LFC to set up development centre in India

[live]

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/enter-li...6;./407442/

 

There could soon be more Indians dreaming of the tricolor fluttering at the football World Cup. When ‘Soccer Prince’, the first ever football reality show hunting for budding football talent kicks off on Indian TV screen, it will have a distinct Pune touch.

 

That is because Liverpool, the renowned English soccer club, is planning to set up a football development centre at Pune, the first of its kind in India. And feeding this centre with talent would be the resource pool thrown up by this reality show.

 

Ian Ayre, the commercial director of Liverpool and Steve Bellis, the director of the global football promotion firm ‘kickworldwide’ shared plans of this unique endeavor with reporters here on Tuesday. Also present was Vishwjeet Kadam, the host of the proposed football development centre.

 

“The policy decision to kick off the football revolution has been finalised. We are working out the modalities. An official announcement will be made within a month,” said Ayre.

 

‘Soccer prince’ is already a hit on Chinese television with more than 20,000 taking part in the show. The Indian model of ‘soccer prince’ aims at attracting more teenage soccer players, said Bellis, the main brain behind the show.

 

Outlining the nature of the Indian version of ‘soccer prince’, Bellis said talks were on with one of the leading media houses to telecast the show.

 

“Our goal is to provide a platform for football players from the grassroots as we will be rolling it out in hundreds of schools, colleges and football clubs. Like their Chinese counterparts, winners of this reality show will get a chance to train for one year with leading clubs in England,” he said.

 

Ayre said merely setting up a professional football league would not help the cause of improving the overall standard of Indian football. “The whole system has to be professional and receptive. The proposed football centre will strive to create this kind of infrastructure. It will project football as a lucrative career option not just as a player, but as a manager, coach, administrator and support staff as well.”

 

“Only merchandising Liverpool products in Indian market will not serve the purpose. The aim is to create the right ambience for football in the country and ultimately produce local football heroes like Sachin Tendelkar is for cricket,” Ayre said.

[lfc4eva99]

Good to know, will surely pay it a visit once it begins...

[whitewidow]

Red Indians?

[Falconhoof]

There's no tradition of playing football in India is there? This is as grass roots as it gets really because everyone plays cricket. There's coaches for cricket and there is a culture surrounding the game of cricket there but not football unless one has sprung up very rapidly in the last few years?

[lfc4eva99]

Football is played, more than cricket in certain parts of the country as well.

 

But the main problem is the lack of infrastructure and finance. cricket takes all the money, football gets meager amounts, a professional league is up, but then the state of grounds is pathetic to say the least.

 

Politicians rule the AIFF ( All India Football Fed ) and thats also part of the reason of this pathetic condition.

 

Itll need a lot more than English clubs opening academies for the sport to succeed, but its a start.

[KBR]

Football is played, more than cricket in certain parts of the country as well.

 

But the main problem is the lack of infrastructure and finance. cricket takes all the money, football gets meager amounts, a professional league is up, but then the state of grounds is pathetic to say the least.

 

Politicians rule the AIFF ( All India Football Fed ) and thats also part of the reason of this pathetic condition.

 

Itll need a lot more than English clubs opening academies for the sport to succeed, but its a start.

It's a similar story in Bangladesh, where corruption hinders progress.

 

Agreed - Cricket is much better funded, but it's misleading to think that there isn’t much interest in Football, because it is still massive out there.

 

But this a great thing... making inroads into these markets is a very positive move simply from the population prospective. India is now roughly over a billion??? I'm sure out of a pool that big, some players are bound to have some potential.

[Magic8Ball]

Red Indians?

- but shouldn't we be setting up academies in South America and Spain ?

[live]

As some of the posters mentioned, football is arguably the biggest sport in certain parts of the country - Goa, parts of the south and the east and northeast. When Bayern went to Calcutta to play the 120K Eden ground was too small to hold all the people that wanted to see them. Similarly portions of the the city had to be shut down when Maradona showed up recently.

 

The problem is that the infrastructure to support football is extremely poor and the so is the government support. The best chance for football in India is for clubs like LFC to come in and development their own setup in tandem with private companies who are willing to sponsor academies and players.

[Molby]

the possibilites are mind boggling

 

the great thing is, imo that you don't need loads of leagues to be set up at amateur level and for players to come through the ranks like they do in England

 

taking the Ajaz or Houllier approach, it's all about playing for fun and learning skills until about 14-15

 

then and only then tactics and all the other stuff - that's how most of Europe works, NOT a load of angry parents stood on the touchline shouting preposterous tactical instructions at 10 year old kids on a Sunday

 

 

 

which means we can do some serious talent scouting in a country with such a huge population

[Murphman]

the possibilites are mind boggling

 

the great thing is, imo that you don't need loads of leagues to be set up at amateur level and for players to come through the ranks like they do in England

 

taking the Ajaz or Houllier approach, it's all about playing for fun and learning skills until about 14-15

 

then and only then tactics and all the other stuff - that's how most of Europe works, NOT a load of angry parents stood on the touchline shouting preposterous tactical instructions at 10 year old kids on a Sunday

which means we can do some serious talent scouting in a country with such a huge population

 

 

Not on our touchline they don't. You gotta put a stop to that one mate, have you got a parents charter? Make the feckers sign it.

