Tiddim Road Athletic Union, which was instituted on 2 October 1954[13] in Kwakeithel, Imphal,[14][15] has been a pioneering organisation in the field of sports activities. They have lifted the title of CC Meet, state league of Manipur[16] six times and finished runners up nine times.[17] TRAU was runners up in 1998 Bordoloi Trophy, losing 10–1 to Narbakhar FC, club from Uzbekistan in the final.[18][19] They began their journey of I-League 2nd Division in 2018,[20][21][22] and on 8 May, they qualified for the final round in I-League Qualifiers in their debut season.[23]
In 2018–19 season, they won the I-League 2nd division, their first ever professional league trophy, and gained the promotion to the I-League.[24][25][26] On 25 August 2019, TRAU announced Aciesta Sports Alliance Private Limited as its title sponsor.[27] The deal with Aciesta will help the Manipur-based team finance its first-team and development activities and further expand its presence in the top tier of Indian football.[27] In September 2019, Cypriot manager Dimitris Dimitriou joined the club as head coach.[28] Prior to the announcement, TRAU FC signed an agreement with SportiFan Ventures Limited, a sports business management firm based in the United Kingdom, which played a pivotal role in the negotiation process for the aforementioned deal.[29] Later on the club announced Romi Factory as their new kit partner. On 23 October 2019, they roped in Douglas Silva as new manager,[30][31] and on 1 December, they faced Chennai City. Shortly, his tenure ended as they lost the first three matches as the Brazilian was not at all happy with the supervision of the team.[32][33]
In the 2020–21 I-League season, which was their second I-League season, TRAU finished at the 3rd position with 26 points. Bidyashagar Singh with 12 goals in 15 matches emerged as the top scorer and became the fourth Indian player to win the Golden boot.[34][35][36] In that season, the club took part in Shirui Lily Cup.[37] They achieved ninth place in 2021–22 I-League.[38] In 2022–23 I-League, the club finished on fourth position. In April 2023, TRAU failed to qualify for 2023 Indian Super Cup.[39]
Khuman Lampak Main Stadium in Imphal,[46] is used as the home ground of TRAU for all their home matches in both the domestic and regional leagues.[47][48][49] Opened in 1999,[50] the stadium has a capacity of 35,285 spectators.
Support and rivalry
Supporters
A club recognised Imphal fan club by the name "Red Pythons" has been in support since 2017.[51] The Khuman Lampak Main Stadium has witnessed an average attendance of 35,000.[52]
TRAU have participated in the 'Imphal Derby'[53] with their city rivals NEROCA.[54][55][56] The two clubs are the only two from Imphal to have played professional league football.[57][58] The Imphal Derby gained fame in 2022 during the 131st edition of Durand Cup when competitive football returned to the city after COVID-19 pandemic in India.[59][60] The Government of Manipur declared a half-holiday for all governmental and educational institutions in build-up to the match on 18 August,[61] in which TRAU was defeated by NEROCA 3–1 in Group-C opener.[62]
First ever TRAU player to score double hat-tricks in a single season (in I-League): Bidyashagar Singh (against Mohammedan and Real Kashmir during the 2020–21 season).[74]
The foreign players below have senior/youth international cap(s) for their respective countries. Players whose name is listed, represented their countries before or after playing for TRAU FC.[75]
^"Player info: Issac Isinde". globalsportsarchive.com. Global Sports Archive. Archived from the original on 28 December 2021. Retrieved 28 December 2021.
