TRAU FC

TRAU Football Club (known fully as Tiddim Road Athletic Union Football Club)^[1][2][3] is an Indian professional football club based in Imphal, Manipur. The club has, until relegation in 2024, competed in the I-League, the second tier of the Indian football league system.^[4][5] Nicknamed "The Red Python",^[6] the club was founded in 1954.

TRAU

Full name	Tiddim Road Athletic Union Football Club
Nickname(s)	The Red Python
Founded	2 October 1954; 70 years ago (1954-10-02)
Ground	Khuman Lampak Main Stadium
Capacity	35,285
Head coach	L. Nandakumar Singh
League	I-League Manipur State League
2022–23	I-League, 13th of 13 (relegated)
Home colours Away colours

Departments of TRAU FC
Football (Men's)	Futsal (Men's)	Football (reserves & academy)

TRAU made its I-League 2nd Division debut in 2017–18 season.^[7] They were promoted to the I-League in 2019, after winning 2nd Division.^[8][9] The club also participates in the Manipur State League.^[10][11][12]

History

Tiddim Road Athletic Union, which was instituted on 2 October 1954^[13] in Kwakeithel, Imphal,^[14][15] has been a pioneering organisation in the field of sports activities. They have lifted the title of CC Meet, state league of Manipur^[16] six times and finished runners up nine times.^[17][18] TRAU was runners up in 1998 Bordoloi Trophy, losing 10–1 to Narbakhar FC, club from Uzbekistan in the final.^[19][20] They began their journey of I-League 2nd Division in 2018,^[21][22][23] and on 8 May, they qualified for the final round in I-League Qualifiers in their debut season.^[24]

In 2018–19 season, they won the I-League 2nd division, their first ever professional league trophy, and gained the promotion to the I-League.^[25][26][27] On 25 August 2019, TRAU announced Aciesta Sports Alliance Private Limited as its title sponsor.^[28] The deal with Aciesta will help the Manipur-based team finance its first-team and development activities and further expand its presence in the top tier of Indian football.^[28] In September 2019, Cypriot manager Dimitris Dimitriou joined the club as head coach.^[29] Prior to the announcement, TRAU FC signed an agreement with SportiFan Ventures Limited, a sports business management firm based in the United Kingdom, which played a pivotal role in the negotiation process for the aforementioned deal.^[30] Later on the club announced Romi Factory as their new kit partner. On 23 October 2019, they roped in Douglas Silva as new manager,^[31][32] and on 1 December, they faced Chennai City. Shortly, his tenure ended as they lost the first three matches as the Brazilian was not at all happy with the supervision of the team.^[33][34]

Komron Tursunov, club's first ever Tajik recruit with new kit ahead of the 2020–21 I-League season.

In the 2020–21 I-League season, which was their second I-League season, TRAU finished at the 3rd position with 26 points. Bidyashagar Singh with 12 goals in 15 matches emerged as the top scorer and became the fourth Indian player to win the Golden boot.^[35][36][37] In that season, the club took part in Shirui Lily Cup.^[38] They achieved ninth place in 2021–22 I-League.^[39] In 2022–23 I-League, the club finished on fourth position. In April 2023, TRAU failed to qualify for 2023 Indian Super Cup.^[40]

In April 2024, TRAU along with NEROCA, refused to travel to Mizoram to face Aizawl in their away matches – as a result the games were cancelled by the AIFF; Both the teams from Manipur were relegated to I-League 2.^[41][42][43] The club took part in the 2024–25 I-League 2,^[44] in which they later fought in the relegation stage alongside city rival NEROCA.^[45]

Kit manufacturers and shirt sponsors

Period	Kit manufacturer	Shirt sponsor
2017–2018	Nike[46][non-primary source needed]	HVS
2018–2019	Vector X[47]
2019–2020	Nivia	Aciesta[28]
2020–2021	Romi Bag[48][49]	HVS[50]
2021–2022	Ambition sports[51]
2022–present	SIX5SIX[52]

Stadium

Main article: Khuman Lampak Main Stadium

Khuman Lampak Main Stadium in Imphal,^[53] is used as the home ground of TRAU for all their home matches in both the domestic and regional leagues.^[54][55][56] Opened in 1999,^[57] the stadium has a capacity of 35,285 spectators.

Support and rivalry

Supporters

A club recognised Imphal fan club by the name "Red Pythons" has been in support since 2017.^[58] The Khuman Lampak Main Stadium has witnessed an average attendance of 35,000.^[59]

Rivalries

See also: Northeast Derby (I-League)

TRAU have participated in the 'Imphal Derby'^[60] with their city rivals NEROCA.^[61][62][63] The two clubs are the only two from Imphal to have played professional league football.^[64][65] The Imphal Derby gained fame in 2022 during the 131st edition of Durand Cup when competitive football returned to the city after COVID-19 pandemic in India.^[66][67] The Government of Manipur declared a half-holiday for all governmental and educational institutions in build-up to the match on 18 August,^[68] in which TRAU was defeated by NEROCA 3–1 in Group-C opener.^[69]

The club has also enjoyed a rivalry with another Northeast Indian club Aizawl FC at the domestic level.^[70][71]

Players

First-team squad

As of 31 January 2024

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

No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK  IND Salam Sanaton Singh 2 DF  IND Laishram Chingkheinganba 5 DF  IND Meitankeishangbam Clinton 6 MF  IND Md Fayazuddin 7 FW  IND Liton Shil 8 MF  IND Telen Suranjit 10 MF  IND Khumanthem Arun Singh 12 DF  IND Thounaojam Thomas 13 FW  IND Moirangthem Malemnganba 14 MF  IND Thounaojam Rohit 18 MF  IND Danish Aribam 20 MF  IND TH Hriivei Carlos Pao

