Usefull links on Indian Football

Indianfootball.com
Soccernetindia.com
AIFF
KolkataFootball.com
Goal.com
Indian football Photos

I-League

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

I-league teams 2008-09 AIR INDIA

Air India



Full name........................Football Club Air India
Nickname(s)......................The Pilots
Founded..........................1952
Ground .........................The Cooperage Ground,
Mumbai, Maharashtra
(Capacity: 12,000)
Chairman.........................Haroon Jamakra
Manager..........................T. K. Singh
League I-League 2007-08..........8th

FC Air India, found in 1952, is an Indian professional football club based in Mumbai, Maharashtra. They are sponsored by Air India under the management of T.K. Singh and have enjoyed some success in the Maharashtrian Football and the NFL India. They play in the NFL Premier Division and Mumbai Super Division.

Recently, FC Air India has seen a much better outcome in their game play and they have bagged a good amount of trophies under their belt with two recent trophies - Sikkim Governor's Gold Cup and Nadkarni Cup. They used to play in NFL 2nd Division but got promoted to Premier Division and have maintained their position there till now.

Players

21 GK Raju Ekka
2 DF Haobijam Napoleon Singh
4 DF Benoy Kuruvilla
28 DF A.K.Martins
19 DF Santosh Koli
9 MF Noel Fernandes
23 MF Sanju Pradhan
11 MF Hringsolal Thomte
20 MF Paresh Shivalkar
27 FW Bashiru M. Abass
8 FW Samson Singh
31 GK Ehthesham Ahmed
14 MF Javed Ansari
6 DF Uttam Leishangthem Singh
25 DF Nirmal Chettri
10 FW T. Narendra Meetei
18 MF Hamza Zaheer Abbas
16 FW Bimal Minz
3 DF Suley Musah
5 MF Vijith Shetty
7 FW Anthony Fernandes
12 FW Alex Mario Ambrose
13 DF Hirohito Elangbam
17 DF Goutam Debnath
24 DF Sumit Thapa
1 Subhas Mondal
15 Neil Gaikwad
16 Prakash Koley
22 Amar Deb
26 Kumar Samson Singh
29 Subhashish Banerjee
30 Femi Joseph Adeola
32 Sanju Pradhan

Team Management

T.K. Singh Manager
Singh T. Khambiton Assistant Manager
Bimal Ghosh Coach
Picardo Henry Sports Official
Pinge Dilip Senior Manager
Dr. Erani Ali Physio

Honours

1999/2000 2nd Division National League

4x Mumbai Super Division
1994, 1996, 1997, 1999

4x Air-India Millennium Cup
2001, 2002, 2003, 2004

2xSikkim Governor's Gold Cup
1996, 2006

2xNadkarni Cup
2005, 2006

More on Air India---
Air India on Wikipedia

Dempo takes on Home United today

HYDERABAD: Big time football will make a return to Hyderabad when Dempo SC and Home United FC of Singapore clash in an AFC Cup 2008 quarterfinal match at the Gachibowli stadium on Tuesday.

A major portion of the AFC Challenge Cup tournament was played at this venue till heavy rains forced the final to be shifted to Delhi. But India’s fine display in that tournament is still fresh in the minds of football lovers in the twin cities.

Now neither team has had a chance to judge each other’s strengths and weaknesses as was evident from the comments of the coaches on the eve of the match. Speaking to the media, N. Sivaji, head coach of Home United said that he has watched Dempo in action only on television.

Tough match


“But I am aware that Dempo is a good team and it should turn out to be a tough match,” he said.

“We had entered the semifinals of this tournament in 2004 and therefore we would like to emulate that performance once again this year,” he added. He said that his players were in good shape except for two who were on the injured list.

The Singapore coach was aware that the AFC Challenge Cup had been badly affected by rain but hoped that the ground was now in good condition. The Singapore side was earlier known as the Police Football Club but in 1996 it was renamed Home United FC.

Dempo coach Armando Colaco said that all his players including Mahesh Gawli were fighting fit and therefore would have a full strength team at his command. Other well known players in the side include Climax Lawrence, Cliffford Miranda and Ranty Martins Soleye.

Focussed


“We are focussed on this match and want to put up our best performance. This team has given me whatever I demanded from it and I expect the boys to be highly motivated when they take on the Singapore side tomorrow.

