Kerala Premier League
| Organising body | Kerala Football Association |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1998 (as Kerala Football League) |
| Country | India |
| Number of clubs | 14 |
| Level on pyramid | 5 |
| Promotion to | I-League 3 |
| Relegation to | Kerala Premier League Second Division |
| Current champions | Muthoot FA (1st title) |
| Most championships | SBT Thiruvananthapuram (6 titles) |
| Broadcaster(s) | Sports Reporter[1](YouTube) |
| Current: 2025–26 | |
The Kerala Premier League is the highest state-level football league organized by the Kerala Football Association and played in the state of Kerala, India. It is the overall fifth tier of the Indian football league system. For sponsorship reasons it is officially known as the Elite Kerala Premier League. Founded in 1998, the Kerala Football League was the first football league in Kerala, and got rebranded in 2013 as the KPL. Kerala United is the current champion.
History
Kerala Football League
After the introduction of the National Football League by the All India Football Federation, the Kerala Football Association started its Kerala Football League (KFL) in 1998. The team finishing top was nominated to 2nd division of the National Football League.
1998 season
FC Kochin was crowned the inaugural champion. SBT finished in second place.
1999 season
The second edition of Kerala Football League was held in Kochi and Kollam in December 1999. FC Kochin retained the tille, and SBT FC become the runners up.[2]
2007 season
SBT FC won the title, and Central Excise Kochi become the runners up.[3]
Format
The league features teams from the state of Kerala affiliated with the KFA. The top four teams from each group qualify for the final round. A women's league started in the 2014–15 season with 8 teams.[4][5]
Teams (2024)
| Team | City | Manager | Captain | Kit manufacturer | Sponsor | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Calicut | Kozhikode | Biby Thomas | Arjun Jayaraj | Loop | Peekay Steels [1] |
| 2 | EMEA College | Kondotty | ||||
| 3 | Golden Threads FC | Kochi | Shiju Rajan | Wayna Water | ||
| 4 | Gokulam Kerala B | Kozhikode | Rajeev Ponnanthari | Bibin Boban | Sree Gokulam Group | |
| 5 | Inter Kerala FC | Kothamangalam | Britto Clemmy | |||
| 6 | Kerala Blasters B | Kochi | Noel Joseph | Medhaa | ||
| 7 | Kerala Police | Trivandrum | Siddik VV | Sanju G | Chips Oman | |
| 8 | Kerala United FC | Thrissur | Shelbin Francis | YELO | ||
| 9 | KSEB | Trivandrum | Sanushraj Palanickal | Eldhose George | KSEB | |
| 10 | Kovalam | Kovalam | Rajesh Mohanan | Adani Group | ||
| 11 | PFC Kerala | Parappur | Sanjoy Kumar Dey | Jos Alukkas | ||
| 12 | Real Malabar FC | Kondotty | Haary Benny | EDEX | ||
| 13 | SAI Centre | Kollam | ||||
| 14 | Wayanad United | Kalpetta | Daison Cheriyan | SKAMPILO |
Number of teams by region
| No. of teams | Districts | Team(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Ernakulam | Golden Threads FC, Inter Kerala FC, Kerala Blasters B |
| Trivandrum | Kerala Police, Kovalam FC, KSEB | |
| 2 | Malappuram | EMEA College, Real Malabar FC |
| Kozhikode | Calicut, Gokulam Kerala B | |
| Thrissur | Kerala United FC, PFC Kerala | |
| 1 | Wayanad | Wayanad United FC |
| Kollam | SAI Centre |
Sponsorship
- 2013–15, 2018–21: Ramco[6]
- 2015–16: Dentcare Dental Lab
- 2016–17: Cochin Shipyard[7]
- 2017–18: ICL Fincorp[8]
- 2022–24: Scoreline, Elite
Team statistics
| Team | Winners | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|
| SBI Kerala | 6 | 5 |
| Gokulam Kerala B | 2 | 3 |
| KSEB | 2 | 2 |
| FC Kochin | 2 | 1 |
| Kerala United FC/Quartz FC | 2 | 1 |
| Viva Kerala FC | 1 | 0 |
| Eagles | 1 | 0 |
| Indian Navy FC | 1 | 0 |
| Kerala Blasters B | 1 | 0 |
| Golden Threads FC | 1 | 0 |
| Muthoot FA | 1 | 0 |
