Lonestar Kashmir Football Club (also known as Lone Star or LKFC)[2] is an Indian professional football club based in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir.[3][4][5] Founded in 2013, the club previously competed in I-League 2nd Division (third tier),[6][7][8] and currently participates in JKFA Professional League, the fifth tier in the Indian football league system.

Lonestar Kashmir
Full nameLonestar Kashmir Football Club[1]
Nickname(s)Lonestar
Short nameLKFC
Founded2013; 11 years ago (2013)
GroundTRC Turf Ground
Capacity10,000
LeagueJKFA Professional League

Lonestar first competed professionally when they were part of the 2015 I-League 2nd Division.[9] The club primarily uses TRCG Stadium as home ground.[10][11]

History

edit

Formation and journey

edit
 
Lonestar Kashmir players during an I-League 2nd Division match at the EKA Arena in Ahmedabad, 2019.

Lonestar Kashmir Football Club[12] was founded in 2013 and is affiliated with the Jammu & Kashmir Football Association (JKFA).[13] The club participates in various state and regional tournaments.[14] In 2013, LoneStar Group became a primary sponsor of the team, and registered it as a private company to fulfil AIFF club licensing criteria.[15] At the end of the 2013 season, LoneStar Group registered KFC under the Companies Act as per the AIFF Club licensing criteria. Popularly known as Kashmir FC, Lonestar Kashmir Football Club is a dream project of Iftikhar Ahmed Lone, its founder and chairman.

 
Lonestar Kashmir players training at the TRC Turf Ground in July 2018.

The club, first of its kind in the state, has been floated to promote football amongst the talented youth of the Jammu & Kashmir. A successful businessman, having established Lonestar as a global brand of Kashmiri handicrafts and jewellery in the middle-east and many European countries, Iftikhar returned to the valley. In quest for self-actualization, once a college-level footballer had the idea to introduce a Kashmir-based club in the professional football map of the country, thus Lonestar Kashmir FC came into being.[16] The club's biggest achievements were emerging as the runners-up of the I-League 2nd Division in 2015,[17][18] and 2015–16 season,[19] though they didn't managed the top spot of the league and never qualified for the I-League, one of India's top-flight football leagues. Mozin Shah emerged as top Indian scorer for the club with six goals in 18 matches.[20] The 2016–17 season was not suitable for them as they bowed out from Group stages,[21][22] finishing on bottom with 2 points in 9 matches.[23]

In 2017, they participated in 15th Police Martyrs Memorial Football Tournament, which was held at the TRC Turf Ground.[24] In October 2018, they took part in another state tournament J&K Invitational Cup but could not succeed.[25][26][27]

2020–present

edit

Lonestar Kashmir later participated in the JKFA Professional League during its inaugural 2020–21 season.[28][29] Later they took part in the Real Kashmir Cup in 2021 and reached to the semi-finals.[30] In May 2021, the club announced that Kashmir Observer will be their official media partner for the 2020–21 season.[31] The following season in July 2021, Rogelio Juárez Robinson became the first Panamanian footballer to sign with Lonestar from Jamaican side Mount Pleasant Football Academy.[32]

In July 2021, the club participated in the inaugural season of JKFA Professional League, the first professional league in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, organised by Jammu and Kashmir Football Association (JKFA) and J&K Sports Council.[33][34][35] They finished on sixth place. In 2022, Lonestar Kashmir reached semi-finals of Christmas Gold Cup.[36][37]

Rivalry

edit

Lonestar Kashmir has a rivalry with their fellow Jammu & Kashmir-based club Real Kashmir FC.[38][39] The team has also participated in the inaugural 2020–21 Real Kashmir Cup, which was actually hosted by Real Kashmir FC at the TRC Turf Ground.[40][41]

Stadium

edit

Lonestar Kashmir uses the TRC Polo Synthetic Turf Ground in Srinagar for their home matches, which has a seating capacity of 11,000 spectators.[42][43] Since 2015, the ground is being used in I-League 2nd Division for Lonestar,[44] and I-League for Real Kashmir. It is operated by Jammu & Kashmir Football Association, and was renovated in 2015.[45]

