The Hindu : Sport : Fan based clubs may not follow JCT's way

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Monday, Jun 27, 2011
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Fan based clubs may not follow JCT's way

Kolkata: Clubs with huge fan base, Mohun Bagan and East Bengal, may not follow JCT's way but the folding up of northern India's talent hub is a warning sign to Indian football, feel the experts.

In fact, it is ironic that JCT's junior side won the I-League for under-19 teams only on Saturday.

Running a football club being a non-profitable venture in India, sponsors solely rely on mileage which they get from media and TV rights and in the absence of that, it is doom, say the authorities, putting the ball in AIFF's courts.

Fat salary

Grossly blaming the AIFF for the situation, a miffed East Bengal secretary Kalyan Majumdar told PTI “They don't know how to market the sport and they are running the show and earning a fat salary.

“AIFF is only making use of the clubs. We are supplying the talents and they are taking away from us by making some funny rules,” Majumdar said, giving example of the rule that recommends 40 matches a player one season.

“In fact, it would have been a similar fate for Salgaocar had it not won the I-League this season.”

Majumdar however added that Kolkata teams would be spared of a JCT-like situation since there's a huge following for the Big Two — East Bengal and Mohun Bagan. — PTI

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