Bengaluru FC show the way to Kerala Evergreen

Bengaluru FC’s defection to the Indian Super League this season was supposed to be a major jolt for the I-League. However they are likely to be replaced by a new franchise team, Kerala Evergreen FC. 

A team from Kerala should get a lot of local support, which will improve TV ratings and average attendance figures of the next I-League. The club will be based in Kerala’s capital Thiruvananthapuram and will be part of the I-League 2017-18 if their entry bid is successful. Incidentally, they would also become the first team from Thiruvananthapuram to play in the I-League.

Earlier teams from Kerala, in the NFL/I-League like FC Kochin, State Bank of Travancore, Viva Kerala and Chirag United were all based in either Kochi or Calicut. Local fans will welcome the introduction of Evergreen FC as they have missed this identity with a local team except for brief periods of domination by Kerala Police (1990-1992) and FC Kochin (1997-2004).

Kerala Blasters have filled this vacuum in the ISL and helped to resurrect the passion for football among the fans in Kerala, hence the packed stadiums.

This has been a recurring paradox in Kerala football. Residents are passionately fond of football, but no local club team in Kerala has lasted for long. Due to the Premiership’s popularity Indian fans nowadays also want to identify with their home teams. Bengaluru FC’s success in attracting a young generation of middle class professionals as fans, many of whom are converts to the game after watching the Premiership, shows that a local support base can be built.

Another unique feature of Kerala Evergreen FC is that they could become the first club in India to have majority foreign ownership. Investments for this club are by a Singapore company My Sports and their Indian partners, Liwing. The Singapore company hopes to create a sustainable business model for the club, so that it can generate revenue by using the stadium for concerts, music events and renting space to commercial establishments.

The plans are ambitious as they want to model themselves on the Spanish La Liga club Athletic Bilbao in allowing only homegrown players to play for the team. The catchment area for football in Kerala is large but with so many players in the ISL draft likely to be roped in by Kerala Blasters, they may have to compromise and recruit outstation players also for the first season.

According to sources, Kerala Evergreen’s budget is Rs. 20 crore, which would be the best in the I-League. Some of this money will also be used to form a women’s team to compete in the women’s national league as well as an academy for junior players from Kerala.

It is reliably learnt that My Sports approached established Indian clubs in Kolkata, Mumbai and even Delhi, including legacy teams like Mohammedan Sporting.

However, negotiations kept getting stalled and so they opted to start a new franchise team in Kerala.

If Kerala Evergreen FC clicks it will be a success story for AIFF’s franchise initiative. Football in southern India has been revived by franchise teams, Bengaluru FC, Chennaiyan FC and now Kerala Evergreen FC.