Indian Football: Disbanding of JCT FC- Time to Introspect

Yet another shock to the football fans of India! JCT Limited has disbanded its football team which is know for creating history by winning the first edition of National Football League in 1996 and considered to be the supply line of young football talents from North India. It is interesting to note that the decision has been made after the relegation of the club from the top- division of I- League. The poor performance of the team in the last I- League season is one of the possible reasons of this unfortunate decision.

In a statement, JCT Limited has mentioned that this ‘strategic decision’ has been made as the stakeholders of the company could not see any possibility to convert its football team into a profitable venture in the near future. It was learnt that Samir Thapar, the supremo of JCT Mills, was not satisfied with the efforts of All India Football Federation (AIFF) to develop the structure of football in India. The bigwigs of AIFF, on the other hand, confirmed that a number of corporate bodies will soon start their football clubs and therefore Indian football will not be affected adversely by the decision of JCT. From the point of view of a fan, we may say that the time is not appropriate to blame each other. This is the time to introspect and to take corrective measures so that such incident can be avoided in future.

The football fans of this country may agree with the fact that the present status of I- League is not convincing. The matches of the last edition of I-League were not televised nation-wide as no national level broadcaster showed interest to cover the league. The regional broadcasting right was sold to Mahua Bangla, a Bengali channel, but the deal amount was not disclosed. It clearly indicates that the revenue generated by selling broadcasting rights is very limited and there is no system in place to distribute a part of this revenue among the participating clubs. Thus, efforts should be made to secure a national level broadcaster for the league and a part of this broadcasting revenue should be distributed among the clubs for necessary support. In this context, the model of EPL can be followed.

It is extremely important for the administrators of Indian football to study the factors which influence the decision of a sponsor or a broadcaster. One of the prominent factors to attract these fund providers is the number of eyeballs watching the event. It can be assumed that the last edition of I- League could not secure a convincing number of eyeballs because of unfavourable match timings, inadequate information received by the fans on the league and lack of nation-wide television coverage. The players could not exhibit their prowess as they were forced to play under the scorching heat. This acted upon the quality of the matches which caused further reduction in interest. It can be suggested that the matches should be organized in the evening so as to enable the players to show their talent. Favourable match- timings will help the fans to witness the matches of the league. Sufficient information should be disseminated to the fans and promotional activities should be undertaken to create an awareness of the league. It should be remembered that more eyeballs may generate a number of revenue streams, such as gate revenue, sponsorship, broadcasting, merchandizing etc. These revenue streams will help the league as well as the clubs to overcome financial crisis. Unfortunately, no comprehensive initiative has been adopted by the AIFF, State Associations and the clubs to generate sufficient funds from these sources. The same argument is applicable to various other tournaments organized by the AIFF and the State Associations.

The fans demand competitive football which cannot be provided without arranging a better turf to play. Moreover, most of the football stadiums in India do not possess the basic facilities that the fans want. Thus, it can be suggested that the football administrators of this country should consult with the stadium authorities and the key stakeholders, including FIFA and AFC, to explore the possibilities of upgrading the current stadium-specific infrastructure. More attention should be provided to increase the female attendance during the matches by incorporating concepts like ‘family box’.

The responsibility of the clubs to develop fan base can never be ignored. In Indian football, fan following is required for long term survival of a club. The football team of JCT is not only popular in Punjab, but equally popular in Delhi. The management of the club, therefore, should introspect whether any policy has been adopted by the team to consolidate the fan base. The apex body of football in India is undoubtedly responsible for the dismal state of I-League, but the clubs can not ignore their responsibilities as well.

At present, a football club in India can earn almost Rs. 62 lakhs by winning the I- League and the Federation Cup. The local leagues and other tournaments may contribute another few lakhs. This entire amount is not sufficient to match the salary of a player like Odafa Okolie and one Odafa Okolie is not enough to make a competitive team. Hence, the football administrators of India should seriously consider these issues and prepare a comprehensive plan so that no other club will follow the footsteps of JCT. It should be remembered that the clubs, set up by the corporate bodies, will be guided by the business motives with an objective to benefit their shareholders and stakeholders and they may follow JCT if the condition of Indian football will not be improved.