From 1956, the year of Salgaocar SC’s establishment, it has been an era of sustained development, hard work and glory. It was a keen interest in football that initially prompted Vasudev Salgaocar to conduct friendly ties between the local youth and the crew of ships calling at Mormugao Port. The ties were conducted in local paddy fields, and largely attended, for football is one addiction most Goans share. As his industrial empire grew to new heights, Salgaocar crystallized his penchant for football in an organized fashion and formed the Salgaocar SC in 1956.Â
The year 1956 may well be described as the dawn of a new era in Goan football. The year when Goa would gain its own football team. It was the birth of a dream, a dream that was conceived in the heart of the football loving Mr. V.M. Salgaocar, founder President of the VM Salgaocar Group of Companies, to give a platform to the Goan youth to showcase their talent to the country, and to the world.Â
In 1962, we became the first Goan team to be extended an invitation to play in the prestigious Durand Cup in New Delhi, and with the news reaching the office of the Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru hosted a reception for the team at his official residence.
Salgaocar Football Club as it later came to be known is an Indian professional football club based in Vasco, Goa and is owned by the VIMSON group and play in the Goa professional League. Our home jersey is green shirt with white shorts while the away strip is red/white.
We were also the first Goan side to win the NFL in 1998-99.
Our players like Bruno Coutinho, BramhanandShankhwalkar went on to win the Arjuna award, the highest sports recognition in the country conferred by the Government of India. In 2022, Brahmanand Shankhwalkar has been conferred the Padma Shri Award for his contribution in the field of sports.
Our youth development programme was launched in 2003 with the intention of discovering and grooming young Goan talents, has been thoroughly professionalised and a steady stream of players have emerged from this initiative who have gone on to serve both the Club and country with distinction. In 2009 it has also been commended by the Asian Football Confederation as being the best or among the best in the country.
We have engaged AFC licensed coaches to ensure that the youngsters get their basics right.
In the I-League 2010-11 season Salgaocar SC won the title and with this win we qualified for the 2012 Asian Champions League qualifying round. We went on to win the Federation Cup that same year as we beat East Bengal 3-1 in the finals to complete the double.
In 2014-15 Salgaocar FC went on a 19-game unbeaten run at the start of the season that saw them clinch their 20th Goa Pro League title. They also annexed their third Durand Cup title in the same year, with the tournament played on Goan soil for the very first time in its illustrious 127-year history.
In 2016 Salgaocar SC bowed out of I-League. In the same year they won the Goa Professional League title for the 21sttime.
In 2018-19 the Club management entrusted the senior team with the Coach of the Junior teamand promoted maximum players from junior team to the senior team. The season began with the team participating in the AWES Cup 2018 where they were the runners up, having won against I-League and ISL teams in the knock out round to reach the finals. The senior team emerged Champions of the 4thCEM GOLD Cup beating international teams held in Assam in March 2019, while the sub-junior team emerged winners of the Goa zone of the Hero sub-junior League 2018-19(AIFF U-13).
We now participate in age group tournaments organised by the GFA (U-14/16/18/20) and the AIFF(U-13/15/18). Products from our YD system are being absorbed by other professional clubs in the country every year.
With the pandemic having hit, most football activities have come to a standstill for junior category since children are not vaccinated. The senior team’s activities have begun but abruptly being stopped due to rise in covid-19 cases time and again.