20 teams sound like a gr8 idea....teams from kerala, karnatka, delhi, punjab, tamil nadu, nagaland etc will make the I-league more <b>pan indian</b><br>
20 teams sound like a gr8 idea....teams from kerala, karnatka, delhi, punjab, tamil nadu, nagaland etc will make the I-league more </font><b style="font-family: Arial, Verdana; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; ">pan indian</b><br><font face="Arial, Verdana" size="2">
</font><br><div style="font-family: Arial, Verdana; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><br></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Verdana; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; ">Yes but that is just dream stuff. How can this actually work. Do we even have 20 professional clubs in India. Last time I checked we only had 9.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Verdana; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><br></div><div><font face="Arial, Verdana" size="2">They dont even have 20 teams in Korea nor Japan. (16 and 18 respectively)! Again like I said this is just the AIFF wanting to be just like the Premier League with 20 teams. We are not EPL or Europe, we are India. We need to do what is best for Indian Football and 20 teams wont do that.</font></div>
<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; color: rgb(57, 57, 57); font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 28px; line-height: 30px; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Multi-crore Dodsal Group to kick-start team in Mumbai</span><div style="font-family: Arial, Verdana; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><span style="color: rgb(57, 57, 57); font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 28px; line-height: 30px; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><br></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><div><font color="#393939" face="Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif" size="2"><span style="line-height: 30px; ">MUMBAI: After two years of lull and the demise of Mahindra United, there's a fresh buzz in the air at Mumbai football. </span></font></div><div><font color="#393939" face="Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif" size="2"><span style="line-height: 30px; ">Sans hype and hoopla, there's a new arrival into Indian football. A Dubai-based conglomerate, said to be the 10th richest Indian company with major plans for the game in the country, is set to do more than just raise a few eye brows as it takes birth in the financial capital of the country. </span></font></div><div><font color="#393939" face="Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif" size="2"><span style="line-height: 30px; ">Dodsal FC, funded by the Dodsal Group -- a company owned by the Kilachand family, that deals with trading , distribution, engineering and construction among a host of other businesses -- had got themselves registered with the Mumbai District Football Association (MDFA) and wasted no time in getting their act together. </span></font></div><div><font color="#393939" face="Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif" size="2"><span style="line-height: 30px; ">The buzz is not just about the new entrant that promises to give Mumbai and Indian football a major fillip financially and professionally alone. It also signals the return of the exiled, former Air India coach Bimal Ghosh. </span></font></div><div><font color="#393939" face="Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif" size="2"><span style="line-height: 30px; ">Known for his vision and being a maverick, it is said that Ghosh who will be at the helm has already managed to get his scouts ink the signatures of some of the big names in Indian football. They include Churchill Brothers striker Mohammed Rafi, East Bengal 'keeper Sandip Nandy, Pune FC midfielder Paresh Shivalkar , NP Pradeep, Thoi Singh, Kali Aliuddin , Rahul Kumar (of Mohun Bagan) and Sunil Kumar (former Mahindra United and Pune FC player), to name a few. The club also has plans of hiring a foreign coach soon. </span></font></div><div><font color="#393939" face="Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif" size="2"><span style="line-height: 30px; ">Chairman of Dodsal, Rajen Kilachand is said to be good friends with Manchester City owner Sheikh Mansour and if the signings are anything to go by, the club is going to do more than just make the numbers. Company officials are expected to fly down soon to complete all the relevant paper-work. </span></font></div><div><font color="#393939" face="Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif" size="2"><span style="line-height: 30px; ">It is reliably learnt that the team will travel to Dubai for a fortnight of practice matches after a pre-season training session with their base being the Fr Agnel's artificial turf and the Reliance complex where the players will be housed. Incidentally, the complex has a state of the art gym and swimming pool, the facilities which will come to good use in the team's preparation. </span></font></div><div><font