Shillong Lajong was incorporated in 1983,[9] with the prime objective of improving the declining standard of football in the state, and to spot, train and nurture local talent.[10] In the local
Khasi language, Lajong translates to "our own".[11] Nicknamed "the Red Dragons",[12] Shillong Lajong briefly participated in
I-League until their relegation in 2017,[13][14][15][16] then top flight Indian football.[17][18][19][20] They also appeared in the
Indian Super Cup in 2018 and reached semi-finals.[21] They were nominated for
2022–23 I-League 2 qualifiers. Headquartered in Shillong,[22] Lajong has access to the largest student population in the
North-East and hence the footballing talent right from a young age.[23][24] The club is four-time champion of the Shillong Premier League.[25][26]
Shillong Lajong was the first club from the North East region of India to rise to prominence in the country.[27] Before the
2012–13 I-League season began, it was officially announced that Shillong Lajong's academy lad
Samuel Shadap had signed his first professional contract with Shillong Lajong after his impressive performance in the North East Super Series during pre-season.[28] Though
Aizawl FC caught most of the attention after their I-League title in 2016, it was Lajong who were the torch-bearers of northeastern football for a large part of the decade.[29][30][31]
History
Formation and journey
During the finals of the Meghalaya Invitation Cup in 1982, two football enthusiasts Shri Kitdor Syiem and Shri P. D. Sawyan saddened by the continuous failure of the Shillong teams to make it to the final stages of the tournament formed a football club to reverse the trend.[32][33] Together with a group of friends and supporters, they commissioned a semi-professional club in 1983, aptly called Lajong Football Club (
lit. 'Our own' or 'Of the people').[34][35][36] The club was also known as the Lajong Sports Social and Cultural Club.[37][38]
In 1983, the club played in the 3rd Division of the Shillong Sports Association League and was the champion, being promoted to the 2nd Division.[39] Similarly in 1984 it was promoted to the First Division.[39] Things started to change rapidly after the title clash for the Shillong Championship was inevitably poised against the Blue Max FC, another professionally organized club which later changed itself to
Langsning SC of today.[40] It was only in 1989 that Lajong FC finally annexed the championship for the first time.[39] In 1990, Lajong FC became the Meghalaya Invitation Cup champion, beating Nabajyoti FC of
Guwahati in the final, seven years after its maiden entry.[39]
In 2009, Lajong FC joined the
I-League 2nd Division, which then was the second highest national league in India. After one season in the second division, Lajong was promoted to the I-League.[41][42][43] Shillong Lajong gained promotion for the
2009–10 season, and had appointed former
Salgaocar and
East Bengal coach
Stanley Rozario for their first season in then India's top flight.[44] They played their first match in I-League in 2009 and lost to
JCT FC 1–5. In their first ever home match, they defeated
Air India 3–0 in front of 30,000 people. In their second home match, they lost to
Mohun Bagan 2–1, again in front of a home crowd of about 30,000. At the end of the I-League season, Shillong was relegated to the 2nd division, after finishing in last place.
