Dempo Sports Club: Looking ahead

Dempo Sports Club take their roots from Bicholim Football Club, a top First Division league side in the 1960s. They had some fine performers in Subhash Sinari, Bernard Olivera, Tolentino Serrao, Bhaskar, Kalidas Gaad, Manohar Pednekar, Bhai Pednekar, Ganpat Gaonkar and Pandurang Gaonkar. Sinari, who performed splendidly under the bar for the club, later joined and became an outstanding goalkeeper for Salgaocar Sports Club.

Referring to the club, Bernard Olivera ex-St Inez Sports Club (a village club) player, recollects, "people from Bicholim had immense interest in football and have fond memories of club officials like the late Dattaram Dhond and Sinari who had just started his career as a reliable goalkeeper. The defenders stood their ground well, the medios performed efficiently and the forwards also did their job creditably. Bicholim fared well in the First Division League and we played with great spirit. The side always made a good showing against the leading teams like Salgaocar and Vasco."

Bicholim Sports Club were adopted by Dempo Souza in 1967 and was renamed Dempo Souza Sports Club. They became a strong side, assisted by Eustaquio, Dass, Balaguru, Olavo, Colaco, Inacio, Felix Barreto, Thapa, Ramesh Redkar, Socrates Carvalho, Sadanand Asnodkar and Tulsidas Alornekar. They finished runners-up to Vasco Sports Club in the Senior Division League in 1969. Dempo Souza lost the semi-final of the inaugural All-India Bandodkar Gold Trophy tournament to Salgaocar, but had scored a creditable win over Border Security Force in the quarter-final through Felix Afonso.

Dempo Souza Sports Club became Dempo Sports Club, after Dempo bought Souza''s stake in the Dempo Souza enterprise. Mr Michael D''Souza, popularly known as Mickie, who had tremendous interest in the game, was mainly responsible in forming Dempo Souza Sports Club.

Dempo Sports Club flourished when Vasantrao Dempo, the chairman of the House of Dempo, extended his patronage to the game in a big way. Dempo thus joined the ranks of the other business houses, like Salgaocar, Agencia Commercial Maritima, Shantilal and Sesa Goa who had their own teams.

Srinivas Dempo, the grandson of Vasantrao Dempo, is the current president of the Club, with Vilas Sardesai and Manuel Rebello as the vice-presidents while Anthony Botelho is the secretary. Vilas Sardesai, also held the post of Senior Vice­President in the All India Football Federation (AIFF). Both the current vice-presidents were former secretaries of the Club.

Dempo have not spared any effort in raising the standard of their game to a high level and like Salgaocar, are one of the popular and leading teams in the country. Dempo became the Goa league champion for the first time in 1971-72, brushing aside the challenge of Vasco, Salgaocar and Sesa in the Super League. Some of the prominent Dempo players were Eustaquio Pereira, Sadanand Asnodkar, Manohar Asnodkar, Picassao, Inacio Piedade, Inacio Fernandes, Ramesh Redkar, Felix Barreto, Felix Afonso, Felix Cardoso, Rarnnath Keni, Bhim Bahadur Thapa, Mayakrishna, Kuppuswami Sampath, John Franco, Nanda Gaad, Nicholas Pereira, Socorro Coutinho, Armando Colaco, Francis D''Souza, Teotonio D''Silva, Alex Miranda, Rosario Rodrigues, Babu Arolkar, Herbert Saan, Eugene Cardoso, Francis Rodrigues, Socrates Carvalho, Joseph Machado, K Williams, Pratap Khatri, Prem Sahi, Prasanna, Manuel, Lector, Mauricio Afonso, Camilo Gonsalves, Mahesh Lotlikar, Mario Soares, Orlando Viegas among others.

Dempo achieved the distinction of becoming the first Goan team to win the Rovers Cup in 1975. Led by Ramesh Redkar, Dempo defeated Tata Sports Club in the replayed final off a penalty kick scored by Williams in the dying minutes of the game. Francis D''Souza was brought down by the Tata defender Joaquim Barreto and the referee Alex Vaz did not hesitate to award the penalty kick to Dempo. The Rovers Cup thus made its maiden voyage to Goa.

Dempo had downed the Santosh Trophy winners Punjab by a solitary goal, in the semi-final, scored by Franco. They had also scored a solitary goal win over Salgaocar in the fourth round match through Francis D''Souza.

