[ All information have been gathered from the report of AFC, after analyzing the I league club status]
AFC and AIFF have introduced Club Licensing Criterias for Indian Football clubs to make them more professional. After introducing the criteria AFC have sent an expert panel to judge the current scenario and the execution of the AFC guidelines to enter into the AFC champions league of any Indian club. But the picture that comes out is not so rosy. Here I am discussing the criteria of club licensing in I league and the current status of the I league clubs. Readers will understand the areas of development of Indian football clubs to become more professional and profitable.|
Club Names
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I-league club licensing criteria (AFC)
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Attendance
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Game Operation
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Media
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Stadium
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Clubs
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Avg. ticket price /
avg attn. 5000
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McDowell Mohun Bagan
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Yes/Yes
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Yes
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No
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No
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No
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Kingfisher East Bengal
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Yes/Yes
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No
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No
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No
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No
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Prayag United SC
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Yes/Yes
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No
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No
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No
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Yes
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ONGC
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Yes/NA
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No
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No
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No
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No
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Mumbai FC
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Yes/NA
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No
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No
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No
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Yes
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Air India
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No/No
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No
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No
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No
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No
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Pune FC
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Yes/Yes
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Yes
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Yes with Condition
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No
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Yes
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Churchill Brothers
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Yes/No
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No
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No
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No
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Yes
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Dempo SC
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Yes/No
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No
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No
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No
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Yes
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Sporting Club Goa
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Yes/No
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Yes
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No
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No
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No
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Salgocar SC
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Yes/No
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Yes
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No
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No
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No
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Chirag United Kerala
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Yes/No
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No
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No
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No
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No
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Pailan Arrows
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Yes/No
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No
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No
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No
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Yes
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Shillong Lajong FC
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Yes/Yes
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Yes
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Yes with Condition
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No
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Yes
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United Sikkim FC
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Have not played I-league before, so no information gathered till now
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Details of each and every category above mentioned:
1. Attendance- A) Average Ticket Price (Not Free of Charge)
B) Average Number of Attendance per match is 5000
2. Game Operation-
A) Different secured circulations for the spectator, media, players officials and VIP
B) An appointed Security Officer
C) Fan Service Program at league matches
3. Media-
A) Media Registration System
B) Each stadium has Media Tribune, Media Working Room
C) Each club has a Media Officer
D) Each stadium has working space and required facilities for tv broadcasting
E) Pre/Post match media conference are held
F) Each stadium has a Mixed Zone at league matches
G) Match Report is distributed to Other Media
4. Stadium- “A-class stadium” with a minimum capacity of 5,000 seats. The conditions for an A-class stadium are as below:-
A) Quality turf condition, size of pitch to be of FIFA standard.
B) To have floodlighting installations which can evenly lit the whole field of play at minimum 1200 lux.
C) To have roofs over part of the spectator seats
D) To have steady and enough power supply
E) To be equipped with leading wires for broadcasting etc.
F) To be equipped with dressing rooms for both players and referees, respectively.
G) To be equipped with a doping control room, medical room, security control room
H) To be equipped with separated VIP seating area and a VIP lounge.
I) To be equipped with a working space and required facilities for press, photographers
J) To be equipped with a working space and required facilities for TV broadcasting.
K) To be equipped with utilities which generates revenues (ex. Kiosks for food and beverage service, Kiosks for the sales of team merchandising goods, Sky boxes to accommodate special customers)
L) To be built to produce hospitality and comfort for the spectators
M) Located in a city which has an international airport within a radius of two hundred (200) kilometers and a journey time of no more than two hours and thirty (150) minutes between the venue of the match and the international airport. Otherwise, located in a city which has at least four (4) connecting flights from the nearest international airport to the venue of the match.
5. Clubs-
A) Number of players under professional contract in the top team of each club
B) All the clubs are commercial entities under its national law
C) Main revenue sources of the club (1) gate receipts, 2) TV rights, 3) marketing, 4) sponsorship, 5) merchandising, 6) transfers and leasing fees of the players.
D) No clubs have overdue payment
E) All clubs have youth development programs with youth teams in the clubs or affiliated to the clubs.
F) All clubs’ head coaches possess AFC “A” License Diploma or equivalent license approved by AFC
G) All clubs have or can guarantee the use of the home stadium with a minimum capacity of 3,000 seats
H) All clubs have or can guarantee the use of the training sites
I) All clubs conduct activities contributing to the local community of the home towns
J) Submission of an audited Profit and Loss statement and Balance Sheet to the League governing body.
K) Cross ownership of the clubs is not allowed
L) The directors and employees of one club are not employed by any other clubs nor do they possess the shares of any other clubs, either
M) All clubs have competent management staff who are in charge of the tasks such as competition, marketing, media and finance
N) All the clubs can prove the support from a local government in the following areas;
– Use of home stadium,
– Improvement of access to the stadium for the fans
– Use of training site
[Indian Football Network doesn’t hold responsibility for the research of any of the above data. All questions can be directed to the author in the comments section.]
The data you have given, are they taken by contacting the clubs?
Dear Mr. Sur,
Is this an authentic data from the AFC or is it compiled by you based on your own perceptions?
As per the official AFC data, except for Pune FC, Salgaocar & HAL (ex Ileague) none have fufilled the “Game Operation” criteria. Whereas, as per your table above, Mohun Bagan is shown to have a “yes” for Game Operation.
Requesting you not to not mislead the readers with unofficial data
@Rudra, NA means Not Applicable. that means no fans or no attendance. Yah, how you get more audience? for that definitely we will something more in future.Thanks.
Great article…..it sucks…..still some will get the passage into I league 2'nd Div….some won't…
Kosuhik, can you give some more details. Like why some columns say NA and how you are getting reliable attendances of I-League clubs?