2010–present
In the
2009–10 Indian Federation Cup, Shillong Lajong reached to the final but lost to
East Bengal in penalty-shootout.[45][46] For the 2011 season, Shillong Lajong managed by
Pradyum Reddy, participated in the I-League 2nd Division.[47] Due to Shillong hosting the
2011 I-League 2nd Division final round, they were able to skip the Group stages and go straight into the final round.[48] They ended one-year stint in the I-League 2nd Division with a 1–0 victory over
Mohammedan SC on 13 May 2011, after which they got promoted back to the I-League, and appointed
Scottish manager
Desmond Bulpin.[49][50][51] The club clinched Mizoram Independence Day Cup title in that season, defeating Royal Wahingdoh in final.[52]
In June 2013, the club roped former
Trinidadian international
Cornell Glen who represented his country at the
2006 FIFA World Cup.[53][54] Thus he became club's first ever World Cup player. In the
2013–14 I-League, on 22 September, Lajong thrashed
Dempo by 3–0.[55] In 2014–15 season, they ended up in ninth position, in which Glen scored 16 goals and finished as second highest goal scorer.[56]
Alison Kharsyntiew was appointed as interim head coach for the
Super Cup, following the dismissal of
Bobby Nongbet.[69] He succeeded
Thangboi Singto, who managed the club from 2013 to 2017.[70] Nongbet's first game in charge was on 4 April 2018 against
Indian Super League side
Pune City. Despite going down by two goals early in the match, Shillong Lajong came back to win the match 3–2.[71] Going into the
2018–19 season, Kharsyntiew was announced as the club's head coach.[72] His first league match in charge was on 28 October 2018 against Aizawl. A brace from
Naorem Mahesh Singh saw Shillong Lajong win 2–1.[73] The 2018–19 season was not suitable for Shillong Lajong as they were relegated from the league, after suffering a 1–4 defeat at the hands of former champions Aizawl in the last match.[74][75] In that season, Lajong fielded an all Indian squad and appointed
SpaniardJosé Carlos Hevia as technical director and head of youth development.[76][77]
At the end of the league, Lajong remained at the bottom of the 11-team table, with 11 points from 19 matches.[78][79][80][81] They won league's Fair Play Award.[82][83] In
2019 Shillong Premier League, they again emerged champions with 27 points in 12 matches.[84][85] Shillong Lajong then became a regular participant in the newly formed
Meghalaya State League, since 2017.[86][87][88] They club later clinched second edition of Meghalaya State League, defeating arch-rivals
Rangdajied United.[89] In 2021, the club participated in the
Shirui Lily Cup in
Manipur, organized by the Ukhrul District Sports Association, from November 22 to December 4.[90][91] They won the 29th edition of the tournament by defeating
KLASA 4–3 in the final.[92]
Shillong Lajong players (in white) in action against
Sreenidi Deccan at the Deccan Arena in Hyderabad, in their away match of the 2023–24 season of Hero I-League.
On 21 May 2023, Shillong Lajong defeated
Bengaluru United by 2–1 at the
2022–23 I-League 2 to secure promotion to the
2023–24 I-League, thereby securing promotion into
India's second tier after a gap of 4 years.[93][94] As the league began in November, the club kicked-off their campaign with an 1–1 draw against
Mohammedan Sporting in Kolkata.[95][96] Shillong Lajong gained their first victory on 19 November, beating
Gokulam Kerala 3–1 in home.[97] Their campaign concluded with 31 points in the eighth position as the league season came to an end in April 2024.[98]
Crest, colours & kits
North Korean player Minchol Son in Shillong Lajong's red kit, in an I-League match in 2015.
Nicknamed the "Red Dragons", club's official colours are red and white.[99][100][101] The home jersey is all red, while the away jersey is all white.[102]
Shillong Lajong players (in red) in action during an I-League match against Mohammedan Sporting Club at the SSA Stadium in Shillong, Meghalaya, in 2024.Shillong Lajong players (in red) in action against Gokulam Kerala at the SSA Stadium in Shillong, during the 2023–24 I-League.
From 2022–23 I-League 2, the club also uses SSA Stadium in Shillong for home matches.[1] The club appeared in first home game of I-League at SSA Stadium on 9 November, after a gap of four seasons, against
NEROCA in their 1–1 draw.[117][118] In initial years, the club used Shillong Sports Association Ground, a 5,000 seater stadium.[11]
Ownership
In March 2012, Shillong Lajong became the first Indian football club to undergo the
foreign direct investment (FDI) as
Dubai-based Anglian Holdings bought 25% club shares.[119][120]
Players
First-team squad
As of 30 January 2024
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under
FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Shillong Lajong has its youth men's football section and academy teams.[192][193][194][195] These teams participate in regional tournaments, including North East Games.[196][197] Club's U18 team clinched
Youth League U18 title in
2017–18 season.[198][199][200][201] Their U17 team also took part in the group stages of
2022–23 U-17 Youth Cup.[202] Club's U19 team took part in, and clinched title of OIL-DFA All India U-19 Inter-Academy Invitational Football Tournament in November 2023, held in Duliajan, Assam.[203][204]
Players of Shillong Lajong under-19 team in 2015
Shillong Lajong FC Academy was incorporated in 2007, with the sole aim to develop the game at the grassroots level keeping in mind the abundant football talent in the North East.[205] It began the Goal 14 project in 2009 with the objective to develop local players.[205] Alison Kharsyntiew served as head coach of club's academy, and lead the reserves in
Shillong Premier League.[206] He led the reserves to the Shillong Premier League title in 2014.[206]
Shillong Lajong gained popularity worldwide after being featured in a FIFA Futbol Mundial documentary episode titled "Where football is number one in India" by
FIFA in August 2013, in which club's history, fanbase and legacy were screened.[219][220][221] Another FIFA Futbol Mundial episode was released later on 23 September in the same year, named "A dancing 'hero' in India", which was based on Shillong Lajong's Portuguese striker
Edinho Júnior, who signed for the club on loan from then
Premier League side
Blackburn Rovers.[222][223] The episode highlighted dancing skills of Júnior in the club jersey, who became an overnight sensation at that time.[224]
^Bhutani, Rahul (10 May 2015).