“I was happy that some of our boys performed well for the Indian team that won the AFC Challenge Cup. But each match is different and each match is a new challenge — that is how they will look at this contest and that will be their approach,” said the confident sounding Colaco.

It was learnt that five buses packed with Dempo fans will be arriving in Hyderabad to cheer the Goa club in its crucial battle. “It will be just like playing back home in Goa,” commented the coach.

PIFA Bangalore camp

BANGALORE: Premier India Football Academy (PIFA) will launch its Bangalore camp from October 4 to 7 at the Inventure Academy grounds, Whitefield. The Academy has been having regular camps in England, Italy and India with Mumbai being its base.

The camp will be conducted by Gary Lewis, a UEFA 1 `A’ licensed coach. For details visit info@pifacademy.com .

AFC Cup: Home Coach Respects Indian Opponents

Home United coach PN Sivaji has expressed his respect over the rise in stature of Indian football, ahead of his team’s upcoming AFC Cup quarterfinal clash with Dempo SC.

The match on Tuesday evening will see the Protectors take on a side that has occupied a forefront spot in the subcontinent’s football scene, against a backdrop of significant development and growth in the sport in recent times.

With a history dating as far back as the 1950s, Dempo have been a longtime footballing force in the western state of Goa, winning the regional championship no fewer than eleven times.

Success at a higher level had previously proven more elusive, but three national league titles in the last four years have helped the club, bankrolled by iron tycoon Srinivas Dempo, break the dominance of traditional giants Mohun Bagan and East Bengal.

On the continental front, Dempo had previously featured twice in the AFC Cup, bowing out in the group stage in 2005 and 2006.

This year, they have broken new ground, reaching the tournament’s quarterfinals after finishing second in Group A, ahead of Lebanon’s Al Ansar and Omani side Sur.

These achievements have prompted Sivaji to warn against taking the Indian side lightly.

“Dempo come into this competition carrying a lot of clout,” he told sleague.com.

“India has gone through some redevelopment in their league football for the last couple of years, and there is more money put into the league. As champions of this league, they are a credible side.

“Any team that makes it into the quarterfinals must obviously be given more than just mere attention. But the fact that they had played against some Middle East teams and got past them to reach this stage shows their quality.”

Dempo breaking into the quarterfinals after two previous failed attempts mirrors a rise in fortunes for the Indian national team, which won the AFC Challenge Cup in August.

Overcoming opponents such as Tajikistan and Myanmar to claim the title has led to an upsurge in football interest in India, and it was no exception for the Whites.

Midfielders Clifford Miranda and Climax Lawrence are regular features in the India squad, as are defenders Samir Subash Naik and Mahesh Gawli.

All four will be keen to translate their national team form into positive performances for their club when they face Home, as Sivaji predicted a rub-off effect for Dempo’s other local boys, who in the past had found themselves overshadowed by foreign imports.

“When the national team achieves certain results, like winning the AFC Challenge Cup, it shows their football is on the up,” he reasoned.

“This success normally spreads around the local footballing fraternity. I’m sure the players there want to build on it and try to achieve something at the international level.

“Also, this will give India’s local players more attention from their local media and fans. They will strive to step up their game and prove that they are good players.

“Indian teams have not made it this far into the main AFC competitions over so many years, but now that they have, it shows they have improved. Dempo reaching the last eight can be seen as a marker that they have arrived, and they will be serious contenders.”

Despite his admiration of India’s achievements, Sivaji remains determined to lead his team into the last four, something no Singaporean side has done for the last three years.

Home and Geylang United had reached the semifinals in the inaugural edition of the tournament in 2004, but since then, the Protectors, Tampines Rovers and SAFFC have all failed to get past the quarterfinals.

While the perceived gap in standards with Gulf clubs has been commonly cited as a primary reason for the Singaporean sides’ early exits, the lack of adequate rest time has also been identified as a contributory factor.

Sivaji believes, however, that a crammed fixture schedule cannot count as an excuse should the two-time S.League champions fall this time.

“Over the last two or three years, we have not made it into the semifinals because our teams could not cope with the congested fixtures we have in that period,” he said.

“But to give credit to the S.League, especially the Competitions Division, I think we have learnt from the last few seasons that we need some breaks, especially in the more difficult phases of the tournament. They have arranged that very well for SAFFC and us this time.