During the 2018–19 I-League 2nd Division, Lonestar briefly moved to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board sports complex in Katra, due to security reasons.[46][47][48]

Players

edit

Senior team squad

edit

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK   IND Sk. Moiduk Islam
2 DF   IND Rahul Baishnab Jaydebdas
4 DF   IND Basalt Javaid Shah
6 MF   IND Farzaan Fayaz
9 FW   IND Atinder Mani
11 MF   IND Muhammad Asrar Rehbar
12 FW   IND Mozin Shah
13 MF   IND Waqar Ahmad Malik
14 MF   IND Karun Raina
15 FW   IND Faisal Rashid
No. Pos. Nation Player
FW   PAN Rogelio Juárez
MF   IND Zubair Bashir
16 DF   IND Vivek Gulati
17 MF   IND Mir Abdul Hanan (Captain)
18 DF   IND Gagandeep Singh Ghattaura
21 MF   IND Muzammil Muzhar Khan
23 MF   IND Faisal Wangnoo
24 GK   IND Muhammad Rashid Nalakath
26 DF   IND Gulshan Kumar
27 DF   IND Sowban Hilal Sidiqui
50 MF   IND Paviter Singh

Managerial history

edit
As of 14 February 2020
Name Nationality From To P W D L GF GA Win% Ref.
Hilal Rasool   India 2015 2017 14 8 3 3 22 14 057.14 [49]
Clebson Duarte da Silva   Brazil 2018 2018 9 0 2 7 9 18 000.00 [50][51]
Emerson Ricardo Alcântara   Brazil 2018 2019 0 0 0 0 0 0 ! [52]
Miki Lladó   Spain 2019 2019 7 1 2 4 8 13 014.29 [53]
Kenichi Yatsuhashi   Japan 2019 2020 7 1 2 4 8 13 014.29 [54]
Chandan Rathod   India 2021 2023 0 0 0 0 0 0 ! [55]

Former players

edit

Foreign players

edit

Youth and academy

edit

U15 team of Lonestar Kashmir took part in Hero U15 I-League, played in the final round too.[64] In 2014, the club launched its U19 team to participate in the Elite League (India).[65] The U19 team was first participated in the league during the 2014–15 I-League U19 season (group D – rest of India zone) and moved to final round.[66][67][68] The club also operates youth women's section and academies.[55]

