The schedule and playing times of the 2017-18 season of the I-League had been questioned almost as soon as they were released last week. Things were no different at the official launch of the season in New Delhi on Tuesday. Players and coaches criticized the scheduling and timing of matches, which they felt would reduce viewership -- both as a consequence of what they felt was the All Indian Football Federation's support of the rival Indian Super League (ISL).
"I don't know what they were thinking," says Gokulam Kerala FC captain Sushanth Mathew.
Kickoff for all but two home games of Gokulam FC will be either 2pm or 5.30pm. The afternoon timing for the majority of their home matches caused Mathew to wonder aloud about the I-League's refusal to allow them to conduct matches at Mallapuram, where the team is based. "It makes little sense for us to shift our playing venue from Mallapuram to Calicut," he says. "We couldn't play at Mallapuram because the stadium doesn't have floodlight towers. But we are playing only two home games in the evening."
The midday games would also be a cause of concern for players, he reckons. "At that time in the day, it is too hot to play football on an uncovered field," says Mathew. "They players will be far more tired and have an increased risk of injury."
As such Mathew is already predicting a drop in the number of viewers for his side's games. "It will be hard to draw viewers even for home games when the matches are happening on weekdays in the afternoon," he says.
It is a concern that Mohun Bagan coach Sanjoy Sen also voices. "It will be strange to have to play midday games and even a midday Kolkata Derby," says Sen. "With the number of our followers, it will be possible for us to continue to draw crowds, but it will be hard for the smaller teams."
The unusual nature of scheduling has drawn complaints that perhaps the I-League is being treated unfairly at the expense of the cash-rich ISL, which has been scheduled in a far more TV-friendly manner.
Mathew certainly thinks so. "There is a very big difference is in the way the ISL and the I-League is being promoted," he says. "You can see the promotion for the ISL being done everywhere. But it is next to nothing in the I-League."
AIFF general secretary Kushal Das says the nature of the scheduling comes as a consequence for the two leagues being held simultaneously and telecast on the same broadcaster, as was a demand of the I-League clubs earlier this year. "We cannot have two leagues running one after the other because that would have wreaked havoc on our national calendar," Das says. "It makes sense to have a single unified league in three or four years' time. But until then we must take baby steps."
Das dismisses allegations that the leagues were in competition or that the AIFF was taking sides. "It is not a case of one league competing with the other league but about how they together can help Indian football develop," he says. "When we started the I-League, it was difficult to even find a telecast partner. So it is a huge boost for games to be telecast on Star. That will raise the profile of the I-League." Das said the scheduling of the I-League was based on the broadcast slots available. "There is a limit to the amount of broadcast time that can be given and the number of channels that are available," he says.
Das admitted there was a difference in how the two leagues had been promoted, which in turn would affect their ability to attract audiences. "You cannot compare the ISL and the I-League because they are very different products," he says. "You cannot compare the I-League clubs and the ISL clubs in the amount of investment they are putting in their marketing. The ISL clubs are simply putting in a lot more money in their marketing. Additionally, considering Star has the original rights for the ISL, there will be a difference in the way it is promoted. The legacy clubs of the I-League, who have the fans, must find ways of using those resources to market their clubs better."