Mumbai Elite Division: No I-League or Division 2 clubs to participate

After months of not knowing if the Mumbai Elite Division for the 2012/13 season would be played or not, the Mumbai District Football Association has announced that the league would be played from February 25 to March 16, but due to fixture problems there would be no participation from clubs playing in the I-League and 2nd Division I-League besides the Indian Navy.

This means that defending champions ONGC besides former champions Air India and Mumbai FC plus 2nd Division sides Kenkre FC, PIFA and newly formed Dodsal FC would not be part of the league due to their national commitments, while Indian Navy have also opted out as they have to play in the Inter-Services tournament.

This means the Mumbai District Football Association organised Mumbai Elite Division would kick-off at the Western Railway ground, Mahalaxmi, from Monday, February 25 with only seven teams participating.

The teams, who will vie for the top honours this year, are Western Railway, Central Railway, Mumbai Customs, Union Bank of India, Rashtriya Chemicals & Fertilizers besides promoted outfits Maharashtra State Police and Companeroes SC.

The MDFA has also decided to complete league just within a month and the fixtures have been drawn up with the concluding league matches scheduled to be played on Friday, March 16.

The opening match would be between Central Railway and Union Bank of India at 1.30pm on February 25, followed by the second match between Western Railway and Mumbai Customs that day itself.