Honours

edit

League

edit
  • J&K Police Martyrs Memorial Cup

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ "Lonenstar Kashmir football club profile". khelnow.com. Khel Now. Archived from the original on 11 December 2021. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  2. ^ "Eighteen teams, including 7 reserve sides of ISL clubs to contest in revamped 2017-18 Second Division league". firstpost.com. First Post. 20 February 2018. Archived from the original on 28 July 2021. Retrieved 28 July 2021.
  3. ^ Majumder, Debabrata (10 May 2016). "Kareem scores hat-trick as Minerva stay in touch with leaders Dempo after beating Lonestar Kashmir". THIF-LIVE.COM. Archived from the original on 10 June 2016. Retrieved 18 May 2016.
  4. ^ "JKFA Professional League". The Away End. 12 July 2021. Archived from the original on 11 July 2021. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  5. ^ "2nd Division League: Chhinga Veng rout LoneStar Kashmir FC". Goal.com. Archived from the original on 30 July 2021. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  6. ^ "2nd Division I-League: Delhi Dynamos beat Lone Star 1-0". greaterkashmir.com. Greater Kashmir. 21 March 2018. Archived from the original on 9 July 2021. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  7. ^ "Results & Fixtures: 2nd Division I-League". i-league.org. Archived from the original on 17 November 2015. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  8. ^ "TRAU FC win 2nd Division League, earn promotion to I-League". www.goal.com. Goal. 19 May 2019. Archived from the original on 21 March 2022. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
  9. ^ "I-League and Fed Cup Committee Meeting held at Football House". the-aiff.com. The All India Football Federation. Archived from the original on 4 April 2019. Retrieved 28 November 2014.
  10. ^ Shukla, Kaushal (16 November 2015). "Gritty LoneStar Kashmir FC thwart spirited Kenkre FC". footballcounter.com. Football Counter. Archived from the original on 27 October 2016. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  11. ^ "Lonestar Kashmir football club home stadium". Goal.com. Archived from the original on 30 July 2021. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  12. ^ "Lonestar Kashmir Football Club Archive". The Away End. Archived from the original on 15 December 2021. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
  13. ^ Khan, Abid (24 October 2018). "J&K Invitational Cup-2018: Real Kashmir FC, Minerva Punjab FC joint winners". Greater Kashmir. Archived from the original on 28 September 2021. Retrieved 28 September 2021.
  14. ^ Qayoom, Sameer (27 March 2015). "LoneStar Kashmir FC — The beginning of a new era in J&K; football". sportskeeda.com. Archived from the original on 29 March 2015. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
  15. ^ "EIGHTEEN TEAMS WILL CONTEST IN SECOND DIVISION LEAGUE 2017-18". aiff.com. All India Football Federation. 21 February 2018. Archived from the original on 15 December 2021. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  16. ^ "Lone Star Kashmir FC – Inculcating I-league Culture!". thekashmirmonitor.net. The Kashmir Monitor. 3 April 2019. Archived from the original on 15 December 2021. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  17. ^ "I-league 2nd Division second phase". Goalie365.com. 7 June 2015. Archived from the original on 16 September 2018. Retrieved 7 June 2015.
  18. ^ Parasar, Swapnaneel (7 January 2016). "I-League Team Profile: Aizawl FC". Goal.com. Archived from the original on 10 January 2016. Retrieved 9 January 2016.
  19. ^ Jain, Abhishek (26 August 2015). "Change in format for I-League 2nd division". sportskeeda.com. Sportskeeda. Archived from the original on 27 August 2015. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
  20. ^ Tennyson, Rayson (16 May 2016). "Blasters sign three players from I-League 2nd division". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
  21. ^ "I-League 2nd Division Fixtures". theindianleague.in. The Indian League. Archived from the original on 28 July 2021. Retrieved 18 December 2016.
  22. ^ "NEROCA defeats Southern Samity, awaits for a win or a draw to reach to the final round". Sportstract. 27 February 2017. Archived from the original on 10 July 2018. Retrieved 10 July 2018.
  23. ^ Rukaya, Syed (13 March 2018). "Lone Star select 30 players for 2nd Division I-League". risingkashmir.com. Rising Kashmir. Archived from the original on 13 March 2018.
  24. ^ "15th Police Martyrs Memorial Football Tournament 2017: Lone Star Kashmir FC, AG's XI, J&K Bank, DFA Jammu (A) win ties". Statetimes.in. Archived from the original on 30 July 2021. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  25. ^ "Bengaluru FC B thrash Lonestar Kashmir in J&K Invitational Cup". khelnow.com. Khel Now. 20 October 2018. Archived from the original on 30 July 2021. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  26. ^ Khan, Abid (24 October 2018). "J&K Invitational Cup-2018: Real Kashmir FC, Minerva Punjab FC joint winners". greaterkashmir.com. Greater Kashmir. Archived from the original on 28 September 2021. Retrieved 28 September 2021.