color="#393939" face="Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif" size="2"><span style="line-height: 30px; ">With the I-League qualification being an immediate target, Dodsal FC is said to be planning a senior and under-19 team with an eye on the future. The management staff which includes two doctors, assistant coach (Mahesh Lotlikar, former Dempo, Mahindra United and then Pune FC manager), fitness trainer and media PRO have almost been put in place. </span></font></div><div><font color="#393939" face="Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif" size="2"><span style="line-height: 30px; ">The management will fly down four high class foreign players of their choice to lend the team a cutting edge. When contacted, Ghosh who has been a victim of the Air India management and forced into oblivion, said clubs have been contacting him but he will take a call when the time is ripe. He however, refused to talk on his association with the club, but said if true, will be the best thing to happen to Mumbai and Indian football.</span></font></div><div><hr style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: 30px; font-weight: normal; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 28px; color: rgb(57, 57, 57); "><font face="Arial" size="2"><span style="line-height: 30px;">I am not keen on the name but seems like a good club. Maybe like Prayag United I can get around the name and accept it but I hope one day they change to </span><b style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: 30px; ">Dodsal Mumbai Rovers FC</b><span style="line-height: 30px;"> and forge a huge rivalry between them and Mumbai FC. Would be fun to have a Manchester Derby thing here. Mumbai FC would be blue and Dodsal could be red.</span></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="2"><span style="line-height: 30px;"><br></span></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="2"><span style="line-height: 30px;">Anyway seems to be a good company. Would love to see how they do in financially shit Indian football.</span></font></div></span></div>
dont care about the name as long as the club is professional and raises the standard of the i-league with quality team and own stadium<br>
<br><div><br></div><div>Still how can they build a fan base when there is already a club named Mumbai FC there.</div><div><br></div><div>Honestly I would love to see a merger between Mumbai FC and Dodsal FC. Dodsal Mumbai FC would be a hit.</div>
actually<b> mumbai fc has no fan base in mumbai</b>, its a fact, mahindra united had some fan base....mumbai fc has never made any approach to try and reach out to the mumbaiites unlike pune fc....i would be surprised if more than 10% of the mumbai population have heard of 'mumbai fc'....not being rude or sarcastic here, this is the reality....they only share the name of the city which is irrelevant if u dont reach out to fans<br>
actually<b> mumbai fc has no fan base in mumbai</b>, its a fact, mahindra united had some fan base....mumbai fc has never made any approach to try and reach out to the mumbaiites unlike pune fc....i would be surprised if more than 10% of the mumbai population have heard of 'mumbai fc'....not being rude or sarcastic here, this is the reality....they only share the name of the city which is irrelevant if u dont reach out to fans<br>
<br><div><br></div><div>I gave Mumbai a pass there. They only really had one full year in Mumbai before being forced to change locations. I bet once they get settled in that they will get better marketing done.</div>
i too accept that mumbai fc is pretty unknown name over here.....in fact people know about pune fc more than mumbai fc here...<div><br></div><div>may be at this end of season we could predict what will be expected from mumbai fc and are they worth a stay in league and all</div>
Comments
</font><br><div style="font-family: Arial, Verdana; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><br></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Verdana; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; ">Yes but that is just dream stuff. How can this actually work. Do we even have 20 professional clubs in India. Last time I checked we only had 9.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Verdana; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><br></div><div><font face="Arial, Verdana" size="2">They dont even have 20 teams in Korea nor Japan. (16 and 18 respectively)! Again like I said this is just the AIFF wanting to be just like the Premier League with 20 teams. We are not EPL or Europe, we are India. We need to do what is best for Indian Football and 20 teams wont do that.</font></div>
<br><div><br></div><div>Still how can they build a fan base when there is already a club named Mumbai FC there.</div><div><br></div><div>Honestly I would love to see a merger between Mumbai FC and Dodsal FC. Dodsal Mumbai FC would be a hit.</div>
<br><div><br></div><div>I gave Mumbai a pass there. They only really had one full year in Mumbai before being forced to change locations. I bet once they get settled in that they will get better marketing done.</div>