Add Chandigarh also to that list. Lot of youngsters and Football is popular in Punjab. Ever since JCT got closed, there is no other avenue for young players.
These cities are great and no one has ever denied it but the problem is that there is no one really willing to do what JSW Steel has done in Bangalore. We need more Bengaluru FC's in the I-League so to make the league look more glamorus and perhaps eventually get more sponsors and better TV production.
I would rather we continue the JSW route than the old pro/rel one. Bengaluru FC is currently top of the table and is looking successful as an overall team while our promoted sides are languishing in the bottom half of the table and filled with loanies and/or controversy.
Also, I need an opinion on this: Should the AIFF activly look to find a new owner for a team like Sporting Goa. Sporting Goa have a lot going for them at the moment with a nice little academy and the first team is not bad either but they dont have that power or support or overall professional look that Bengaluru FC or Pune FC have.
In my opinion I feel that Sporting Clube de Goa have the potential to really grab the attention of people in Goa and really take support away from the other clubs. At the moment that is not happening as they are the youngest and really are only establishing themselves in the I-League now while the other three were recently champions.
Now, I don't know anything about the owners of Sporting Clube de Goa so I don't know if they are rich (Ashok Piramal Group, JSW rich) or not but if they are not then I would advise them to look for a sponsor or co-owner with money and if they are then forget the co-owner and revamp the club.
Right now when I look at Sporting Clube de Goa I see a club that is just like the clubs we already have like United or Churchill Brothers but that they are under the disguise of their name. Other than their name I don't get much "modern" from this team. There crest is really shit, the uniforms look bland and boring, they have no online presence, and overall they just look impoverish and destitute.
Honestly, I think that if this club went into the 2014-15 with a brand new look - new crest, new kits, new online presence - a modern look then they can really start to capture the imagination of the Goan fans.
Hell, take it up a notch. Next season the Goan clubs will be playing at the Fatorda Stadium for their home games. How about Sporting Goa be audacious and instead of playing at the Fatorda Stadium they revamp the Duler Stadium and make it a "Real Home". Instead of that blue board I see they paint it orange. Get a new net. Brand the stadium with Sporting Goa logos and really get interactive with the fans and make the place a tough place to go to.
Anyway, that is my suggestion. If anyone has any opinions I would love to hear them.
Sporting Goa is already co owned by a number of people from Panjim. But majority of investment comes from Peter Vaz who is a real estate tycoon around north goa (Models Group). So I don't think he will hv problem spending 6-7 Crores a year. But above that would be difficult.
Many people may disagree with what I say next. In Goa, people have watched this league for a long time and have realised that the quality of football is very poor. Infact, instead of improving every year, its either static or worsening. During initial NFL days huge crowds used to come to Fatorda but post 2001 the crowds began decreasing.
So with this current system and players, goans will not come to watch the games and I really want to see the situation in bengaluru after 3-5 years. The football they play is also lousy. But just bcoz of initial hype the fans hv come.
I... actually... agree. As silly as it sounds you are right. To be honest I still find it facinating that clubs like Shillong Lajong, East Bengal, Mohun Bagan, Bengaluru FC etc can draw crowds still. The level of play is so shit sometimes in India that I can barely stay up... thankfully I am a hardcore fan so that does not happen but how do a bunch of non-hardcore people keep showing up?
Anyway, with that in mind, you must admit the level of play has gone up a bit. The foreigners are a lot better this season and with the new coaches coming into the league the style of play from a few teams has gotten a lot better and more organized. Gone are the days of only long-balls and route 1 football. We still see that today but I feel that as more foreign coaches come to India and the youth systems get better we will see less of that and overall better quality from the league.
Now then, that is only part of it. How much marketing is done by Sporting Goa? Again, the club looks like an ugly smaller ginger child of Sporting Clube de Portugal. How does this club appeal to anyone besides from the on-field product? Honestly if they just revamped to a more modern look and marketed well then I feel the fans will return.
Comments
http://www.thehardtackle.com/2013/five-cities-where-i-league-can-possibly-expand-to/
Many people may disagree with what I say next. In Goa, people have watched this league for a long time and have realised that the quality of football is very poor. Infact, instead of improving every year, its either static or worsening. During initial NFL days huge crowds used to come to Fatorda but post 2001 the crowds began decreasing.
So with this current system and players, goans will not come to watch the games and I really want to see the situation in bengaluru after 3-5 years. The football they play is also lousy. But just bcoz of initial hype the fans hv come.