Shillong, Sep 4: The management of Langsning FC are set to drop a major bombshell and pull out of the Shillong Premier League, TSR has heard today from a source connected to the club.
If true, it will be absolutely devastating for fans of the club, one of the most successful at the local level.
Langsning won two back-to-back SPL titles in 2017 and 2018 and several Super Division crowns in the pre-SPL era. It was not able to crack the Meghalaya State League, with their best finish coming in the semifinals of the inaugural 2017 edition, and their several attempts to qualify for the I-League (most recently in 2018) always fell short.
It has also been a club that has featured many of Meghalaya’s top senior footballers over the years and has even been active in grassroots football, from the now dormant Meghalaya Baby League up to All India Football Federation age group tournaments.
In 2023 the club even appeared to be re-energised by signing a new coach – Khlain Pyrkhat Syiemlieh – and announcing that it would make another attempt to qualify for the I-League. However, the first step in that process would’ve been winning SPL 2023 but Langsning exited in the semifinals.
Langsning raised a few eyebrows earlier this year when they didn’t sign any new players in the SSA transfer window. That’s usually not a good sign – especially when 10 players left for other pastures.
Rumours about them pulling out have bounced around in previous years but the club always showed up at the start of every season.
Langsning are likely to make their intentions clear by the end of this week. If the worst does come to pass, they will be the second big team to leave the SSA football pyramid. Like Langsning, Royal Wahingdoh FC were also well known throughout Indian football circles and that club are no more, though the circumstances are somewhat different.
(File photo)
