By Prarthana Hazarika
Shillong, Aug 29: L. Darlong has lived through almost every chapter of Meghalaya football.
He was there when school football was producing exceptional talent, when Blue Max Sports Club was one of Shillong’s most feared footballing outfits, when representing Meghalaya in the Santosh Trophy carried enormous pride, and now, decades later, as the game increasingly turns towards academies and structured age-group development.
For Darlong, the memories of the past are not simply nostalgia. They are a reminder of what Meghalaya football can achieve when talent, coaching and opportunity come together.
He still remembers 1978, a year he describes as the golden period of Meghalaya football.
That was the year St Anthony’s Higher Secondary School, Shillong, won the Subroto Cup, defeating Madhyagram School of Bengal in the final. The achievement was historic—it was Meghalaya’s first title in the prestigious school tournament.
The team had been coached by legendary India international P.K. Banerjee, who spent 21 days with the players preparing them for the tournament.
“It was our golden year. In 1978, we won the final against Madhyagram School, Bengal,” Darlong recalled.
For a generation of young footballers, that triumph became more than a trophy. It demonstrated that players from Meghalaya could compete—and win—against the country’s best school teams.
Darlong was himself part of that footballing generation. His playing career saw him emerge as a dynamic midfielder, with his club football taking him to Blue Max Sports Club. He also represented Shillong XI in major tournaments and was part of Meghalaya’s state football setup.
The Blue Max years remain an important part of Shillong’s football history. The club’s players formed the backbone of Meghalaya football during an era when local football had a powerful identity of its own. Former Blue Max teammate Ajay Thapa, who captained the historic 1978 St Anthony’s side, later went on to represent Meghalaya and Shillong XI as well.
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Darlong’s football journey, however, did not end with his playing career.
He moved into coaching and administration, carrying with him an understanding of the game acquired over years on the field. He subsequently worked with clubs including Malki SC and Langsning FC and has been involved with football at the university and state level.
That experience gives him a unique perspective on the biggest question facing Meghalaya football today: Is the state producing enough players for the future?
Darlong’s answer is encouraging.
He believes Meghalaya football is “going in the right direction”, particularly because of the emergence of individual football academies at the grassroots level.
For him, the biggest positive change is that young players are increasingly being identified at an early age.
The Meghalaya Football Association’s age-group competitions, he believes, are also playing an important role in creating a pathway for promising youngsters. The objective is not merely to conduct tournaments but to identify players who could eventually progress into higher levels of football.
That pathway is crucial for a state that has historically relied heavily on its natural footballing culture.
Meghalaya has already shown that it can compete at the national level. The state’s senior team reached the Santosh Trophy final in 2022-23, finishing runners-up, its best-ever finish in the competition. More recently, Meghalaya qualified for the 2025-26 Santosh Trophy final round and began its campaign with a 1-0 victory over Odisha.
All India Football Federation
For Darlong, these developments indicate that the foundations are being strengthened.
But he also makes an important observation: the real work begins after talent is identified.
A player discovered at the grassroots needs regular competition, quality coaching and a clear pathway to senior football. Without that progression, promising youngsters can disappear from the system.
This is where Darlong believes the involvement of former players can make a difference.
The footballers who built Meghalaya’s reputation understand the demands of the game from personal experience. Their involvement in the association, coaching and development structures can help connect the lessons of the past with the needs of the modern game.
Darlong’s story, therefore, is not simply about a bygone golden era.
It is about continuity.
The St Anthony’s triumph of 1978 showed what Meghalaya’s young footballers could achieve. The Blue Max generation carried that confidence into club and state football. Today’s academies and age-group programmes now have the responsibility of building the next bridge.
The challenge is to ensure that Meghalaya’s football culture does not remain only a matter of history and memories.
Darlong believes the signs are positive.
And perhaps that is the most significant message from a man who has seen Meghalaya football from the inside for more than four decades: the golden years may belong to the past, but there is no reason why the next golden generation cannot come from the same soil.
