The Indian I-League, is the most prominent football league in India started by the All India Football Federation (AIFF). It will replace the old National Football League which lasted for 11 seasons. The 2007-08 season will be the first for the I-League. The league was setup mainly to develop the standard of Indian Football. The first game was played on the 24th November 2007 and it was contested between Dempo Sports Club and Salgaocar Sports Club, Dempo won the game 3-0.
History
Starting again 2007-08
Following the decline of the NFL, the AIFF decided to relaunch the national league for the 2007-08 season. The league was renamed the I-League and consists of eight teams from the NFL plus two promoted teams from the former division two. The first ever I-league will be sponsored by ONGC, who were also the previous sponsors of the now defunct NFL. For the first time, clubs in the I-league will be allowed to register four foreigners, though teams will only be allowed to field three during a match. All matches will be telecast live and exclusive on Zee Sports.
Additional incentives have also been provided for Clubs participating in the I-League: 1. Subsidy of Rs. 250,000 for fielding a team in the U19 I-League and a subsidy of Rs. 250,000 for appointing administrative staff. 2. To promote greater attendances and improve the revenues of the Clubs, after deducting the stadium hire charges, 90% of the gate collection will go to the host club. The club will be responsible for the selling of tickets. 3. The club will be given two perimeter boards, six fence level boards and six boards at the first tier level at their home games. 4. Prize Money for Winners has been increased from Rs. 4 Million to Rs. 5 Million, while the Runners-up would get Rs. 2,8 Million, Rs 600,000 more than earlier. 5. The winners of each match will get Rs. 35,000, an increase of Rs 5,000.
The first match was played in Margao, Goa on November 24 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Fatorda between rivals Dempo Sports Club and Salgaocar Sports Club.
Future changes
The I-League from next season onwards would be played only on Saturdays & Sundays from September to March. All state leagues will be played in the same period from September to March, but matchdays would be Wednesdays & Thursdays. An exception has been made for the IFA organised Calcutta Football League for the 2008-09 season due to non-availability of grounds. The IFA has been allowed to organise the Calcutta Premier League between May to September 2008, but must resolve the ground problem in time to ensure that the local league for 2009-10 is held between September and March. In one of the most discussed issues it has been decided that players playing in an I-League match for more than 45 minutes will not be allowed to participate in the subsequent state league match.
Clubs and stadia
I-League 1st Division for the 2008-09 season
Four clubs were promoted to I League from League 2 for the 2008/2009 season. They are Mohammedan Sporting Club, Chirag United Sports Club, Vasco Sports Club, and Mumbai Football Club.
Club City/State Stadium Capacity
Air-India Mumbai Cooperage Ground, Mumbai, Maharashtra 12,000
Chirag United Sports Club Kolkata Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata, West Bengal 120,000
Churchill Brothers Sports Club Goa Jawaharlal Nehru - Fatorda Stadium, Margao 35,000
Dempo Sports Club Goa Jawaharlal Nehru - Fatorda Stadium, Margao 35,000
East Bengal Club Kolkata Salt Lake Stadium, Calcutta, West Bengal 120,000
JCT FC Phagwara Guru Nanak Dev Stadium, Ludhiana, Punjab 12,000
Mahindra United Mumbai Cooperage Ground, Mumbai, Maharashtra 12,000
Mohun Bagan Kolkata Salt Lake Stadium, Calcutta, West Bengal 120,000
Mohammedan Sporting Club Kolkata Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata, West Bengal 120,000
Mumbai FC Mumbai Cooperage Ground, Mumbai, Maharashtra 12,000
Sporting Clube de Goa Goa Jawaharlal Nehru - Fatorda Stadium, Margao 35,000
Vasco Sports Club Goa Jawaharlal Nehru - Fatorda Stadium, Margao 35,000
I League 2nd Division for the 2009 Season
Club City/State Stadium Capacity
Viva Kerala Kochi, Kerala Municipal Corporation Stadium, Kochi 35,000
Salgaocar Sports Club Goa Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Margao 40,000
Indian Bank Chennai, Tamil Nadu Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium 40,000
ONGC Mumbai, Maharashtra Cooperage Ground 12,000
Amity United FC Gurgaon, Haryana Devi Lal Stadium, Gurgaon 12,000
HAL Bangalore, Karnataka Bangalore Stadium 15,000
OIL Duliajan, Assam Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium 25,000
New Delhi Heroes New Delhi Ambedkar Stadium, New Delhi 15,000
Pune FC Pune, Maharashtra
SBT Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala Chandrashekar Nair Stadium 60,000
Viva Kerala and Salgaocar Sports Club were relegated from last years I League and will play in League 2 for the 2009 season
Media and broadcasting
Zee Sports and TEN Sports are the media partners of the I-League for the 2007-08 season. Zee Sports signed a $70 Million deal for domestic rights for 10 years. The deal is set to be renewed for 10 more years.