Dempo regained the Rovers Cup in 1978, defeating Orkay Mills, 2-1, in the final. Orkay had reached the final with a massive 4-0 victory over Mohun Bagan, a hat-trick by Rosario Antao being the defining feature. Dempo acquired his services for the next season. Francis D''Souza accounted for both the goals in the final and celebrated his birthday in very good cheer. Bernard Pereira scored the lone goal for Orkay. Bob Bootland was the coach and Joseph Rathnam the manager. In the semifinals,Dempo had beaten Premier Tyres, Kalamassery from Kerala. They had clobbered Sesa Goa, 6-1, in the pre-quarter-final. Dempo were a well balanced side, in peak physical condition and had played to the 4-3-3 pattern adopted by coach Bootland.

Dempo retained the Rovers Cup, beating JCT, 2-0, in the 1979 final. They maintained their form throughout the tournament. Dionisio Trinidade scored both the goals in the final. The match-winner in the semi-final against Mafatlal was scored by Alex Miranda, who had also netted the all important goal against Premier Tyres.

The last time Dempo won the country''s prestigious tournament was in 1990 when they defeated Calcutta giant, Mohun Bagan 2-0. Lanky Baptist Fernandes, one ofthe swiftest of movers in the field with the ball, accounted for both the goals.

Dempo brushed aside the challenge of two formidable Calcutta teams, East Bengal and Mohun Bagan on their way to win the 1986 Rovers Cup in style. They eliminated East Bengal with a well deserved 2-1 victory in the semi-final. The star studded East Bengal had taken the lead through Biswajeet Bhattacharya.

Undeterred by the set back, Dempo mounted pressure on the East Bengal defence with a series of delectable raids and secured the precious equaliser through Baptist Fernandes off a Mauricio Afonso pass. Jose Fernandes secured the match­winner towards the end to earn Dempo their fourth entry into the Rovers Cup final.

In the final Dempo dominated the scene against Mohun Bagan in an unprecedented manner. They took a commanding 2-0 lead at half time which eventually proved to be the final score.

The Dempo team played like a cohesive unit, with their forwards giving a dazzling display and the midfield trio Mauricio, Lector and Alex gaining an upper hand in the centre of the field. Mauricio in particular was at his best and Chandrakant was safe in the goal.

Dempo had held Mohun Bagan to a goalless draw in the quarter-final league match and a goal by Camilo had helped them edge past JCT.

The final could well have been an all-Goa affair but Salgaocar let Mohun Bagan off the hook after taking a 3-1 lead in the tie-breaker. Mohun Bagan won the marathon struggle for supremacy in the semi-final, 12-11.

After winning the Rovers Cup and finishing as runner-up to Vasco in the Bandodkar Gold Trophy tournament at Panjim, in 1975, Dempo emerged the joint winner of the Stafford Cup at Bangalore with Orkay Mills. The final ended in a goalless draw.

Dempo, entered the Stafford Cup final with a very easy win over Indian Navy. They won the first leg semi-final, 2-0, through goals by Nicholas and Machado. Francis D''Souza (2) and Franco scored for them in the second leg. Fran~is also scored a brace in the quarter-final against Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.

Dempo also won the Stafford Cup for the second time in 1979, beating ITI, Bangalore, 2-0, in the final. Dionisio Trinidade and Joseph Machado were the scorers.

Dempo gave a masterly display against Mafatlal in the semi­final with a 4-0 win in the first leg. Francis (2), Babu and Alex did the scoring. They had beaten Tata Sports Club, 2-0, in the quarter-final through Machado and Mathew. The Dempo team functioned like a well oiled machine during that season, Eugenio being a safe bet in the goal.

Dempo made the Stafford Cup final, again, in 1986 with a scintillating win over Mohammedan Sporting. A hat-trick by Camilo Gonsalves was the higWight of their 3-0 victory. Dempo, however, did not contest the final against East Bengal, as they had to fulfill other engagements in the Bandodkar Gold Trophy tournament.

Dempo won the Bandodkar final against BSF (4-0) with another hattrick from Camilo.

Dempo lost the final of the Nizam Gold Cup tournament at Hyderabad in 1972 when BSF won by 4­2 in the tie-breaker of the replayed final. The first meeting in the final was scoreless.

