Guys, why don't you realize that it is difficult for us to make PP and his cohorts understand something, however great our passion for Indian football and however strong our logic? Haven't you heard Upton Sinclair's famous saying that 'It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on his not understanding it'?
From the standpoint of certain players, this is a good deal. Continue to get paid by both ISL and I-League teams (wasn't it a win-win for certain players) and also games. Jerry Lalrinzuala for example has played over 30 league games this season and will probably end with 34 from Federation Cup.
Like Cultural Exchange Programme we should have Football Officials Exchange Programme so that we can inter-change our AIFF Gems with any country save a handful.
There must be concrete solution to it. i am in support for merger. But the merger must be on merit basis. Anyways we don't have PSU clubs like ongc,hal etc anymore. From isl, Atk is waste. Should be relocate to hyderabad and become Ath. North East united should become assam united.
People who believe ISL is the solution here is the caveat:
With I-League/national League there started a belief that if a region wants and has vision they will be able to represent in the top echelons some day by propaganding their vision and striving for it.
This gave rise to such a good amount of teams (see for example second division), across length and breadth of country, and we have such good examples from North East.
AIFF is putting a stop to this with ISL. No teams from anywhere in India can think of growing unless Nita Ambani thinks so or there is huge business interest from somewhere.
With ISL, even teams been there in Indian football for last 100 years, feel the heat and in future, I am sure, what years of inadequacy had not done to the teams in last 100 years, a few years of ISL would do- i.e disintegrate them.
A lot has already been disintegrated.
I-League was such a good structure, and one could have seen so much of rising interest all throughout India, that if properly marketed and though upon, could have propelled India to heights.
Alas AIFF never thought so and started a circus--- yes and it will remain a circus.
I agree but you are romanticizing the whole giving rise to new teams thing. Besides the NorthEast, where else has it happened? When the NFL began we had teams from Kolkata, Goa, Bangalore, Kerala, Chennai, Mumbai, and Punjab. The I-League launch only saw Delhi being added here and currently the only new areas to get teams over time are Shillong, Aizawl, and Pune. Sikkim had a small run but failed. And I won't count the 2nd Division ones because, for the most part, many of the clubs from areas not traditional in football are disorganized and not professional.
I also don't believe that it is as simple as you put it for the I-League. For the I-League to have made it really would have required a full on effort and cooperation from everyone, from the clubs, to the AIFF, and even fans and shareholders. The amount of money that needed would have been huge and the chance for any return very small. It wasn't impossible and I did think the AIFF were very slowly doing the right things till 2013-14 but it just isn't that easy.
Comments
FDSL has decided it only AFC/Fifa can stop
Is there really anything called revenue as far as I-league is concerned?
From isl, Atk is waste. Should be relocate to hyderabad and become Ath. North East united should become assam united.
People who believe ISL is the solution here is the caveat:
With I-League/national League there started a belief that if a region wants and has vision they will be able to represent in the top echelons some day by propaganding their vision and striving for it.
This gave rise to such a good amount of teams (see for example second division), across length and breadth of country, and we have such good examples from North East.
AIFF is putting a stop to this with ISL. No teams from anywhere in India can think of growing unless Nita Ambani thinks so or there is huge business interest from somewhere.
With ISL, even teams been there in Indian football for last 100 years, feel the heat and in future, I am sure, what years of inadequacy had not done to the teams in last 100 years, a few years of ISL would do- i.e disintegrate them.
A lot has already been disintegrated.
I-League was such a good structure, and one could have seen so much of rising interest all throughout India, that if properly marketed and though upon, could have propelled India to heights.
Alas AIFF never thought so and started a circus--- yes and it will remain a circus.
I also don't believe that it is as simple as you put it for the I-League. For the I-League to have made it really would have required a full on effort and cooperation from everyone, from the clubs, to the AIFF, and even fans and shareholders. The amount of money that needed would have been huge and the chance for any return very small. It wasn't impossible and I did think the AIFF were very slowly doing the right things till 2013-14 but it just isn't that easy.