@sam it was in early days of IFN when we were all new and lot more energitic.. that time you could have said we are the most optimistic in world.. after discussing with each other for couple of years or so we shall call ourselves realistic in any new step taken on indian football... than as you mentioned of us being pessimistic [-X
Any sensible person would say that. Wim in particular would be most frustrated as a coach seeing his important players going down the drain due to all the farce around ISL last season. You could have watched Rahim Nabi against East Bengal today to see what it has done to him
Nabi I thought could have made it into MLS... and I was 100% sure of it... at least he would have had a chance to make it in our 3rd division and be a bench player for DC United... the last place team in MLS but now he has just died completely.
As for our pessimism... well, why the hell not?! I am a guy who looks closely at the development of three leagues on and off the field: Major League Soccer (United States), I-League/Indian Football/ISL (India), and the A-League (Australia).
So far every time I look up news on MLS I am left feeling excited and filled with hope for a great future if things are done right. In 2015 we will introduce two teams, one in New York and one in Orlando. One of these teams is owned by Manchester City and the Yankees (the most/only known American sports franchise in the world) while the other is only a contract away from signing Kaka! After that we have a Miami team coming which will be owned by David Beckham and a team in Atlanta, one of the biggest TV markets in the country and thus completing MLS being EVERYWHERE in the country. Not only that but we will have a revamped 2nd Los Angeles team which will be under new ownership and name and perhaps become a well supported team and our other small clubs like DC United, San Jose, Columbus, and FC Dallas are either getting new stadiums or are revamping in someway. And players? Jermain Defoe, Gilberto (one of the top scorers in Brazil), and Julio Ceasar in Toronto. Clint Demspey and Michael Bradely coming back. Obafemi Martins, Robbie Keane, and Thierry Henry also here. Sergio Aguero and Yaya Toure in a few years. Yes, the future is bright! Even with youngsters each team is getting a "B" team in the 3rd Division and Academies are becoming free and better coached.
Then in Australia. The A-League went through its bad moment in the summer of 2012. Then they made the Western Sydney Wanderers and they became a success. Not only that but they also became stable. Got rid of the Gold Coast United and stayed at 10 teams. They then also saw signings of big players like Alessandro Del Pirlo, Emile Heskey, Shinji Ono, Pablo Contreras, William Gallas, and Orlando Engleaar. Then you have domestic players coming back like Harry Kewell and Mark Milliagan. You also have ownership changes like Manchester City buying the Melbourne Heart and Western Sydney Wanderers about to be bought by a company and Newcastle Jets soon to also be sold off. Not only that but we are also seeing youngsters like Tomi Juric, Awer Mabil, Jake Barker-Daish, Dimitri Petratos, Brandon Borello, Mark Birigitte (signing in the Bundesliga), Josh Brillante, Louis Fenton, and even Adam Taggart, the top scorer in the league at the age of fucking 20 with 15 goals! And it will only get better. Lower division sides are starting to show signs of growth which can only be good for development. Cities like Auckland, Queensland, Canberra, Tasmania, and Darwin are getting the support together to get a team in the future and new, more invested owners are starting to take over and remodel the league to be one of the best in Asia. The future is bright here but only if done right.
And then I move on to India.... good old India... and what do I see... darkness. With MLS I know there will be the 2014 season. A 2014 MLS Cup in November. A US Open Cup as well. And the same in 2015, and 2016, and 2017. With the A-League I know there will be a 2014-15 season this October. And then a 2015-16 season. But with India I dont know.
I hear rumors about an September to November Indian Super League which will feature 8... no 9... no 10? Who knows how many teams and what cities. And it will feature how many players? How many Indians? How many foreigners? Who are the marquees? What about stadiums? Nope... nothing on that! Ticketing, supporters, sponsors? Nope, nothing at all! Owners? Well, we hear about this guy joining, and then leaving, and then joining, and then leaving... WHAT THE FUCK IS IT THEN!!!!!!!!?????
The league is to fucking confusing! Nothing is confirmed! And you want me to be even remotely optimistic! How the fuck can I even be happy! This league will fail faster than Arsenal did against Chelsea and Liverpool this past few months!
And what about I-League? When will it begin? Who will telecast!? What teams? Who will coach? Who will play? What stadiums? Will United be around? What the fuck is going to happen!!!! The Federation Cup? That is dead in the water isn't it! Durand Cup, IFA Shield!? Hindu Festival of Shah Rukh Khan's Gobi Manchurian Cup?
When will it all be clear to us? We all try to stay calm... we try to talk about the current season but then once the topic of next season or even the future is mentioned we are left with a dark cloud because no one fucking knows what is happening! Even when @gaffertape says something we are left being confused!
Again, I am reminded of what happened in 2012. I was on here, preaching that we should create a franchise league along the lines of MLS but with parts of J. League, IPL, Premier League, A-League mixed in to work with the Indian audience. I still do today but then, that one day came in 2012, where it was announced by IMG-Reliance that they would start a franchise league and that I-League would be separated in East/West... I remember @Shankar saying "Arsenalkid700, you must be very, very, very happy with this news!!!" because this is what I preached right... no... I shook my head, rolled my eyes, and sunk into my seat... Indian football was dead from that day in my opinion and today, I have no different opinion. It is not sleeping... it is dead... murdered in its sleep.
(For those who read that, or any of that, thank you. I will admit that I started having tears roll down my face while writing this... yes, that is sad of me and yes, I am emotional but after you invest so many years into something and to see it fail... because of stupidity, you have no choice)
I agree with you. Great post and it summarize our feelings too.
I can only say that we cannot compare in any sense to MLS or A-League. We have to find our own Indian solution. There has been some good points in last few years. Shillong has emerged as new Football city. Bangalore FC has passionate fans and good team to win I-League in first year. Our clubs like Dempo, Churchill, East Bengal have done well in AFC Cup. our youngsters are coming up from AIFF Academies like U-16 and U-19. Indian Football has good times ahead. We should never leave hope.
Comments
Mumbai Indians clarified that they are not party to the bidding process
Dempo, videocon and Mukesh Ambani's brother in law of Salgaocar Family coming together for Goa franchise.
http://www.goal.com/en-india/news/136/india/2014/04/04/4728596/shrinivas-dempo-isl-bid-is-a-commercial-venture
than as you mentioned of us being pessimistic [-X
I agree with you. Great post and it summarize our feelings too.
I can only say that we cannot compare in any sense to MLS or A-League. We have to find our own Indian solution.
There has been some good points in last few years. Shillong has emerged as new Football city. Bangalore FC has passionate fans and good team to win I-League in first year. Our clubs like Dempo, Churchill, East Bengal have done well in AFC Cup. our youngsters are coming up from AIFF Academies like U-16 and U-19. Indian Football has good times ahead.
We should never leave hope.