Edited January 7, 2009 by Murphman

[Mike]

the possibilites are mind boggling

 

the great thing is, imo that you don't need loads of leagues to be set up at amateur level and for players to come through the ranks like they do in England

 

taking the Ajaz or Houllier approach, it's all about playing for fun and learning skills until about 14-15

 

then and only then tactics and all the other stuff - that's how most of Europe works, NOT a load of angry parents stood on the touchline shouting preposterous tactical instructions at 10 year old kids on a Sunday

which means we can do some serious talent scouting in a country with such a huge population

 

Ajaz?

 

haha

[Molby]

Ajaz?

 

haha

 

 

 

and he's crap at football, supports Spurs, hates Houllier and doesn't know what he's on about

 

so...Ajax, people

[Molby]

Not on our touchline they don't. You gotta put a stop to that one mate, have you got a parents charter? Make the feckers sign it.

 

 

hmm.. that did sound a bit autobiographical didn't it?

 

really I just mean generally

 

there has been a mild bit of chat from the parents on the touchline but I've clamped down and it's all okay now

[Murphman]

hmm.. that did sound a bit autobiographical didn't it?

 

really I just mean generally

 

there has been a mild bit of chat from the parents on the touchline but I've clamped down and it's all okay now

 

 

Get them to shout their heads off never mind mild chat, but it has to be positive and encouraging i.e. say well done at every opportunity. How's it going by the way Molb?

 

My lad set some kind of record in November, got sent off twice in one game. You have U16's to look forwrad to mate,they're all barking f*cking mad, enjoy it while they're little.

[Molby]

Get them to shout their heads off never mind mild chat, but it has to be positive and encouraging i.e. say well done at every opportunity. How's it going by the way Molb?

 

My lad set some kind of record in November, got sent off twice in one game. You have U16's to look forwrad to mate,they're all barking f*cking mad, enjoy it while they're little.

 

 

they're getting spanked every week, sometimes well in to double figures

 

but we've scored a few goals and I could pretty much set them NOW to get much better results, maybe even nick a draw or a win before the end of the season

 

but there's no way I'll do that- would be selling them down the river

it's gonna remain pass and move for the duration

 

we have the best turn out of any team in the league every week, 15 0r 16 without fail and the kids love every minute of it - playing, training, the lot

[Murphman]

they're getting spanked every week, sometimes well in to double figures

 

but we've scored a few goals and I could pretty much set them NOW to get much better results, maybe even nick a draw or a win before the end of the season

 

but there's no way I'll do that- would be selling them down the river

it's gonna remain pass and move for the duration

 

we have the best turn out of any team in the league every week, 15 0r 16 without fail and the kids love every minute of it - playing, training, the lot

 

 

F*cking wonderful stuff mate, well done.

[growler]

these academies are not about players coming through. Historically, the number of players who come through is nothing. Its the marketing. The potential is the number of fans. Most indians in their 20 in england support liverpool becsause of our success at that time. All have remained loyal and know more about the club then some of the locals. The potential is huge from commercial revenue.

[Falconhoof]

these academies are not about players coming through. Historically, the number of players who come through is nothing. Its the marketing. The potential is the number of fans. Most indians in their 20 in england support liverpool becsause of our success at that time. All have remained loyal and know more about the club then some of the locals. The potential is huge from commercial revenue.

 

how much is this potential revenue and when is it going to be realised ?

[RP]

there has been a mild bit of chat from the parents on the touchline but I've clamped down and it's all okay now

 

 

Nice one G. It's the only way to treat these f***ers. As I've said loads of times, the kids are rarely the problem - the parents however, if left unchecked, can be a right bunch of c***s.

[RP]

how much is this potential revenue and when is it going to be realised ?

 

 

F*** all. Never.

[carrafan]

Dont Arsenal and Leicester have academies in India already?

[johngibo YPC]

The fact that its our Commercial Director setting it up suggests its not really a footballing decision

[Hassony]

liverpool, arsenal and Leicester fighting it out for the next Baichung Bhutia

[carrafan]

The fact that its our Commercial Director setting it up suggests its not really a footballing decision

 

It was always a commercial decision. LFC need to get a foothold in India to start commercial expansion and this is a decent idea, the other clubs do it rather well. Manchester United had a deal set up with ESPNStar where a competition called 'India's biggest Man United fan', the final prize involved was a trip to Old Trafford to watch a home game of their choice. The only way to participate in it was to do somethign with your Man Utd shirt which basically forced 'fans' to buy one. Arsenal and Leicester have made deals with Dempo and Mohun Bagan which'll allow Indian players to be trained by their coaches for a short while every season and have the U-18's play a game against the local clubs players. LFC have had no such ideas as far as i remember.

 

The funny thing is that we are well supported in this country (outnumbered by United and Chelsea fans defo but still..) and no explicit merchandising efforts have been made. India is an untapped market in the SE Asian subcontinent and it is good to see the club exploit that area.

[Falconhoof]

F*** all. Never.

 

thats what I thought. Its a bit of a myth all this revenue that we are going to tap into. It used to be the Far East and then everyone was going on about USA and selling shirts over there when in fact, none of these places significantly contribute to profits.