Dempo had scored a massive 7-1 win over Army Ordinance Centre, Secunderabad, in the double-leg semi­final. A hat-trick by Gaad was the feature of its 3-1 victory in the first-leg. It was the lone hat-trick in the tournament. Machado (2), Gaad and Soccoro scored in the second leg.

RAC defeated Dempo by a solitary goal in the 1973 Nizam Gold Cup final. The match-winner for RAC was scored by Magan Singh. Dempo had made the final with a 2-0 victory over Madras XI in the second leg semi-final with goals by Manuel and Gaad. RAC retained the Nizam Gold Cup, again at the cost of Dempo in 1974 with 2-1 win. Prem Sahi scored the lone goal for Dempo. Dempo thus made an unsuccessful bid to win the Nizam Gold Cup for three consecutive years. But Dempo overcame all disappointments when they succeeded in lifting the coveted cup in 1978, defeating defending champions Customs and Central Excise by a solitary goal. The all-important goal was scored by skipper Nicholas.

Pereira''s powerful grounder kissed the nets, a minute before the final whistle, signalling Dempo''s victory. Dempo had earlier beaten Indian Air Force, Delhi in the double leg semifinal.

Dempo''s record in the All-India Bandodkar Gold Trophy tournament, Goa''s premier tournament speaks volumes for their consistency. They reached the final for the first time in 1971 and finished runners-up to Vasco. Again they had to be content as the runners-up in 1973. It was a moment of great disappointment for Dempo as they lost to Orkay Mills, Bombay, 2-3, after leading by two goals.

Dempo''s efforts to lift the Bandodkar Gold Trophy did not bear fruit till 1976. They lost the 1975 final, 1-3, to Vasco after leading by a goal scored by Franco.

The Bandodkar Gold Trophy which eluded Dempo thrice was at last in Dempo''s possession in 1976, when they thrashed Leaders Club, 3-0, in the final at Panjim. Francis D'' Souza, performed a fine hat-trick on this occasion, the Bandodkar Trophy''s first final''s hat-trick since its inception. Dempo shared the trophy with Orkay Mills in 1978 and regained it in 1982 with a 3-0 victory over Salgaocar. They retained the trophy in 1983 with a big 5-1 win over ITI and completed the hat-trick of winning it with a 2-0 victory over Salgaocar in 1984. Dempo routed BSF, 4-1, in the 1986 final and defeated Salgaocar by a solitary goal in the 1990 final. They retained the Bandodkar Gold Trophy by beating Sa1cete 4-0, in the 1991 final. Dempo also has the unique record of winning the First Division League championship for five consecutive seasons, from 1976-77 to 1982-83.

Dempo is the only Goan team to have won an international tournament. They defeated New Radiant Sports Club, Maldives, 5-4 in the tie-breaker to win the final of the President of Maldives Invitation tournament and with it the Pomis Cup at Male in January 1991. There was no score at the end of regulation time.

Mauricio, Tiago, Matthew, Orlando and Mario scored for Dempo in the tie-breaker.

Dempo had reached the final, defeating Sanders Club, Sri Lanka, 5-3 via tie-breaker and Victory Club, Maldives, 4-0, in the semifinals and quarter-finals respectively.

Dionisio led Dempoin the 1982 Bordoloi Shield tournament at Guwahati which they won by a solitary goal against Mohammedan Sporting, Calcutta, scored by Prakash Naik in the 23rd minute of the first half. Dempo had to remain content as runners-up to Assam Police in 1981.

Dempo led Assam Police, 2-0, in the first leg semi-final with a brace by Dionisio. Assam Police won the second leg by a solitary goal, but that could not stop Dempo from entering the final. Dempo had reached the final four stage, trouncing Kidderpore, Calcutta, 4-0, in the quarter-fmal. Camilo (2), Dionisio and Stanley were the scorers. A 3-0 victory over ASEB, Guwahati, had taken Dempo to the quarter-final. The leading Calcutta teams had monopolised the honours in this tournament over the years.

Dempo was unlucky not to reach the final four stage of the 1989 Federation Cup tournament at Coimbatore. Both Dempo and BSF had equal points after the quarter-final engagements. BSF, however made the semi-final on draw oflots. Dempo drew all the three quarter-final league matches against East Bengal, Mohun Bagan and BSF, goalless. They was also unfortunate not to qualify for the semi-finals of the 1985 Federation Cup tournament at Bangalore.