"Aizawl FC Champions". www.thehardtackle.com. The Hard Tackle. Archived from
the original on 23 September 2016. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
^Sharma, Sukalp (31 May 2010).
"Indias biggest league". financialexpress.com. The Financial Express. Archived from
the original on 18 July 2021. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
^Chidananda, Shreedutta (6 July 2011).
"Back to school". www.thehindu.com.
The Hindu. Archived from
the original on 10 January 2022. Retrieved 24 August 2013.
^"Royal flush for Wahingdoh". theshillongtimes.com. Shillong: The Shillong Times. 12 April 2014. Archived from
the original on 17 December 2023. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
^Digital Desk, Sentinel (5 October 2016).
"Rangdajied down Lajong". thenortheasttoday.com. Guwahati: The Sentinel Assam. Archived from
the original on 21 April 2023. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
^"Lajong take on Aizawl". theshillongtimes.com. Shillong: The Shillong Times. 10 December 2023. Archived from
the original on 11 December 2023. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
^"Oil India triumph". telegraphindia.com. Jorhat: The Telegraph India. 11 November 2016. Archived from
the original on 3 March 2022. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
^"Assam boys in ISL team for NE". telegraphindia.com. Shillong: The Telegraph India. 22 August 2014. Archived from
the original on 15 November 2014. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
Sharma, Sukalp (31 May 2010).
"Indias biggest league". financialexpress.com. The Financial Express. Archived from
the original on 18 July 2021. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
Shillong Lajong was incorporated in 1983,[9] with the prime objective of improving the declining standard of football in the state, and to spot, train and nurture local talent.[10] In the local
Khasi language, Lajong translates to "our own".[11] Nicknamed "the Red Dragons",[12] Shillong Lajong briefly participated in
I-League until their relegation in 2017,[13][14][15][16] then top flight Indian football.[17][18][19][20] They also appeared in the
Indian Super Cup in 2018 and reached semi-finals.[21] They were nominated for
2022–23 I-League 2 qualifiers. Headquartered in Shillong,[22] Lajong has access to the largest student population in the
North-East and hence the footballing talent right from a young age.[23][24] The club is four-time champion of the Shillong Premier League.[25][26]
Shillong Lajong was the first club from the North East region of India to rise to prominence in the country.[27] Before the
2012–13 I-League season began, it was officially announced that Shillong Lajong's academy lad
Samuel Shadap had signed his first professional contract with Shillong Lajong after his impressive performance in the North East Super Series during pre-season.[28] Though
Aizawl FC caught most of the attention after their I-League title in 2016, it was Lajong who were the torch-bearers of northeastern football for a large part of the decade.[29][30][31]
History
Formation and journey
During the finals of the Meghalaya Invitation Cup in 1982, two football enthusiasts Shri Kitdor Syiem and Shri P. D. Sawyan saddened by the continuous failure of the Shillong teams to make it to the final stages of the tournament formed a football club to reverse the trend.[32][33] Together with a group of friends and supporters, they commissioned a semi-professional club in 1983, aptly called Lajong Football Club (
lit. 'Our own' or 'Of the people').[34][35][36] The club was also known as the Lajong Sports Social and Cultural Club.[37][38]
In 1983, the club played in the 3rd Division of the Shillong Sports Association League and was the champion, being promoted to the 2nd Division.[39] Similarly in 1984 it was promoted to the First Division.[39] Things started to change rapidly after the title clash for the Shillong Championship was inevitably poised against the Blue Max FC, another professionally organized club which later changed itself to
Langsning SC of today.[40] It was only in 1989 that Lajong FC finally annexed the championship for the first time.[39] In 1990, Lajong FC became the Meghalaya Invitation Cup champion, beating Nabajyoti FC of
Guwahati in the final, seven years after its maiden entry.[39]
In 2009, Lajong FC joined the
I-League 2nd Division, which then was the second highest national league in India. After one season in the second division, Lajong was promoted to the I-League.[41][42][43] Shillong Lajong gained promotion for the
2009–10 season, and had appointed former
Salgaocar and
East Bengal coach
Stanley Rozario for their first season in then India's top flight.[44] They played their first match in I-League in 2009 and lost to
JCT FC 1–5. In their first ever home match, they defeated
Air India 3–0 in front of 30,000 people. In their second home match, they lost to
Mohun Bagan 2–1, again in front of a home crowd of about 30,000. At the end of the I-League season, Shillong was relegated to the 2nd division, after finishing in last place.
