Pioneer Football League (Bangladesh)

Pioneer Football League (Bengali: পাইওনিয়ার ফুটবল লীগ), also known as the Bangladesh Pioneer Football League, is an age-level league and also the sixth-tier of Bangladeshi football organised by Bangladesh Football Federation. The semi-finalsits of the competition are promoted to the Dhaka Third Division Football League.[1][2][3] As the tournament is considered to be the lowest level of Bangladeshi football, so the number of participants is unlimited as well as any club is able to send an application to participate in the tournament.[4]

Pioneer Football League
Founded1981 (1981)
CountryBangladesh
ConfederationAFC
Number of teams46
Level on pyramid4 (1981–1992)
5 (1993–2011)
6 (2012–present)
Promotion toDhaka Third Division League
Current championsBarishal Academy
(2021–22)
Websitewww.bff.com.bd

History

The league unofficially started on 29 April 1980. A total of 160 teams participated in the qualifiers, from which 80 teams got a chance in the final stage. But the tournament was not registered as the Bangladesh Football Federation did not determine a champion and runner-up team. The Pioneer League officially started in 1981. In its first edition the league was inaugurated by the Speaker of the National Assembly (MNA), Shamsul Huda Chaudhury.[5]

A year later, on September 24, 1983, the then FIFA President João Havelange inaugurated the league at the Dhaka Stadium. The next few editions saw the league being inaugurated by Prime Minister's Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina.[5]

Format
As of 2021–2022[1]
  • A total of 46 teams were split into five zones - Central, East, West, North and South.
  • The matches will be held at the five different venues- Paltan Outer Stadium, Gopibagh Brother Union ground, Mirpur Golartek ground, Uttara Sector 14 ground and Fatullah Aliganj ground. Each venue will host 2 groups.
  • A total of 20 teams will play in the Super League, two from each zone. In the Super League, 20 teams will play in four groups.
  • The four group champions will play the semi-finals. These four semi-finalists will advance to the Dhaka Third Division Football League.

Structure
Further information: Bangladeshi football league system

Level

League / Division

1

Bangladesh Premier League
11 clubs - 2 relegation

2

Bangladesh Championship League
11 clubs - 2 promotion, 2 relegation

3

Dhaka Senior Division Football League
14 clubs – 2 promotion, 3 relegation

4

Dhaka Second Division Football League
18 clubs, split into 2 groups – 3 promotion, 2 relegation

5

Dhaka Third Division Football League
18 clubs, split into 2 groups – 5 promotion, 2 relegation

6

Bangladesh Pioneer Football League
unlimited number of clubs - 4 promotion

Champions
Season Champion Runner Up Third Place Fourth Place Ref.
2019–20 Elias Ahemd Chowdhury SS FC Uttar Bongo FC Brahmanbaria Skylark Football Club [6]
2021–22 Barishal Academy Green Voice Kishor Bangla Club Prantik Junior
Feni Sports Academy		 None[7] [8]

Individual awards

Top-scorer
Season Player Club Goals Ref.
2019–20 Mahfuz Ahmed Eskaton Sabuj Sangha 20 [6]
2021–22 Mehdi Hasan Minar Skylark Football Club 15 [9]

Player of the tournament
Season Player Club Ref.
2021–22 Raihan Mia Barishal Academy [8]

Player of the final
Season Player Club Ref.
2021–22 Akash Islam Barishal Academy [8]

References
  1. Reporter, Senior. "মনসুর স্পোর্টিংকে নিয়েই মাঠে গড়াচ্ছে 'নতুন' পাইওনিয়ার". dhakapost.com.
  2. "Bashundhara Kings, from Pioneer League to BCL champion". Dhaka Tribune. November 4, 2017.
  3. "Pioneer League from today". The Daily Star. April 25, 2008.
  4. "Club registration for Pioneer Football League begins |". BFF.
  5. আলম, মাসুদ. "আরও মনোযোগ দরকার, আরও যত্ন". Prothomalo.
  6. "Award blunder exposes negligence | New Age". www.newagebd.net.
  7. "Pioneer U-15 Football League final Friday". unb.com.bd.
  8. Report, Star Sports (July 8, 2022). "Barishal Academy win Pioneer League title". The Daily Star.
  9. "পাইওনিয়ার লিগের চ্যাম্পিয়ন বরিশাল ফুটবল একাডেমি | কালের কণ্ঠ". Kalerkantho. July 8, 2022.
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