Dempo have been trying to win the club championship of . the country and their supporters have been looking forward to their success in the Federation Cup.

The Scissors Cup has been a special affair for Dempo Sports Club.

In 1992 Mahesh Lotlikar and the late Jayant Dhond struck once in each half to give Dempo a 2-1 victory over Indian Telephone Industries (ITI), Bangalore and in 1994 Dempo rode on a solitary goal victory, struck by Menino Afonso, to edge past Kerala Police in the final. Their memorable run in the Scissors Cup continued a year later as the opportunistic striker, Marcus Carvalho in a dream performance, notched a hattrick, which enabled Dempo drub Mohun Bagan 3-0. In 1997, the defending champions retained their title in style with a solitary goal victory over Indian Bank. Francis Silveira alias Pocket scored the all important goal.

Apart from the Scissors Cup triumph, Dempo has been starved of titles, for the past four years. And with their stalwarts Camilo Gonsalves and Mauricio Afonso, both of whom served Dempo religiously for more than 15 years hanging up their boots, the titles apparently are hard to come by. The most embarrassing defeat came in the 1993 Federation Cup as lowly ranked Vasco Sports Club, played to a plan and surprised Dempo 2-0, at Nehru Stadium, Fatorda.

Desperate for honours, Dempo hiked their budget and virtually went on a signing spree in the 1998-99 season roping in big names, both outstation and Goan. However, the end result was disastrous as Dempo finished third in the State Professional League and failed to make it to the Super Six of the National Football League (NFL).

Disgusted with the team''s insipid performance, in spite of having high profile players within its ranks, the management came very close to closing their doors on football. However the fans of Dempo Sports Club impressed upon Mr Srinivas Dempo, not to take that drastic step and to continue his affiliation with football.

Dempo reduced their budget drastically, which forced all the stars to sign up with other clubs.

Dempo Sports Club was one of the most respected Clubs in Indian football. But the club today is a far cry from the club of the past. A power in the late eighties and early nineties in Goan football, Dempo Sports Club are a pale shadow of their former selves, struggling to keep pace with the other two bigwigs in the State - Salgaocar Sports Club and Churchill Brothers. They have tried everything, from a mixture of youth and experience to a star studded outfit to a squad filled to the brim with talented and youthful players.

The Dempo squad for the 1999-2000 season consisted of young players, talented though raw in experience. They failed to cope up with the temperament and the rigorous schedule of the National football league. Though the youngsters played their hearts out, causing many anxious moments for India''s big names, they failed to carve out enough victories to stay afloat.

It appeared that Dempo were toying with the idea of developing the youngsters into quality players, inducting them into their senior team to later trade them professionally. Though the approach is right, Dempo will need a few more years to be able to achieve this ambitious programme. .

Dempo suffered their worst humiliation, having to be relegated into the Second Division of the National Football League as they finished at the bottom of the table in the country''s premier league tournament.

In the 1999-2000 National Football League, Dempo''s Iranian coach Ahmad Sanjari tried his best to guide the youthful but

inexperienced team. But he could not survive the strength of super-budget teams like Mohun Bagan, Churchill Brothers, Salgaocar Sports Club, F C Kochi and were forced to relegation.

The once great team in India has been reduced to a Second Division team and has now to fight its way back into the National League.

" You cannot be mediocre. Either you are among the top or not there at all," is the thinking of none other than Dempo Sports Club''s boss, Mr Srinivas Dempo. According to him there is no point in being at the bottom and groping around. "It makes better sense not to have a football team at all," says Srinivas.

The intentions of Srinivas are very clear cut. He wants Dempo Sports Club to be back among the best and at the top. The new season 2000-2001, has witnessed a total reversal in approach from the previous season by Dempo Sports Club.

They have considerably increased their budget and have gone on to sign up a good number of high profile players.

Dempo Sports Club is looking a very serious team for the first season of the new millennium, and appear dead serious to make a come back into the First Division National Football League.

It''s a hope that Goans eagerly await, so that Goa will have four of its teams in the FDNFL - something that Bengal will envy - that''s if the other Goan teams, Salgaocar Sports Club, Churchill Bros. and Vasco Sports Club are not relegated.

Dempo''s Iranian coach Ahmad Sanjari is out and Armando Colaco, a former Dempo Sports Club stalwart, is back with the squad, this time as their chief coach.