“In our case, we’ve had three or four days of rest here before we leave, and we’ll have another two or three days there to properly prepare. And we don’t have the pressure of rushing into any games when we come back, which was not the case before.

“In that sense, the S.League administrators have done their part. Now it’s up to us to show that we can go as far as we want to go.”

Apart from being able to enjoy more rest due to the fixture arrangements, Home can also count on a diminished home advantage for Dempo due to an AFC-decreed changed in match venue.

Lighting issues means the club cannot stick to using the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Goa as they did in the group stage, and must play in Hyderabad’s Gachibowli Stadium instead.

Sivaji noted that having the game at India’s technology capital would be better for his side due to various reasons, including being able to fly there on Singapore Airlines.

Nonetheless, he was certain the players can still expect to face a sizeable turnout in the 30,000-seater.

“If we had to fly to Goa, we would have to change flights midway at Calcutta or Mumbai, which means more flight time and a longer journey and is not ideal for us,” explained the 56-year-old.

“Hyderabad is a direct flight away, and we can go up there on our trusted SQ, so we know we will have a good journey. And the timing of the flight is good; we leave on a Saturday evening and we get there at about 11pm local time, so we can rest once we land.

“For Dempo, they would not enjoy the advantage they normally have for a game in Goa. Over there, they can get a big, vociferous crowd, which gives a good atmosphere.

“But India is a country where the people take a big interest in sports in general, including football. So even in Hyderabad, we can still expect a good crowd.”

I-League schedule

Kingfisher’s East Bengal (KEB) will take on debutant Chirag United in the inaugural match in the second edition of the I-League football tournament at the Barasat Stadium in Kolkata on September 26.

On the opening day, Vasco will meet Sporting Clube de Goa (SCG) in Panaji, Goa, in another encounter, according to the draw released by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) on Monday.

So far, nine rounds of matches have been released and dates of the next two rounds will be decided after finalising an opponent for a friendly match for the national team.

The draw:

Round I: Sept 26: KEB vs Chirag (Barasat, Kolkata); Vasco vs SCG (Panaji, Goa), Sept 27: Mohun Bagan vs Mumbai FC (Barasat); Churchill Bros vs Mahindra Utd (Panaji), Sept 28: Mohd Sporting vs Air India (Barasat); Dempo vs JCT (Panaji).

Round II: Sept 30: KEB vs MFC (Barasat); Oct 2: Vasco vs JCT (Panaji); Oct 3: MB vs AI (Barasat); Oct 4: SCG vs MS (Panaji); MU vs Chirag (Mum); Oct 5: CB vs Dempo (Panaji)

Round III: Oct 11: JCT vs MS (Ludhiana); MU vs MFC (Mum); SCG vs MB (Panaji, Goa); Oct 12: Chirag vs CB (Barasat, Kol); AI vs KEB; Dempo vs Vasco (Panaji)

Round IV: Oct 18: JCT vs MU (Ludhiana); AI vs Chirag; KEB vs Vasco (Yuva Bharati Krirangana, Kolkata); MFC vs Dempo; Oct 19: MS vs MB (YBK); CB vs SCG (Panaji)

Round V: Oct 23: JCT vs Chirag (Ludhiana); Oct 24: MS vs MU (YBK); MFC vs SCG; Oct 25: MB vs KEB (YBK); Vasco vs CB (Panaji); Oct 26 : Dempo vs AI (Panaji)

Round VI: Oct 31: Dempo vs MB (Panaji); Nov 1: Chirag vs SCG (YBK); AI vs MFC; Vasco vs MU (Panaji); Nov 2: CB vs JCT (Panaji), MS vs KEB (YBK).

Round VII: Nov 7: KEB vs MU (YBK); Nov 8: MFC vs Vasco; Dempo vs SCG (Panaji); Chirag vs MS (YBK); Nov 9: MB vs CB (YBK); AI vs JCT

Round VIII: Nov 14: MS vs Vasco (YBK); MU vs AI; Nov 15: KEB vs SCG (YBK); CB vs MFC (Panaji); Nov 16: MB vs JCT (YBK); Dempo vs Chirag (Panaji)

Round IX: Nov 18: CB vs AI (Panaji); Nov 19: MU vs SCG; Nov 22: JCT vs KEB (Ludhiana); Nov 20: MS vs Dempo (YBK); Vasco vs MB (Panaji); Nov 21: Chirag vs MFC (YBK).