'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
#2 Jagatjit Cotton & Textile Mills FC
Jagatjit Cotton & Textile Mills FC or JCT, as they were commonly known were the ones who raised the standard of football in the northern state of Punjab. The team exceeded expectations when they ended up winning the first National Football League in 1997.
They were also the first Indian team outside Kolkata to win the IFA Shield in an era when the team for Punjab boasted of players like Baichung Bhutia, IM Vijayan and Jo Paul Ancheri. With all the big names moving to different clubs after the NFL win, the club began to falter as they started slipping into mediocrity with mid-table finishes.
In 2005, JCT signed a young player by the name of Sunil Chhetri who was influential in the team regaining some of their former glory. Even though they did not win the league, Chhetri was influential in guiding them to a second and third place finish in successive years, losing the I-League by just three points in 2007.
In 2011, the club disbanded citing the lack of interest of football in India but they recently announced their return to professional football. Whether or not JCT are able to reach the pinnacle of Indian football again remains to be seen but most people would be happy to see a north Indian team return to the big time so that football in the region receives a big boost.