No. Pos. Nation Player 21 FW  IND Soraisam Robinson Singh 22 MF  IND Deepak Singh 24 GK  IND Mithun Samanta 25 FW  IND Premjit Singh 50 GK  IND Aaryan Anjaneya 69 FW  IND Japes Nongthambam 77 MF  IND Bidyananda Singh 99 MF  IND Sapam Bishorjit Meitei

Current technical staff

Position	Name
President	L. Bhagaton Singh
Team manager	Duidang
Head coach	L. Nandakumar Singh
Assistant coach	K. Surmani
Goalkeeping coach	L. Joy
Physio	Chingkheinganba
Secretary	T. Phulen Meitei
Media manager	Sanjoy Khulakpam

Records and statistics

Overall records

As of 6 April 2023

Season	Division	Teams	Position	Avg. attendance	Super Cup	Durand Cup	AFC Champions League	AFC Cup
2017–18	I-League 2nd Division	18	4th	2,560	Did not participate ▼	Did not participate ▼	Did not qualify ▼	Did not qualify ▼
2018–19		16	1st	1,021
2019–20	I-League	11	6th	12,533		Group stage
2020–21		11	3rd	🔒 Closed Doors ▼		Did not participate ▼
2021–22		13	9th
2022–23		12	4th	2,155	Qualifiers	Group stage

Season by season

As of 6 April 2023

⭐	Top scorer in division
🇮🇳	Top Indian scorer in division

Season	League									Finals	Top scorer(s)
	Division	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Pts	Pos		Player(s)	Goals
2017–18	I-League 2nd Division	13	7	4	2	28	12	25	4th	—	Princewill Emeka	7
2018–19		16	10	2	4	30	25	32	Champions	—	Princewill Emeka	10 ⭐
2019–20	I-League	17	6	4	7	17	27	22	6th	—	Oguchi Uche	4
2020–21		15	7	5	3	27	19	26	3rd	—	Bidyashagar Singh	12 ⭐ 🇮🇳
2021–22		17	4	6	7	15	17	18	9th	—	Fernandinho	4
2022–23		22	11	2	9	34	34	35	4th	—	Komron Tursunov	8

Managerial record

As of 6 April 2023

Name	Nationality	From	To	P	W	D	L	GF	GA	Win%	Ref.
Nandakumar Singh	India	1 July 2017	17 September 2019	32	17	7	8	59	42	053.13	[72]
Dimitris Dimitriou	Cyprus	18 September 2019	23 October 2019	0	0	0	0	0	0	!—	[73][non-primary source needed]
Douglas Silva	Brazil	23 October 2019	21 December 2019	3	0	0	3	1	7	000.00	[74]
Nandakumar Singh (interim)	India	22 December 2019	1 January 2020	1	0	1	0	2	2	000.00	[75]
Dimitris Dimitriou	Cyprus	2 January 2020	26 January 2020	5	4	1	0	8	3	080.00	[76]
Nandakumar Singh	India	27 January 2020	till date	67	25	15	27	86	96	037.31	[72]

Other records

• Fastest goal in a match of India's highest division league: 9 seconds – Komron Tursunov for TRAU vs. Real Kashmir (10 January 2021)^{[77][78][79][80]}
• Golden Boot winner (highest goal scorer) in I-League: Bidyashagar Singh (with TRAU, in 2020–21 season; 12 goals).^{[72][81][82][83]}
• First ever TRAU player to score double hat-tricks in a single season (in I-League): Bidyashagar Singh (against Mohammedan and Real Kashmir during the 2020–21 season).^[84][85][86]

Notable players

Past and present internationals

See also: Category:TRAU FC players

The foreign players below have senior/youth international cap(s) for their respective countries. Players whose name is listed, represented their countries before or after playing for TRAU FC.^[87]

• Isaac Isinde (2019)^[88][89]
• Oguchi Uche (2019–2020)^[90]
• Petru Leucă (2020)^[91][92]
• Gerard Williams (2019–2020; 2021–)^[93][94]
• Komron Tursunov (2020–2021; 2022–2023)^[95][96]
• Akobir Turaev (2021–2022)^[97]
• Gerson Vieira (2022–2023)^[98]
• Ibrahima Baldé (2023–)^[99]

Honours

Domestic tournaments

League

• I-League
  • Third place (1): 2020–21^[100]
• I-League 2nd Division
  • Champions (1): 2018–19^[101][102]
• Manipur State League
  • Champions (2): 2006,^[103] 2010^[104]
  • Runners-up (2): 2011^[105] 2016^[106]
  • Third place (1): 2007^[107]

Cup

• Bordoloi Trophy
  • Runners-up (1): 1998^[108]
• Churachand Singh Trophy^[109]
  • Winners (6): 1960, 1961, 1974, 1981, 2004, 2009^[110]
  • Runners-up (8): 1963, 1964, 1965, 1970, 1988, 1989, 2010, 2013–14^[111]
• Tiddim Invitational Football Trophy
  • Champions (1): 2007^[112]
• Naorem Bhubon Memorial Trophy
  • Champions (1): 2017^[113]
• Mayanglambam Chittamani Memorial Cup
  • Runners-up (1): 2004^[114]

Awards

• AIFF Fair Play Award: 2022–23^[115]

Other department

Futsal

The club has a men's futsal section.^[116] The club has competed in the All Manipur Football Association Futsal Cup, which is the highest division of the sport in the state.^[117] TRAU took part in the inaugural edition of AIFF Futsal Club Championship.^{[118][119][120][121][122]}

Honours

• AMFA Futsal Cup
  • Runners-up (1): 2004^[117]

See also

• List of football clubs in Manipur
• Sports in Manipur