Patel did not sound worried about the fact that Mahindra United and JCT were no longer there. “They closed shops for their own reasons. I can assure you that in the coming months, there will be a scramble for ownership of football clubs.”
KOLKATA: If the All India Football Federation (AIFF) president, Praful Patel is to be believed, the I-League could soon have a pan-Indian look. A mechanism is being devised to have zonal representatives in the country's premier club tournament.
AIFF's move comes close on the heels of the Phagwara-based JCT's decision to disband their football team because of lack of football's promotion and publicity. With Indian Arrows having now shifted base from Gurgaon to Kolkata and being rechristened as Pailan Indian Arrows, there will be no representative from north India in the next I-League. Patel insisted the federation is keeping options open to spread the league across the country.
"We have Shillong-based Lajong FC in the I-League but our aim is to have another team from the north-east region. Also, for the larger interest of football, we need to find a way or mechanism which will allow all the regions to have a team in the I-League," Patel said after handing over the federation's 'baby' (Indian Arrows) to their new sponsors, Pailan Group, on Sunday.
Pailan have struck a five-year deal to patronize the U-23 team while the AIFF will keep on providing it with technical support, including players' signings and appointment of coach and support staff.
Patel reiterated that JCT's departure from competitive football (as well as Mahindra United's a year earlier) will never be felt since a number of corporate houses are in line to sponsor other teams, in association with the federation's commercial rights holders IMG-Reliance, to put a spark in the I-League.
Seems AIFF spies this forum. All our discussions are bearing fruits!
AIFF has decided to not count the matches played in international club competitions as a part of the 40 match limit
<!-- s:bow-plusone: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/bow/plusone.gif" alt=":bow-plusone:" title="PlusOne" /><!-- s:bow-plusone: -->
It looks like someone from AIFF reads IFNF. Atleast they are doing one good thing. <!-- s:clap: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/eusa/clap.gif" alt=":clap:" title="Clap" /><!-- s:clap: -->
The following decisions were taken by the Action Group on the issue of I-League Players including Foreign Players playing in Domestic Club Competitions. The following decisions ratified by the Executive Committee were taken for the 2011-2012 season.
1. 3+1 Foreign Players may be registered for all Domestic Club Competitions approved by All India Football Federation (AIFF) including I-League but only 3 can play in a match.
2. (a) I-League Players other than Foreign Players cannot play more than 40 Domestic Club Matches for this season. For the avoidance of doubt, Domestic Club Matches include I-League, Federation Cup, Durand Cup, IFA Shield, Local Leagues and other AIFF approved tournaments but does not include International Club tournaments.
2. (b) Any I-League Player who plays for less than 45 minutes in any I-League match during the season shall be eligible to play the immediately following Local League Match if any, during the season.
East Bengal vs. Churchill Brothers at Kolkata on 22nd October <!-- s:angry-argument: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/angry/argument.gif" alt=":angry-argument:" title="Argument" /><!-- s:angry-argument: -->
last match
Mohun Bagan vs. Pune FC @ Kolkata on April 15th
Find a broadcast partner and market the league first. <!-- s:violence-smack: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/violence/smack.gif" alt=":violence-smack:" title="Smack" /><!-- s:violence-smack: -->
Comments
The Telegraph
AIFF's move comes close on the heels of the Phagwara-based JCT's decision to disband their football team because of lack of football's promotion and publicity. With Indian Arrows having now shifted base from Gurgaon to Kolkata and being rechristened as Pailan Indian Arrows, there will be no representative from north India in the next I-League. Patel insisted the federation is keeping options open to spread the league across the country.
"We have Shillong-based Lajong FC in the I-League but our aim is to have another team from the north-east region. Also, for the larger interest of football, we need to find a way or mechanism which will allow all the regions to have a team in the I-League," Patel said after handing over the federation's 'baby' (Indian Arrows) to their new sponsors, Pailan Group, on Sunday.
Pailan have struck a five-year deal to patronize the U-23 team while the AIFF will keep on providing it with technical support, including players' signings and appointment of coach and support staff.
Patel reiterated that JCT's departure from competitive football (as well as Mahindra United's a year earlier) will never be felt since a number of corporate houses are in line to sponsor other teams, in association with the federation's commercial rights holders IMG-Reliance, to put a spark in the I-League.
Seems AIFF spies this forum. All our discussions are bearing fruits!
<!-- s:bow-plusone: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/bow/plusone.gif" alt=":bow-plusone:" title="PlusOne" /><!-- s:bow-plusone: -->
1. 3+1 Foreign Players may be registered for all Domestic Club Competitions approved by All India Football Federation (AIFF) including I-League but only 3 can play in a match.
2. (a) I-League Players other than Foreign Players cannot play more than 40 Domestic Club Matches for this season. For the avoidance of doubt, Domestic Club Matches include I-League, Federation Cup, Durand Cup, IFA Shield, Local Leagues and other AIFF approved tournaments but does not include International Club tournaments.
2. (b) Any I-League Player who plays for less than 45 minutes in any I-League match during the season shall be eligible to play the immediately following Local League Match if any, during the season.
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.the-aiff.com/pages/news/index.php?Me_Id=148"; onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.the-aiff.com/pages/news/index.php?Me_Id=148</a><!-- m -->
East Bengal vs. Churchill Brothers at Kolkata on 22nd October <!-- s:angry-argument: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/angry/argument.gif" alt=":angry-argument:" title="Argument" /><!-- s:angry-argument: -->
last match
Mohun Bagan vs. Pune FC @ Kolkata on April 15th
details to follow.....
/
/
/
1. The schedule is full of Saturdays and Sunday
2. AIFF released the schedule for the whole I league at once
Also this effectively means that ESPN STAR is not gonna show the matches