Takht Jamshid Cup - History

History

In early 70s Iran, football had become a very popular sport and several local leagues existed in various cities. Eventually the football federation of the time decided that a national league with a format similar to that which European clubs followed was necessary. This led to the creation of the Takht Jamshid Cup. The name Jamshid is an important party of ancient Iranian history, and the league was named as such to emphasize the greatness of the ancient Persians.

In 1973 the league officially started. The league followed a home and away format, with the club having the most points being declared champion. Most clubs involved in the league were connected to a government organization, but some clubs were privately owned (Persepolis F.C.). Addiontally clubs from all regions of Iran participated in the league. Persepolis became champions of the inaugural season of the league. The league was found to be very popular with fans and it continued functioning until the Iranian Revolution which caused the league to shut down halfway through the season.

After the revolution, because of the Iran–Iraq War, a national league was not established until some time later, under a different name. The Takht Jamshid Cup, despite its short lifespan, can be considered the first national football league in Iran and was extremely influential in improving Iran's football.

Read more about this topic:  Takht Jamshid Cup

Famous quotes containing the word history:

    Both place and time were changed, and I dwelt nearer to those parts of the universe and to those eras in history which had most attracted me.
    Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)

    Properly speaking, history is nothing but the crimes and misfortunes of the human race.
    Pierre Bayle (1647–1706)

    The only history is a mere question of one’s struggle inside oneself. But that is the joy of it. One need neither discover Americas nor conquer nations, and yet one has as great a work as Columbus or Alexander, to do.
    —D.H. (David Herbert)