  27. ^ Nehal (25 October 2018). "J&K Invitational Cup-2018: Real Kashmir FC and Minerva Punjab FC declared joint winners". theawayend.co. The Away End India. Archived from the original on 14 July 2020. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  28. ^ "Hero FC scripts win over J&K Bank Academy FC". dailyexcelsior.com. Daily Excelsior. 4 February 2021. Archived from the original on 3 February 2021. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  29. ^ "Six Football Matches played in ongoing JKSC Premier League at Jammu". jksportscouncil.com. Archived from the original on 6 May 2021. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  30. ^ "Real Kashmir Cup: Wins for Lonestar Kashmir FC, Kashmir Avengers FC". kashmirobserver.net. Kashmir Observer. 2 January 2021. Archived from the original on 2 January 2021. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
  31. ^ sofi (1 May 2021). "Kashmir Observer, LoneStar Kashmir FC Announce Media Partnership". Kashmir Observer. Archived from the original on 15 May 2021. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
  32. ^ "Wishing you the best of luck for your future endeavours Rogelio!". facebook.com. Archived from the original on 15 April 2022. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
  33. ^ "Jammu Kashmir Professional Football League 2021: Fixtures, results, standings & more". Khel Now. 15 July 2021. Archived from the original on 15 July 2021. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  34. ^ "JKFA set to launch first Pro Football league of J&K". greaterkashmir.com. Archived from the original on 17 July 2021. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  35. ^ "JKFA Professional League". theawayend.co. The Away End. Archived from the original on 11 July 2021. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  36. ^ "LoneStar Kashmir Enters Christmas Gold Cup Semis". kashmirobserver.net. Srinagar: The Kashmir Observer. Observer News Service. 12 December 2022. Archived from the original on 2 February 2023. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  37. ^ "J&K Bank Beat LoneStar To Enter Gold Cup Finals". kashmirobserver.net. Jammu: The Kashmir Observer. Observer News Service. 15 December 2022. Archived from the original on 17 December 2022. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  38. ^ "Lone Star Kashmir FC – Inculcating I-league Culture!". thekashmirmonitor.net. The Kashmir Monitor. 3 April 2019. Archived from the original on 15 December 2021. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  39. ^ "'For path-breaker Real Kashmir players, football more than just a means of livelihood'". The Times of India. 3 June 2018. Archived from the original on 8 July 2019. Retrieved 28 December 2021.
  40. ^ "Real Kashmir Cup". kashmirindepth.com. Kashmir Indepth. 29 December 2020. Archived from the original on 29 December 2020. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  41. ^ "Real Kashmir Cup: Wins For Lonestar Kashmir FC, Kashmir Avengers FC". kashmirobserver.net. Kashmir Observer. Archived from the original on 6 May 2021. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  42. ^ "Real Kashmir's TRC Turf Ground becomes the first group in Jammu and Kashmir to receive floodlights". outlookindia.com. Outlook India. 19 June 2019. Archived from the original on 6 May 2021. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  43. ^ Sayak Dipta Dey (22 April 2018). "Lonestar Kashmir held Delhi United 1-1 at TRC Turf Ground". sportskeeda.com. Sportskeeda. Archived from the original on 31 July 2021. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  44. ^ "I-League 2nd Division 2018-19, prilimenary round summary". Soccerway.com. Archived from the original on 12 September 2020. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  45. ^ "J&K gets its first synthetic turf football stadium". The Times of India. 3 September 2014. Archived from the original on 2 August 2021.
  46. ^ "I-League 2nd Division 2018-19: Lone Star Kashmir FC's home games shifted to Jammu". brighterkashmir.com. Brighter Kashmir. 22 March 2019. Archived from the original on 31 July 2021. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  47. ^ "I-League 2nd Division 2019: Uncertainty over Lone Star Kashmir FC's participation in final round". Goal.com. 13 April 2019. Archived from the original on 31 July 2021. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  48. ^ "I-League 2nd Division 2018-19: Lone Star Kashmir FC's home games shifted to Jammu". Goal.com. 22 March 2019. Archived from the original on 31 July 2021. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  49. ^ Ghosal, Amoy (15 February 2012). "A license to coach, first from the Jammu & Kashmir". www.hindustantimes.com. Kolkata, West Bengal: The Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 15 April 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  50. ^ "Two Kashmir I-League clubs get foreign coaches". Greater Kashmir. 15 March 2018. Archived from the original on 15 April 2022. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  51. ^ "Clebson Duarte da Silva new coach of Lonestar Kashmir". Lonestar Kashmir. 8 March 2018. Archived from the original on 15 April 2022. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