More Useful links---
Goal.com India
I-League - The Home of India's Premier League
India's Premier Football Site
Official website of the All India Football Federation
Kolkata Football
History
Starting again 2007-08
Following the decline of the NFL, the AIFF decided to relaunch the national league for the 2007-08 season. The league was renamed the I-League and consists of eight teams from the NFL plus two promoted teams from the former division two. The first ever I-league will be sponsored by ONGC, who were also the previous sponsors of the now defunct NFL. For the first time, clubs in the I-league will be allowed to register four foreigners, though teams will only be allowed to field three during a match. All matches will be telecast live and exclusive on Zee Sports.
Additional incentives have also been provided for Clubs participating in the I-League: 1. Subsidy of Rs. 250,000 for fielding a team in the U19 I-League and a subsidy of Rs. 250,000 for appointing administrative staff. 2. To promote greater attendances and improve the revenues of the Clubs, after deducting the stadium hire charges, 90% of the gate collection will go to the host club. The club will be responsible for the selling of tickets. 3. The club will be given two perimeter boards, six fence level boards and six boards at the first tier level at their home games. 4. Prize Money for Winners has been increased from Rs. 4 Million to Rs. 5 Million, while the Runners-up would get Rs. 2,8 Million, Rs 600,000 more than earlier. 5. The winners of each match will get Rs. 35,000, an increase of Rs 5,000.
The first match was played in Margao, Goa on November 24 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Fatorda between rivals Dempo Sports Club and Salgaocar Sports Club.
Future changes
The I-League from next season onwards would be played only on Saturdays & Sundays from September to March. All state leagues will be played in the same period from September to March, but matchdays would be Wednesdays & Thursdays. An exception has been made for the IFA organised Calcutta Football League for the 2008-09 season due to non-availability of grounds. The IFA has been allowed to organise the Calcutta Premier League between May to September 2008, but must resolve the ground problem in time to ensure that the local league for 2009-10 is held between September and March. In one of the most discussed issues it has been decided that players playing in an I-League match for more than 45 minutes will not be allowed to participate in the subsequent state league match.
Clubs and stadia
I-League 1st Division for the 2008-09 season
Four clubs were promoted to I League from League 2 for the 2008/2009 season. They are Mohammedan Sporting Club, Chirag United Sports Club, Vasco Sports Club, and Mumbai Football Club.
Club City/State Stadium Capacity
Air-India Mumbai Cooperage Ground, Mumbai, Maharashtra 12,000
Chirag United Sports Club Kolkata Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata, West Bengal 120,000
Churchill Brothers Sports Club Goa Jawaharlal Nehru - Fatorda Stadium, Margao 35,000
Dempo Sports Club Goa Jawaharlal Nehru - Fatorda Stadium, Margao 35,000
East Bengal Club Kolkata Salt Lake Stadium, Calcutta, West Bengal 120,000
JCT FC Phagwara Guru Nanak Dev Stadium, Ludhiana, Punjab 12,000
Mahindra United Mumbai Cooperage Ground, Mumbai, Maharashtra 12,000
Mohun Bagan Kolkata Salt Lake Stadium, Calcutta, West Bengal 120,000
Mohammedan Sporting Club Kolkata Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata, West Bengal 120,000
Mumbai FC Mumbai Cooperage Ground, Mumbai, Maharashtra 12,000
Sporting Clube de Goa Goa Jawaharlal Nehru - Fatorda Stadium, Margao 35,000
Vasco Sports Club Goa Jawaharlal Nehru - Fatorda Stadium, Margao 35,000
I League 2nd Division for the 2009 Season
Club City/State Stadium Capacity
Viva Kerala Kochi, Kerala Municipal Corporation Stadium, Kochi 35,000
Salgaocar Sports Club Goa Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Margao 40,000
Indian Bank Chennai, Tamil Nadu Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium 40,000
ONGC Mumbai, Maharashtra Cooperage Ground 12,000
Amity United FC Gurgaon, Haryana Devi Lal Stadium, Gurgaon 12,000
HAL Bangalore, Karnataka Bangalore Stadium 15,000
OIL Duliajan, Assam Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium 25,000
New Delhi Heroes New Delhi Ambedkar Stadium, New Delhi 15,000
Pune FC Pune, Maharashtra
SBT Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala Chandrashekar Nair Stadium 60,000
Viva Kerala and Salgaocar Sports Club were relegated from last years I League and will play in League 2 for the 2009 season
Media and broadcasting
Zee Sports and TEN Sports are the media partners of the I-League for the 2007-08 season. Zee Sports signed a $70 Million deal for domestic rights for 10 years. The deal is set to be renewed for 10 more years.
More Useful links---
Goal.com India
I-League - The Home of India's Premier League
India's Premier Football Site
Official website of the All India Football Federation
Kolkata Football
