Indian football thread 2012/13

Compliments to the India National Team
: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...sive-Nehru-Cup-title/articleshow/16221268.cms

Nice result by India.

http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/news/newsid=1692684.html

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...-India-Jerome-Valcke/articleshow/16267692.cms

http://www.fifa.com/aboutfifa/news/newsid=1696434/index.html

how about this?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bengal_Premier_League_Soccer

Indian Federation Cup 2012 is starting today.

Groups Federation Cup 2012


Group A (Jamshedpur)
Dempo SC, Mumbai FC, Pailan Arrows, Shillong Lajong FC

19-Sep-2012: Dempo SC - Pailan Arrows (JRD, 3 pm)
19-Sep-2012: Mumbai FC - Shillong Lajong FC (Keenan, 3 pm)
21-Sep-2012: Pailan Arrows - Mumbai FC (Keenan, 3 pm)
21-Sep-2012: Dempo SC - Shillong Lajong FC (JRD, 3 pm)
23-Sep-2012: Pailan Arrows - Shillong Lajong FC (Keenan, 3 pm)
23-Sep-2012: Mumbai FC - Dempo SC (JRD, 3 pm)

Group B (Siliguri)
Churchill Brothers SC, Air India, Mohun Bagan AC, Mohammedan Sporting Club

20-Sep-2012: Air India - Mohammedan Sporting Club (3 pm)
20-Sep-2012: Churchill Brothers SC - Mohun Bagan AC (7 pm)
22-Sep-2012: Mohammedan Sporting Club - Churchill Brothers SC (3 pm)
22-Sep-2012: Mohun Bagan AC - Air India (7 pm)
24-Sep-2012: Air India - Churchill Brothers SC (7 pm)
24-Sep-2012: Mohun Bagan AC - Mohammedan Sporting Club (3 pm)

Group C (Siliguri)
Sporting Clube de Goa, ONGC, East Bengal Club, Kalighat Milan Sangha

21-Sep-2012: ONGC - Kalighat Milan Sangha (3 pm)
21-Sep-2012: Sporting Clube de Goa - East Bengal Club (7 pm)
23-Sep-2012: Kalighat Milan Sangha - Sporting Clube de Goa (3 pm)
23-Sep-2012: East Bengal Club - ONGC (7 pm)
25-Sep-2012: ONGC - Sporting Clube de Goa (3 pm)
25-Sep-2012: East Bengal Club - Kalighat Milan Sangha (7 pm)

Group D (Jamshedpur)
Salgaocar FC, Pune FC, Prayag United SC, United Sikkim FC

20-Sep-2012: Salgaocar FC - Prayag United SC (JRD, 3 pm)
20-Sep-2012: Pune FC - United Sikkim FC (Keenan, 3 pm)
22-Sep-2012: Prayag United SC - Pune FC (Keenan, 3 pm)
22-Sep-2012: United Sikkim FC - Salgaocar FC (JRD, 3 pm)
24-Sep-2012: Prayag United SC - United Sikkim FC (Keenan, 3 pm)
24-Sep-2012: Pune FC - Salgaocar FC (JRD, 3 pm)

Semifinals
26-Sep-2012: Winner Group A - Winner Group D
27-Sep-2012: Winner Group B - Winner Group C

Final
30-Sep-2012: Winner SF1 - Winner SF2

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story/_/id/1165151/duerden:-the-challenge-for-india?cc=5739

Fifa.com state that India are scheduled to play Singapore in a friendly in the upcoming October Fifa match day..

What I just don't get with FIFA/AFC pushing Indian football is that India doesn't appear to have many football pitches. How can you push a sport when you have the following?

-Three teams in Mumbai (Mumbai, Air India, ONGC) playing outside of Mumbai until the Coopergae Ground is ready. Mumbai and Air India have gone south to nearby Pune and ONGC have gone to Delhi, where their isn't an I-League side.