| Trivandrum Titanium FC | 0 | 2 |
| Central Excise Club | 0 | 2 |
| Kerala Police | 0 | 2 |
| FC Thrissur | 0 | 1 |
| SAT | 0 | 1 |
Championship summary
| Season | Champions | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|
| Kerala Football League | ||
| 1998–99 | FC Kochin | SBT |
| 1999–2000[9] | FC Kochin (2) | SBT |
| 2000–01 | SBT | Trivandrum Titanium FC |
| 2001–02 | League cancelled | |
| 2002–03 | League cancelled | |
| 2003–04 | SBT (2) | FC Kochin |
| 2004–05[10] | KSEB | SBT |
| 2005–06 | Viva Kerala FC | SBT |
| 2006–07[11] | SBT (3) | Central Excise Club |
| 2007–08 | SBT (4) | Trivandrum Titanium FC |
| 2009–2013 | League not held | |
| Kerala Premier League | ||
| 2013–14 | Eagles F.C. | SBT |
| 2014–15 | SBT (5) | Kerala Police |
| 2015–16 | SBT (6) | Central Excise Club |
| 2016–17 | KSEB (2) | FC Thrissur |
| Gokulam Kerala B | Quartz FC | |
| 2018–19 | Indian Navy FC | Gokulam Kerala B |
| 2019–20 | Kerala Blasters B | Gokulam Kerala B |
| 2020–21 | Gokulam Kerala B (2) | KSEB |
| 2021–22 | Golden Threads FC | KSEB |
| 2022–23 | Kerala United FC | Gokulam Kerala B |
| 2023–24 | Kerala United FC (2) | SAT |
| 2024–25 | Muthoot FA | Kerala Police |
Top scorers
| Season | Top scorer | Team | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015–16 | Askar | Central Excise Cochin | 6 |
| 2016–17 | Firos Kalathingal | Kerala Police | 7 |
| 2017–18 | Emmanuel Aidoo | Quartz FC | 12 |
| 2018–19 | Vishnu Harry Moris Bipaka Thapa Christian Sabah |
Shooters United Padne FC Kerala Indian Navy Gokulam Kerala B |
6 |
| 2019–20 | Isahak Nuhu Seidu E. Kamara |
Golden Threads FC SAT |
8 |
| 2020–21 | Saliou Guindo | Gokulam Kerala B | 8 |
| 2021–22 | Isahak Nuhu Seidu | Golden Threads FC | 12 |
| 2022–23 | Samuel Mensa Konney | Gokulam Kerala B | 10 |
| 2023–24 | Salahudheen Adnan | Muthoot FA | 11 |
See also
- Football in Kerala
- Kerala State Club Football Championship
- Malabar Premier League
- History of Indian football
References
- ^ https://youtube.com/@sportsreporterlive?si=SIuH9simjd2r5Nsr
- ^ Staff (5 April 2006). "1999 season Kerala Football League". Archived from the original on 22 October 2019. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
- ^ Staff (5 April 2006). "2007 season Kerala Football League". Archived from the original on 10 July 2020. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
- ^ "Kerala U-21 Football Team aims for Santosh Trophy as Kerala Premier League kicks off". thenewsminute.com. 18 April 2016. Archived from the original on 22 May 2016. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
- ^ "Crippled but Trudging Along..." newindianexpress.com. 1 July 2015. Archived from the original on 22 May 2016. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
- ^ "KFA Announces Kerala Premier League". Football News India. Archived from the original on 17 May 2014. Retrieved 16 May 2014.
- ^ Correspondant, Special (5 April 2017). "Kerala Premier League to kick off on April 8". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 11 October 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2017.
- ^ Rayan, Stan (4 April 2018). "Lack of funds forces KSEB to pull out of KPL". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 11 October 2022. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
- ^ "WELCOME TO FOOTBALL CLUB KOCHIN — Success Stories". fckochin.in. Archived from the original on 10 August 2022. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
- ^ Staff (5 April 2006). "Top six teams for Kerala Football League". www.oneindia.com. Archived from the original on 21 March 2023. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
- ^ Staff (5 May 2007). "SBT enters Kerala Football League final". www.mykhel.com. Archived from the original on 21 March 2023. Retrieved 5 September 2021.