The club strikes a historic achievement by defeating the PAS Club (Iran) with 1-0 goals in the IFA Shield finals 1970. The defeat was secured by an entitled player Parimal Dey. This victory was the first ever win of the Indian club over the foreign team post-independence. More than 80,000 supporters who had inundated the Eden Gardens celebrated the club’s triumph with lit torches (as the symbol of the club). Since then, lit torches were accepted as the symbol of the nation’s triumph in every sport domain.
Furthermore, the East Bengal club made an exceptional record of winning the Calcutta Football League for six continuous years from 1970 to 1975. They also secured the IFA Shield, Rovers Cup and the Durand Cup in 1972. East Bengal is entitled as the only club to win the famous Indian ‘Treble’ (IFA Shield, Durand Cup and Rovers Cup in a single session simultaneously) for two years – 1972 and 1990.
Eminent Indian footballers like Manoranjan Bhattacharya, Subhas Bhowmick, Bhaichung Bhutia, Sudhir Karmakar, Sudip Chatterjee, Bhaskar Ganguly, Krishanu Dey and several other players who represented India in the International Football Tournaments on behalf of the club throughout the period. Besides, exceptional players like Sammy Omollo, Majid Bishkar, Julian Camino, Emeka Ezeugo, Cheema Okorie, Monem Munna, and John Devine also reigned the club’s colour during the period.
Bhaichung Bhutia – an iconic Indian footballer, started his career with the East Bengal Club and later went on to play as a professional footballer in England as an Indian footballer.
Within this period two of the officials contributed and supported the team while leaving an incredible mark on several affairs of the club.