Indian Super League partners with English Premier League

ISL, Indian Super League, EPL, England, Premier League, Clubs, Richard Scudamore, Britain, Nita Ambani, Reliance, IMG, India, LeagueAccording to a report in PTI today, the upcoming Indian Super League has has entered into a strategic partnership with the English Premier League, the world’s most popular and successful football league, to bring its best practices to India under an exchange programme. 

Through the alliance, Indian Super League will help Premier League and its clubs in staging football matches and assist in other business development initiatives in India.

Here are a few excerpts from the PTI report :

Richard Scudamore, chief executive of the Premier League, said, “Having earlier this year signed a mutual co-operation agreement with the Asian Football Confederation, we are very pleased to also enter into this partnership with ISL. This will see both organisations work together and share knowledge in several key areas including player development, refereeing, marketing and promotion. 

“We know from our broadcast partner Star India, and our work with AIFF on our long-established grassroots football project Premier Skills that we run in several locations across India, that the popularity of football, and Premier League, is growing. There is a further opportunity to develop the sport as a result of that increased interest and we hope to continue to make a real contribution to all levels of Indian football.” 

IMG-Reliance chairperson Nita Ambani said, “Partnering with Premier League brings credence to ISL and to our vision of popularizing the sport in India. I am confident the tie-up will immensely help in nurturing and establishing ISL with good governance and best practices. The alliance also presents a great opportunity of partnership and cross promotions between the ISL League Partners and Premier League Clubs.” 

Jeff Slack, senior vice-president, IMG, Global Football Development, said, “The ability to leverage the Premier League’s experience in creating a successful league model for both players and fans will be a tremendous value to the Indian Super League as it continues to grow the sport in India.” 

Uday Shankar, CEO, Star India said, “The partnership puts belief in our Star’s sports philosophy ‘Believe’. From a game that hobbled about on the fringes of Indian sports, there’s promise that this partnership will lift and reinvigorate football. Through this tie-up, Star India will cross promote coverage of ISL and Premier League to the growing base of Indian football followers.” 

AIFF president Praful Patel said, “The AIFF is extremely pleased to be a part of the strategic partnership between the EPL and ISL. This is an outstanding opportunity for ISL to build from the very best in the business when it comes to running a highly successful league.”

Kerala FA to tie-up with British Council and Premier League

Kerala, Football, Premier League, British Council, India, Soccer, Kerala Football Association, Janaseva Shishu Bhavan, FA Cochin, Maradu FA, Aluva FA, Britain, EPL, BarclaysAccording to reports in Malayalam media, Kerala Football Association is all set to tie up with British Council and Premier League. Premier League and British Council representatives will conduct talks with Kerala FA starting on February 14th.

This alliance will pave way towards social commitments through football says KFA. Premier League London International development manager Kate Hodgkinson, British Council representative Sophie Patterson, Society of India British Council head Dr. Guru Gujral will conduct talks with Kerala Football Association on this regard.

Representatives from British Council and Premier League will also visit Janaseva Sishu Bhavan, Aluva FA, Maradu FA and FA Kochi as part of this engagement. This tie-up will enable Kerala FA to seek assistance from coaches from Britain to train players and coaches in Kerala. British Council’s programmes will be utilized to help financial backward children in the state.

West Bromwich Albion Looking for Indian Sponsors

English Premier League side West Bromwich Albion are in talks with some leading Indian companies after their current sponsor decided to pull the plug in the wake of striker Nicolas Anelka’s controversial racism-linked goal celebration in an EPL match.

Albion, a mid-table EPL side, will have to find a new sponsor after London-based property company ‘Zoopla’ decided not to renew their two-year USD 3 million sponsorship deal which runs till the end of current season over Anelka’s ‘quenelle’ gesture which some say is an inverted Nazi salute and has anti-Semitic connotations.     West Bromwich Albion, EPL, India, Premier League, U.K, Britain, Football, Soccer, League, Indianfootball, Sponsor

Albion Sales and Marketing Director Adrian Wright said at the sidelines of an event here that he would meet some top corporates in the country for a possible deal for the main sponsor of the club.

“We are going to meet some top corporate houses in India which have shown interest in becoming a sponsor. It’s in a preliminary stage but if an Indian company becomes our sponsor it would be a great development for us. We are going to meet them before we fly out in Saturday,” Wright said.

“If it happens the name of an Indian company will be seen for the first time on the jersey of an EPL club during Premier League matches,” he said after the launch of its ‘Pass It Forward’ grassroot international coaching programme in India.

It is learnt that the corporates Albion are going to meet include Airtel, Reliance, Tata and JCB and the meetings have been arranged through the FICCI and CII.

A meeting with Reliance company assumes significance as Albion are reportedly interested in buying a franchisee of Indian Super League proposed to be organised by IMG-Reliance in September.

West Bromwich may be interested in having an Indian company as main sponsor as it has a large Asian population in its surroundings. West Bromwich town is located just a few kilometres from Birmingham, which is Britain’s one of the most Asian populated cities.

Wright even went to the extent of saying that the first team of West Bromwich Albion may plan to play exhibition matches in India in the coming years.