2010–present
In the
2009–10 Indian Federation Cup, Shillong Lajong reached to the final but lost to
East Bengal in penalty-shootout.[45][46] For the 2011 season, Shillong Lajong managed by
Pradyum Reddy, participated in the I-League 2nd Division.[47] Due to Shillong hosting the
2011 I-League 2nd Division final round, they were able to skip the Group stages and go straight into the final round.[48] They ended one-year stint in the I-League 2nd Division with a 1–0 victory over
Mohammedan SC on 13 May 2011, after which they got promoted back to the I-League, and appointed
Scottish manager
Desmond Bulpin.[49][50][51] The club clinched Mizoram Independence Day Cup title in that season, defeating Royal Wahingdoh in final.[52]
In June 2013, the club roped former
Trinidadian international
Cornell Glen who represented his country at the
2006 FIFA World Cup.[53][54] Thus he became club's first ever World Cup player. In the
2013–14 I-League, on 22 September, Lajong thrashed
Dempo by 3–0.[55] In 2014–15 season, they ended up in ninth position, in which Glen scored 16 goals and finished as second highest goal scorer.[56]
Alison Kharsyntiew was appointed as interim head coach for the
Super Cup, following the dismissal of
Bobby Nongbet.[69] He succeeded
Thangboi Singto, who managed the club from 2013 to 2017.[70] Nongbet's first game in charge was on 4 April 2018 against
Indian Super League side
Pune City. Despite going down by two goals early in the match, Shillong Lajong came back to win the match 3–2.[71] Going into the
2018–19 season, Kharsyntiew was announced as the club's head coach.[72] His first league match in charge was on 28 October 2018 against Aizawl. A brace from
Naorem Mahesh Singh saw Shillong Lajong win 2–1.[73] The 2018–19 season was not suitable for Shillong Lajong as they were relegated from the league, after suffering a 1–4 defeat at the hands of former champions Aizawl in the last match.[74][75] In that season, Lajong fielded an all Indian squad and appointed
SpaniardJosé Carlos Hevia as technical director and head of youth development.[76][77]
At the end of the league, Lajong remained at the bottom of the 11-team table, with 11 points from 19 matches.[78][79][80][81] They won league's Fair Play Award.[82][83] In
2019 Shillong Premier League, they again emerged champions with 27 points in 12 matches.[84][85] Shillong Lajong then became a regular participant in the newly formed
Meghalaya State League, since 2017.[86][87][88] They club later clinched second edition of Meghalaya State League, defeating arch-rivals
Rangdajied United.[89] In 2021, the club participated in the
Shirui Lily Cup in
Manipur, organized by the Ukhrul District Sports Association, from November 22 to December 4.[90][91] They won the 29th edition of the tournament by defeating
KLASA 4–3 in the final.[92]
Shillong Lajong players (in white) in action against
Sreenidi Deccan at the Deccan Arena in Hyderabad, in their away match of the 2023–24 season of Hero I-League.
On 21 May 2023, Shillong Lajong defeated
Bengaluru United by 2–1 at the
2022–23 I-League 2 to secure promotion to the
2023–24 I-League, thereby securing promotion into
India's second tier after a gap of 4 years.[93][94] As the league began in November, the club kicked-off their campaign with an 1–1 draw against
Mohammedan Sporting in Kolkata.[95][96] Shillong Lajong gained their first victory on 19 November, beating
Gokulam Kerala 3–1 in home.[97] Their campaign concluded with 31 points in the eighth position as the league season came to an end in April 2024.[98]
Crest, colours & kits
North Korean player Minchol Son in Shillong Lajong's red kit, in an I-League match in 2015.