-4 teams represent Kolkata (East Bengal, Mohun Bagan, Pailan Arrows, Prayag United) and all play at the same place, Salt Lake Stadium

-4 teams represent Goa (Salgaocar, Churchill Brothers, Dempo, Sporting Clube de Goa) again all playing in one location, Fatorda Stadium.

Now, why don't teams like East Bengal play at the East Bengal Stadium? (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Bengal_Ground)

Mohun Bagan play at the Mohun Bagan Stadium?? (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohun_Bagan_Ground)

It seems silly that I've discussed 11 teams, all playing in the same place. My research is that they're stadiums for teams to play in, but they choose not to.

My question to FIFA/AFC, your trying to push a nation when this nation isn't ready to be pushed. They have simply issues. Teams from Mumbai aren't playing in Mumbai. There's stadia about, but no top flight team in them (maybe teams lower down the scales are??) But the game needs shaking up in India. But how can top flight football in India really take off if teams don't even play in their own city, and how can a league really sustain itself if the same stadia is used all the time? The stadiums don't need to be big huge bowls, but smaller compact stadia that gets the average fan intrigued to visit that stadium rather than the current bore of going back to the same place time after time.

Mohun Bagan and East Bengal do not own there real stadiums and the AFC said no for I-League games. They do however play in them for local games. Also Prayag plan on moving to Siliguri.

It seems that Indian club Salgaocar has gone back on its word with preseason signing Angel Guirado of the Philippines, who had a verbal agreement with team management that they will release him for the Suzuki Cup(Asean Football Federation) Championship at the end of November, using the excuse that the tournament is not on a FIFA date. Does that mean that players should also not be released for the South Asian Championships because it is not scheduled on FIFA dates as well? As a result Guirado has been ruled out of the final 22 man lineup to the tournament.

Apparently Salagaocar has finally relented and granted the release of Angel Guirado to participate in the Suzuki Cup for the Philippines national team at the last minute after initially refusing to do so. He will probably start at forward for the team.

Damn it. Salgaocar could really use him now. I am guessing the old coach Karim said no but now that Salgaocar have a new coach, David Booth, they said yes or he said yes.

A promise is a promise. It is good that the coach and management of Salgaocar decided to keep their word. Otherwise players might not want to sign and subsequently resign with your club. Angel Guirado could have stayed in Spain. The only reason he went to Asia was because he wanted to experience international football. He would have been very upset if the club denied him this opportunity.

FYI in issue one of The Blizzard magazine (available in digital form and hard copy here: www.theblizzard.co.uk/ ) there is a long article on the history of soccer in India...

When the Kites weren't Black
Dileep Premachandran
The lost legacy of Indian football
pages 109-117

AIFF'S Mater Plan Lakshya

125 Page Document drafted by TD Rob Baan and Team

Download here :- http://www.the-aiff.com/AIFFmasterplan.pdf

I-League Table after Round 10


1 Dempo +15 25
2 Churchill Brothers +10 22
3 East Bengal +14 21
4 Pune +5 17
5 Prayag United +10 14
6 Pailan Arrows −2 14
7 Mumbai −2 13
8 Mohun Bagan 0 12
9 Shillong Lajong −3 12
10 Air India −4 10
11 Sporting Goa −9 8
12 United Sikkim −11 8
13 Salgaocar −8 6
14 ONGC −15 6

Get a look at our brilliant idea for a domestic league!

I get an "access denied" message when I click on that... can someone who has downloaded the pdf post it elsewhere?

http://feverpitch.in/SiteWeb/Newsdesc.aspx?SID=BEFF0CDE-50C9-4793-8ED8-51190AAAA24D

Is there some new ?

This was last month. He had a trial but (this is rumored) Reading could not agree a fee with ASD South Africa Academy. Honestly I think the fact that their was a fee was enough to say no.

You can Download it here - http://www.2shared.com/document/VIAC2ooT/AIFFmasterplan.html

Thanks for the link!