1996–97 National Football League (India)
The 1996–97 National Football League, also known as the Philips National League for sponsorship reasons, was the inaugural season of the National Football League. The tournament began on 17 December 1996 and concluded on 16 March 1997. Before the commencement, the All India Football Federation maintained that it would be a semi-professional tournament for the first two years.
JCT F.C.
On 2 August JCT F.C. in collaboration with India On Track are set to revive their senior football team after three years and plan to make their return by entering the 2015 I-League second division.
In last 3 decades of its existence, the JCT is the first Indian team outside Kolkata to win the IFA Shield. Apart from this, the JCT Club have won many prestigious tournaments and brought laurels to the State of Punjab. They also won the opening edition of the National Football League in 1996. JCT Club has also been the winner of the Asian Club Championship and finished 3rd in the 2007–2008 season of the newly formed I-League. The team has been 8 times winner of the Punjab Football League and 5 times winner of the Durand Cup. The success and the constant good performance of the club is attributed to its owner, the Thapars who apart from being business moguls, have been in constant effort to enhance the bar of their club at all the levels.