team standing first and second after the completion of the round-robin playoff league shall be declared the winner and runner-up and will be promoted to the Super Division.
* The teams in last place in each group after the completion of the preliminary league will be demoted to the Division Two.

## Second Division Championship

* All the teams in the division will be divided into six or more groups and shall play a preliminary phase of round-robin games.
* The top two teams from each group will advance to the post-season playoffs.
* The points and goals scored in the preliminary phase will not be carried forward to the next round.
* The post season playoffs will include a league phase followed by a single-leg knock out format to decide who will contest the Division Two final.
* All eight quarter-finalists will be promoted to the Division One

## Third Division Championship

* All the teams in the division will be divided into eight or more groups and shall play a preliminary phase of round-robin games.
* The top two/three teams from each group will advance to the post-season playoffs.
* The points and goals scored in the preliminary phase will not be carried forward to the next round.
* The post season playoffs will include a league phase followed by a single-leg knock out format to decide who will contest the Division Three final.

## Champions of the top division

| Year | Champion | Note |
| 1902 | Oxfordshire Light Infantry | |
| 1903 | Royal Garrison Artillery | |
| 1904 | Cheshire Regiment | |
| 1905 | Yorkshire Regiment | |
| 1906 | Royal Scots | |
| 1907 | Royal Scots | |
| 1908 | Royal Scots | |
| 1909 | Gloucestershire Regiment | |
| 1910 | Royal Garrison Artillery | |
| 1911 | Royal Warwickshire Regiment | |
| 1912 | Royal Army Temperance Association | |
| 1913 | Sherwood Foresters | |
| 1914 | Sherwood Foresters | |
| 1915 | Royal Garrison Artillery | |
| 1916–1920 | None | Not held |
| 1921 | King's Shropshire Light Infantry | |
| 1922 | King's Shropshire Light Infantry | |
| 1923 | Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers | |
| 1924 | West Yorkshire Regiment | |
| 1925 | West Yorkshire Regiment | |
| 1926 | South Staffordshire Regiment | |
| 1927 | Cheshire Regiment | |
| 1928 | Royal Ulster Rifles | |
| 1929 | Royal Warwickshire Regiment | |
| 1930 | Duke of Wellington's Regiment | |
| 1931 | Duke of Wellington's Regiment | |
| 1932 | King's Own Scottish Borderers | |
| 1933 | Royal Irish Fusiliers | |
| 1934 | Royal Artillery (Colaba) | |
| 1935 | Durham Light Infantry | |
| 1936 | Durham Light Infantry | |
| 1937 | Cheshire Regiment | |
| 1938 | Cheshire Regiment | |
| 1939 | South Lancashire Regiment | |
| 1940 | Welch Regiment | |
| 1941 | Y.M.C.A. | |
| 1942 | Western India Automobile Association Staff | First native club to win the league. |
| 1943 | Western India Automobile Association Staff | |
| 1944 | Embarkation Headquarters | |
| 1945 | Tata Sports Club | |
| 1946 | Trades India Sports Club | |
| 1947 | Trades India Sports Club | |
| 1948 | Tata Sports Club | |
| 1949 | Trades India Sports Club | |
| 1950 | Tata Sports Club | |
| 1951 | India Culture League | |
| 1952 | India Culture League | |
| 1953 | Tata Sports Club | |
| 1954 | Indian Navy | |
| 1955 | None | Abandoned |
| 1956 | Burmah-Shell Sports Club | |
| 1957 | Indian Navy | |
| 1958 | Tata Sports Club | |
| 1959 | Western Railway SC | |
| 1960 | Tata Sports Club | |
| 1961 | Tata Sports Club | |
| 1962 | Western Railway SC | |
| 1963 | Central Railway SC | |
| 1964 | Tata Sports Club | |
| 1965 | Central Railway SC | |
| 1966 | Tata Sports Club | |
| 1967 | Tata Sports Club | |
| 1968 | Mafatlal Group | |
| 1969 | Mafatlal Group | |
| 1970 | Mahindra & Mahindra | |
| 1971 | Mafatlal Group | |
| 1972 | Mafatlal Group | |
| 1973 | Tata Sports Club | |
| 1974–75 | Tata Sports Club | |
| 1975–76 | Mafatlal Group | |
| 1976 | Mafatlal Group | |
| 1977 | Orkay Mills | |
| 1978–79 | Mafatlal Group | |
| 1979 | Tata Sports Club | |
| 1980 | Orkay Mills | |
| 1981 | Century Rayon FC | |
| 1982 | Mahindra & Mahindra | |
| 1983 | Mafatlal Mills | |
| 1984 | Mahindra & Mahindra | |
| 1985 | Mahindra & Mahindra | |
| 1986 | Bank of India (Mumbai) | |
| 1987 | Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilisers (RCF) | |
| 1988 | Orkay Mills | |
| 1989 | Union Bank of India | |
| Two separate leagues ran in competition to each other. The BDFA league retained the right to use the name "Harwood League", while the best teams eventually migrated to the WIFA league. |||
| 1990–99 | WIFA League, Super Division | BDFA/MDFA League (The Harwood League) |
| 1990 | Bank of India (Mumbai) | Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilisers (RCF) |
| 1991 | Central Bank | United Boys (Sahar) |
| 1992 | Air India | Central Railway SC |
| 1993 | Bank of India (Mumbai) | ONGC (Oil & Natural Gas Commission) |
| 1994 | Air India | Carmelites SC |
| 1995 | Mahindra & Mahindra | Central Railway SC |
| 1996 | Air India | Royal Caterers |
| 1997 | Air India | Abandoned |
| 1998 | Bengal Mumbai | Village Amboli |
| 1999 | Air India | unknown (Holy Family/Chembur English/Rhino) |
| In 2000, the two leagues merged when MDFA and WIFA resolved their various disputes. The resultant league has since been run by the MDFA (affiliated to WIFA), with the restored title of The Harwood League. |||
| Mumbai Football League Elite Division / Mumbai Premier League |||
| 2000 | Mahindra United | |
| 2001–02 | Mahindra United | |
| 2002 | Mahindra United | |
| 2003 | Mahindra United | |
| 2004 | Mahindra United | |
| 2005 | Maharashtra State Police | |
| 2006–07 | Mahindra United | |
| 2007–08 | Mahindra United | |
| 2008–09 | Mahindra United | |
| 2009–10 | Air India | |
| 2010–11 | Mumbai | |
| 2011–12 | ONGC | |
| 2012–13 | None | Not held |
| 2013–14 | Air India | |
| 2014–15 | Air India | |
| 2015–16 | ONGC | |
| 2016–17 | Air India | |
| 2017–18 | ONGC | |
| 2018–19 | Mumbai Customs | |
| 2019–20 | Karnataka Sporting Association (KSA) | |
| 2020–21 | None | Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic in India |
| 2021–22 | Ambernath United Atlanta | |
| 2022–23 | Ambernath United Atlanta | |
| 2023–24 | MYJ–GMSC | |
| Source: Mumbai (Bombay) League Champions |||