[ All informations are gathered from the report of AFC, after
analyzing the I league 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 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
|
I-league club licensing criteria (AFC)
|
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Attendance
|
Game Operation
|
Media
|
Stadium
|
Clubs
|
|
ag tkt price/avg attn. 5000
|
|||||
Mcdowel Mohun Bagan
|
Yes/Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
Kingfisher East Bengal
|
Yes/Yes
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
Prayag United SC
|
Yes/Yes
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
Yes
|
ONGC
|
Yes/NA
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
Mumbai FC
|
Yes/NA
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
Yes
|
Air India
|
No/No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
Pune FC
|
Yes/Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes with Condition
|
No
|
Yes
|
Churchill Brothers
|
Yes/No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
Yes
|
Dempo SC
|
Yes/No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
Yes
|
Sporting Club Goa
|
Yes/No
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
Salgocar SC
|
Yes/No
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
Chirag United Kerala
|
Yes/No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
Pailan Arrows
|
Yes/No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
Yes
|
Shillong Lajong FC
|
Yes/Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes with Condition
|
No
|
Yes
|
United Sikkim FC
|
Have not played I-league before, so no information
gathered till now
|
||||
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