  52. ^ Sarkar, Uttiyo (4 June 2023). "Hero Intercontinental Cup Rival Watch: Vanuatu". khelnow.com. Khel Now India. Archived from the original on 4 June 2023. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  53. ^ "Miquel Llado Plana". Twitter.com. Archived from the original on 15 April 2022. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  54. ^ "Indian Football Transfer News 2019-20, Rumours, Gossips, Signings". forum.indianfootballnetwork.com. 25 January 2020. Archived from the original on 11 May 2021. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  55. ^ a b Elahi, R (10 July 2021). "Lonestar Kashmir FC Seeks To Reclaim Its I-League Status". kashmirobserver.net. Srinagar: The Kashmir Observer. Archived from the original on 11 July 2021. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  56. ^ Narvekarl, Ravish R (8 April 2017). "LoneStar Kashmir hold Fateh Hyderabad in I-league 2nd Division". www.khelnow.com. Khel Now. Archived from the original on 9 December 2018. Retrieved 25 November 2018.
  57. ^ "Kenkre FC split points with Lonestar Kashmir in 1-1 draw". www.footballcounter.com. Football Counter. 20 April 2017. Archived from the original on 28 April 2017. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
  58. ^ "Lhendup Dorji to play with Lonestar Kashmir FC in India". kuenselonline.com. KUENSEL. Archived from the original on 11 January 2019. Retrieved 9 January 2019.
  59. ^ Strack-Zimmermann, Benjamin. "NFT player — National team & Club appearances: Dorji, Lhendup". national-football-teams.com. National Football Teams. Archived from the original on 5 October 2021. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  60. ^ "2nd Division League: Matchday 13 [30/03-06/04]". theawayend.co. The Away End. 7 April 2019. Archived from the original on 23 April 2019. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
  61. ^ "2nd Division I-League: Lone Star Kashmir FC start campaign with 3-2 win over ARA FC". Greater Kashmir. 26 January 2019. Archived from the original on 25 October 2021. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
  62. ^ 13th AIFF HERO I-LEAGUE 2019-20: FIXTURES AND RESULTS Archived 31 October 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Kolkata Football. kolkatafootball.com. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
  63. ^ "Wishing you the best of luck for your future endeavours Rogelio!". facebook.com. Archived from the original on 25 October 2021. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
  64. ^ Excelsior, Daily (26 April 2019). "SFA U-15 qualifies for final round". Jammu Kashmir Latest News | Tourism | Breaking News J&K. Archived from the original on 27 May 2019. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
  65. ^ "AIFF Moots U-15 & U-18 I-League For Clubs & Academies". I-League.org. Hero I-League. Archived from the original on 8 November 2021. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
  66. ^ "Hindustan FC in final round". thehindu.com. The Hindu. 7 February 2015. Archived from the original on 15 August 2021.
  67. ^ Media Team, I-LEAGUE (8 January 2015). "U-19 I-League Kolkata zone finalists confirmed". i-league.org. Archived from the original on 18 January 2015.
  68. ^ I league, U-19 (30 January 2015). "U-19 I-League Focus: Hindustan FC". i-league.org. Archived from the original on 9 September 2021. Retrieved 20 January 2021.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  69. ^ "2015 I-League 2nd Division results and statistics". Soccerway.com. Archived from the original on 16 November 2020. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
  70. ^ "Statistics: 2nd Division I-League". i-league.org. All India Football Federation. Archived from the original on 19 November 2015. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  71. ^ Sports Correspondent, Excelsior (6 November 2017). "J&K Bank emerges winner of Premier Division League". dailyexcelsior.com. Kashmir: Daily Excelsior. Archived from the original on 5 June 2022. Retrieved 26 January 2021. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  72. ^ Raafi, Muhammad (1 November 2015). "J&K Bank Lifts 'J&K Bank & Khyber Big Premier Football League 2015' Title". kashmirlife.net. Jammu: The Kashmir Life News. Archived from the original on 5 October 2022. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
  73. ^ Mukherjee, Soham (9 July 2018). "All you need to know about the football league structure in Jammu and Kashmir". goal.com. Goal. Archived from the original on 3 January 2024. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  74. ^ "J&K Bank wins 15th Police Martyrs Memorial Football tournament-2017". kashmirlife.net. Srinagar: The Kashmir Life News. 19 November 2017. Archived from the original on 4 October 2022. Retrieved 26 November 2023.

Further reading

edit
edit