Agree with @ atuljg that voice of states like Kerala & Tamilnadu need to be heard. If I'm not wrong we did have teams from Kerala & Tamilnadu for many years in NFL & I-League, but they faded away... mainly because of money. Those angels (Businessmen,Filmstars, Cricketers) who have suddenly dropped from the sky in 2013 to save Indian Football and take it to a different level were not visible at that time and their enormous love for Football was nowhere to be seen to revive teams from Kerala, Tamilnadu or Punjab. It is not that people from Bengal are opposing ISL because of passion towards either Mohun Bagan or EB, we always loved to see teams from Kerala, Punjab and other states in action, because that way there would be more competition and more exciting matches. Loyalty to Mohun Bagan or EB has nothing to do with ISL. Attending an ISL match is like a family picnic, win or loss does not hit your heart.... you go back home just the same way as you go back home after a movie. But when Mohun Bagan / EB / BFC / Dempo / Salgaocar loses...... look at the faces of their supporters..... the expression speaks everything. If ISL and I-League are merged then the corporate teams' support base will suffer in Kolkata (ATK wiil have that many supporters as United Sports), in Goa (unless they debar Dempo, Salgaocar, Churchill etc. from playing), in North East (same way unless they ban NE club teams). Many times it has been said.... what NFL or I-League have given to Indian Football after so many years ???? My counter question is.... play ISL matches at 2-00/2-30 pm in March/April and May and see what it gives back to Indian Football ? I-League has become an illegitimate child of AIFF (whom they want to throw away to the nearest dustbin just like Federation Cup) where as ISL is a child born with silver spoon.
@coolgagan So many factors are involved. Popularity of Sport in the country, Population of metropolitan area where stadiums are situated, Type of stadium, occupancy per game in the league, Level of Professionalism!!!! We should include all the factors and make a "IFN stadium attendance Popularity Coefficient or Index" and multiply it with actual attendance figure to know whether attendance is good or not. Just like Duckworth Lewis System, we should develop it here with IFN think-tank and sell it to FIFA. :P
In short, my objection is ISL being a private league, not approved by FIFA. And I-league being culled slowly. Being a Bengali does not have anything to do in it. Because I know, to give it legitimacy, the Big Two of Kolkata will have to be accommodated in it at some point of time. So that is NOT the issue.
BTW, which advanced countries have their main league not approved by FIFA ?
Also, what good does ISL do when,in spite of having a team from the state, 5 young players have to migrate to Kolkata en masse to have game time? Kerala Bastards must be developing football in the state? Or, ISL is of EPL level so those players are not up to the mark?
Passion is important for SPORT. But, a businessman or any person investing their money somewhere, be it any business or football( sporting venture) intends to make profits from it. This is how the world works and this is how football is alive in other parts of the world. If there are no profits, or lets say the investment is not good, with negative returns, no sane person will invest. Gotta deal with it.
Is this the only way? Well, obviously no. You can then choose to be community clubs like Mohun Bagan, East Bengal with pathetic organization, no revenues, politics mixing with sports and what not.
Is there a way out? Yes. Welcome the corporate to invest or be a community club. But, ain't community clubs not organized properly? So says who? Community clubs can be run in a professional way if you have right people at helm. Tutu da and company won't work. You need professionals.
Don't know who quoted this here" I-League is the reason ISL was born". Aptly described.
Another important observation I made, businessmen and rich invest in sports for 2 reasons:
*First, try to earn some profits, raise the valuation of club and sell at higher price. *Second, as it is they are rich, they don't care much about profits or losses, they invest in big clubs because unlike other economic sectors, most owners are out not to maximize profit but to maximize utility — with utility measured in the quality of soccer served up and the benefits in media coverage, social status and networking that accrue. Passion is also there in corporate. Very less people are only looking at this as a business. Majority of them love the game that is why they invest.
Community clubs are anyways in a different league altogether. Profit making is not the sole motive here. Its purely passion and love for the game. Its about bringing joy to the people by winning games and leagues. Finances play a huge part here too. No one likes losses. But, they try to break even and make slight profits behind the scenes of the football games.
Really funny that people think ISL culls community clubs, People still cling onto a Utopian dream that Local clubs/Talent is suddenly destroyed post ISL.