  “I am surprised that such a beautiful stadium (Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium) has not been used much for football matches. I know Bayern Munich played here (in Bhaichung Bhuitia’s farewell match in 2012) but the current pitch is not good for top-class football. I am told a new pitch will be laid. If that is done, our first team may play here in near future,” Wright said.

Under its ‘Pass It Forward’ programme, Albion would send FA (Football Association of England) qualified coaches to train Indian youngsters from all walks of life, including from the deprived sections of society. The club also plans to hold a Youth Football League and Street Football Leagues in India.

Albion have joined forces with Youth Football International, a coaching organisation based here.

“‘Pass it Forward’ coaching sessions will be held at schools and in some of New Delhi’s most deprived areas during the week-long trip. Under the programme, we will send coaches to India to train youngsters six times a year,” Wright said.

“It is a long-term programme for five-six years initially. In each trip, the coaching programme will be conducted from seven to 10 days. We will come back in March and then may be in August or September. We will not come in peak summer months,” he said.

“We don’t have any international coaching programme in other countries. This is the only one we have outside UK. We want to have a long-term relationship with Indian football.”

Gareth Conte of the YFI said promising players from among the selected Indian youngsters will be trained at the academy in West Bromwich Albion.

“Our coaching approach will be different. Around 30 per cent of youngsters will be from among deprived sections of society. We want to bring changes in their lives through football. The best among the youngsters will be trained in our academy. Who knows some of them may play for India in 2017 FIFA Under-17 World Cup which India is hosting,” Conte said.

He said the club also plans to spread out in other Indian cities later on.

“As of now, our focus is in New Delhi. But we are hoping that in the next five-six years, we want to spread out in around 50 Indian towns and cities. We want to help in raising the profile of Indian football,” he said.

Source : PTI

English club Reading FC signs MOU with Arunachal Pradesh FA

200px-Reading_FC.svgItanagar, Sept. 30 : Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Nabam Tuki set yet another record today, by ensuring the signing of an MoU between English Premier League club Reading FC and the Arunachal Pradesh Football Association (APFA) for promoting hidden soccer talent in the state.

Reading FC adviser Tomo Nomuk and APFA president and Lok Sabha member Takam Sanjoy signed the MoU in the presence of Chief Minister Tuki, Sports Authority of Arunachal Pradesh Chairman Tapuk Taku and Vice Chairman Likha Tara, several lawmakers and state government officials in Itanagar.

Expressing his happiness, Tuki said despite the procedural and bureaucratic delay, Arunachal has become the first state in India to ink such agreement with an Englsih Premier League club.

He informed that his government would provide grant of Rs 35 lakh to the APFA through the Department of Sports and Youth Affairs (DoSYA) for meeting the expenses of to and fro expenses, training, lodging and the boarding and lodging of two senior coaches the club would be engaging for six months for hunting soccer talent throughout the state.

The club would also assist and advice in the setting up of a football academy in the state.

During the recent U-19 football tournament, the Arunachal team beat all states except Kerala and Mizoram, which reflected the abundance of hidden talent in the state, Tuki said, adding that the MoU is in tune with his government’s policy to promote sports and games, and to convert the negative energies of the Arunachalee youth to positive to make them vibrant and self-reliant while contributing to nation building.

The chief minister also proposed that state’s best soccer team could be taken to London to play with the Reading Club on an exposure trip or vice versa.

Sanjoy joined Tuki in appreciating Nomuk for his initiative that led to the agreement. He said the coaches would conduct week-long camp in cluster basis to hunt talent before training them and assured that the APFA would ensure the dream of the state government to produce national and global level footballers turn a reality.

Pointing out that physical fitness and diet hold the key to become a top footballer, Pollution Control Board chairman Ralom Borang suggested to set up a gym and an artificial turf for the players to practice.

Shillong in the entire North East region has two turfs, he said, and welcomed the exposure trip of state’s soccer team.

“The MoA would be a unique opportunity for the young footballers of the state with the huge impact of the training by both the coaches. Besides coaching the coaches would educate them about healthy living. Football is more about tactical, technical, physical and social,” Nomuk said.

Assuring the best efforts of the club to offer world class training, Nomuk said that the club has decided to set up a football academy in Jharkhand soon and the same expertise could be given to Arunachal as well.

Agriculture Marketing Board chairman Techi Kaso, DoSYA assistant director Tadar Apa and OSD Ramesh Lingi were present on the occasion.

“Arunachal Pradesh can produce world-class footballers if the abundant talent is properly harnessed. There is no reason why budding footballers in the state cannot graduate to the world level”, was the comment of Eamonn Dolan and Lee Heron, both renowned coaches of Reading FC.

The duo had during their maiden tour of the state in October last year had interacted with the students of Sange Lhaden Sports Academy and watched many football matches including of the famous Tadar Tang Memorial State Level Football Tournament at Rajiv Gandhi Stadium, Naharlagun.

Eamonn, also director of the Club, is one of the top football academy managers in the world, credited with playing for the Republic of Ireland under 21.

Report sourced from : ANI – EPL club Reading-APFA sign MoU to help Arunachal soccer soar