Churchill, United also fall foul of I-League criteria
SHILLONG: In a bitter blow to the football fans of Meghalaya, Rangdajied United FC failed to qualify for a license from the All India Football Federation, ending their hopes of participating in next season’s I-League.
United SC, Churchill Brothers and Mohammedan Sporting (the latter who were already relegated) were also not up to the mark in terms of fulfilling the various criteria and will sit out the next season of top flight Indian football as well.
Rangdajied did all that they could on the pitch last season, battling against the odds to save themselves from relegation, but the Blues could not meet the requirements set by the AIFF for a national license.
What reasons the governing body had for denying the club a license were not immediately available on Wednesday, but it was reported earlier that Rangdajied had failed to send in the required documents on time.
Fans of Shillong Lajong FC and newly-promoted side Royal Wahingdoh FC can breathe a sigh of relief, however, as the former were granted a national license, while the Royals were “given a one-time exemption applicable for a year only to tick all the boxes,” the AIFF said in a press release.
“Wahingdoh have done exceptionally well in several departments of club licensing in such a short time since qualifying for the I-League,” the Club Licensing Committee – First Instance Body Chairman Dr Girija Mungali said.
The clubs are expected to meet several legal, administrative, sporting, infrastructure and financial criteria.
“They (Wahingdoh) deserve a leeway given to them under the licensing regulations,” Mungali added.
Issues were raised for Shillong Lajong in terms of the quality of their home ground, the JN Stadium at Polo Grounds, however.
Mumbai FC and Shillong Lajong have been granted only a national license compared to their seven counterparts who have a national license and AFC certificate.
“Both these clubs do not have an AFC A-class stadium, but were fully compliant of the infrastructure requirement for the national license,” the AIFF’s club licensing manager Roma Khanna stated.
It is therefore to be expected that the same issue cropped up with Rangdajied and Wahingdoh, who share the JN Stadium as their home ground as well.
The seven clubs who successfully qualified for the AFC certificate are Bengaluru FC, Dempo SC, Pune FC, Salgaocar SC, East Bengal, Mohun Bagan and Sporting Clube de Goa.
Licensing is an annual process where all clubs eligible to compete based on sporting merit need to have a license under the AIFF’s Indian Club Licensing system.
Last year, only Pune FC stood tall in meeting the requirements with all other clubs being given a “once in a lifetime” one-year exemption.
Overall, the AIFF seemed pleased with the process.
“The nine clubs who have granted the license have come a long way since last year when only Pune FC passed. It is a heartening sign for Indian football. Clubs becoming professional is the best thing that can happen,” Mungali said.
Rangdajied’s ineligibility means that only two of the hoped for three teams from the city will take part in the top tier next season, which will start in December.
That means two Shillong derbies and fewer home games for the fans; the final number will depend on how many teams are entered into next season, with the AIFF earlier stating that they were looking to introduce new teams by direct entry, the same way that Bengaluru were inducted into the league in 2013-14.
Rangdajied are joined on the sidelines by big clubs such as twice champions Churchill and United SC and I-League CEO Sunando Dhar said that the four clubs (including Mohammedan) can make a comeback through the Second Division.
“They can come back in the 2015-16 season if they fulfill the criteria by then. But they will have to play in the Second Division and qualify from there,” Dhar said.
But with only 10 confirmed clubs for next season’s action, there is ample space for the AIFF to fit in more than a few teams willing to pay for the privilege of playing in India’s premier football league.