Fact remains, Grass root development was already a rotten structure before IMG came into the picture. Not sure if IMG can help grass root development as all i saw are photo shoots, No clear agenda on the 200 kids being "Selected" recently.
There has been all around failure, There are no proper run Grass root level clubs all the way till I-league clubs. Not sure why cant ISL be part of the mix and give a try while AIFF has failed to capitalize since the 60's.
Meanwhile the angle where South Indians and North indians (Not to turn this into a divisive angle please) where generally have been ignored despite having the talent there. If ISL has provided a way for the fans to come onto the stadium, Why the sudden Kolaveri from the I-league Faithful?
@coolgagan, I don't have anything to say except I wish I had such unflinching faith on corporates regarding passion for the game only and not profit. But I have become skeptical on corporates post-Maggi affairs.
@Dx, can you explain why Kerala players are migrating en masse, in spite of an ISL club in the state? I wouldn't bother if 1-2 players left, but 5-6 players along with a coach leaving the state .... hmmm ...
Comments
It is not that people from Bengal are opposing ISL because of passion towards either Mohun Bagan or EB, we always loved to see teams from Kerala, Punjab and other states in action, because that way there would be more competition and more exciting matches. Loyalty to Mohun Bagan or EB has nothing to do with ISL. Attending an ISL match is like a family picnic, win or loss does not hit your heart.... you go back home just the same way as you go back home after a movie. But when Mohun Bagan / EB / BFC / Dempo / Salgaocar loses...... look at the faces of their supporters..... the expression speaks everything.
If ISL and I-League are merged then the corporate teams' support base will suffer in Kolkata (ATK wiil have that many supporters as United Sports), in Goa (unless they debar Dempo, Salgaocar, Churchill etc. from playing), in North East (same way unless they ban NE club teams).
Many times it has been said.... what NFL or I-League have given to Indian Football after so many years ???? My counter question is.... play ISL matches at 2-00/2-30 pm in March/April and May and see what it gives back to Indian Football ? I-League has become an illegitimate child of AIFF (whom they want to throw away to the nearest dustbin just like Federation Cup) where as ISL is a child born with silver spoon.
:P
Is this the only way? Well, obviously no. You can then choose to be community clubs like Mohun Bagan, East Bengal with pathetic organization, no revenues, politics mixing with sports and what not.
Is there a way out? Yes. Welcome the corporate to invest or be a community club. But, ain't community clubs not organized properly? So says who? Community clubs can be run in a professional way if you have right people at helm. Tutu da and company won't work. You need professionals.
Don't know who quoted this here" I-League is the reason ISL was born". Aptly described.
Choose what you like. No compulsions.
*First, try to earn some profits, raise the valuation of club and sell at higher price.
*Second, as it is they are rich, they don't care much about profits or losses, they invest in big clubs because unlike other economic sectors, most owners are out not to maximize profit but to maximize utility — with utility measured in the quality of soccer served up and the benefits in media coverage, social status and networking that accrue.
Passion is also there in corporate. Very less people are only looking at this as a business. Majority of them love the game that is why they invest.
Community clubs are anyways in a different league altogether. Profit making is not the sole motive here. Its purely passion and love for the game. Its about bringing joy to the people by winning games and leagues. Finances play a huge part here too. No one likes losses. But, they try to break even and make slight profits behind the scenes of the football games.
Fact remains, Grass root development was already a rotten structure before IMG came into the picture. Not sure if IMG can help grass root development as all i saw are photo shoots, No clear agenda on the 200 kids being "Selected" recently.
There has been all around failure, There are no proper run Grass root level clubs all the way till I-league clubs. Not sure why cant ISL be part of the mix and give a try while AIFF has failed to capitalize since the 60's.
Meanwhile the angle where South Indians and North indians (Not to turn this into a divisive angle please) where generally have been ignored despite having the talent there. If ISL has provided a way for the fans to come onto the stadium, Why the sudden Kolaveri from the I-league Faithful?
@Dx, can you explain why Kerala players are migrating en masse, in spite of an ISL club in the state? I wouldn't bother if 1-2 players left, but 5-6 players along with a coach leaving the state .... hmmm ...