Nicknamed the "Red Dragons", club's official colours are red and white.[99][100][101] The home jersey is all red, while the away jersey is all white.[102]
Shillong Lajong players (in red) in action during an I-League match against Mohammedan Sporting Club at the SSA Stadium in Shillong, Meghalaya, in 2024.Shillong Lajong players (in red) in action against Gokulam Kerala at the SSA Stadium in Shillong, during the 2023–24 I-League.
From 2022–23 I-League 2, the club also uses SSA Stadium in Shillong for home matches.[1] The club appeared in first home game of I-League at SSA Stadium on 9 November, after a gap of four seasons, against
NEROCA in their 1–1 draw.[117][118] In initial years, the club used Shillong Sports Association Ground, a 5,000 seater stadium.[11]
Ownership
In March 2012, Shillong Lajong became the first Indian football club to undergo the
foreign direct investment (FDI) as
Dubai-based Anglian Holdings bought 25% club shares.[119][120]
Players
First-team squad
As of 30 January 2024
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under
FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Shillong Lajong has its youth men's football section and academy teams.[192][193][194][195] These teams participate in regional tournaments, including North East Games.[196][197] Club's U18 team clinched
Youth League U18 title in
2017–18 season.[198][199][200][201] Their U17 team also took part in the group stages of
2022–23 U-17 Youth Cup.[202] Club's U19 team took part in, and clinched title of OIL-DFA All India U-19 Inter-Academy Invitational Football Tournament in November 2023, held in Duliajan, Assam.[203][204]
Players of Shillong Lajong under-19 team in 2015
Shillong Lajong FC Academy was incorporated in 2007, with the sole aim to develop the game at the grassroots level keeping in mind the abundant football talent in the North East.[205] It began the Goal 14 project in 2009 with the objective to develop local players.[205] Alison Kharsyntiew served as head coach of club's academy, and lead the reserves in
Shillong Premier League.[206] He led the reserves to the Shillong Premier League title in 2014.[206]
Shillong Lajong gained popularity worldwide after being featured in a FIFA Futbol Mundial documentary episode titled "Where football is number one in India" by
FIFA in August 2013, in which club's history, fanbase and legacy were screened.[219][220][221] Another FIFA Futbol Mundial episode was released later on 23 September in the same year, named "A dancing 'hero' in India", which was based on Shillong Lajong's Portuguese striker
Edinho Júnior, who signed for the club on loan from then
Premier League side
Blackburn Rovers.[222][223] The episode highlighted dancing skills of Júnior in the club jersey, who became an overnight sensation at that time.[224]
^Bhutani, Rahul (10 May 2015).
"Aizawl FC Champions". www.thehardtackle.com. The Hard Tackle. Archived from
the original on 23 September 2016. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
^Sharma, Sukalp (31 May 2010).
"Indias biggest league". financialexpress.com. The Financial Express. Archived from
the original on 18 July 2021. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
^Chidananda, Shreedutta (6 July 2011).
"Back to school". www.thehindu.com.
The Hindu. Archived from
the original on 10 January 2022. Retrieved 24 August 2013.
^"Royal flush for Wahingdoh". theshillongtimes.com. Shillong: The Shillong Times. 12 April 2014. Archived from
the original on 17 December 2023. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
^Digital Desk, Sentinel (5 October 2016).
"Rangdajied down Lajong". thenortheasttoday.com. Guwahati: The Sentinel Assam. Archived from
the original on 21 April 2023. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
^"Lajong take on Aizawl". theshillongtimes.com. Shillong: The Shillong Times. 10 December 2023. Archived from
the original on 11 December 2023. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
^"Oil India triumph". telegraphindia.com. Jorhat: The Telegraph India. 11 November 2016. Archived from
the original on 3 March 2022. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
^"Assam boys in ISL team for NE". telegraphindia.com. Shillong: The Telegraph India. 22 August 2014. Archived from
the original on 15 November 2014. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
Sharma, Sukalp (31 May 2010).
"Indias biggest league". financialexpress.com. The Financial Express. Archived from
the original on 18 July 2021. Retrieved 16 July 2021.