Bengal Premier League Soccer

Premier League Soccer (PLS) was an Indian football league competition established in 1 January 2012, which was to take place in the state of West Bengal. The league was expected to begin its first season in 25 February 2012 with the aim to increase interest in football in West Bengal. It was modelled on the lines of the United States' Major League Soccer and the Indian Premier League.[1][2]

Bengal Premier League Soccer
Founded2011
Folded2013
CountryIndia
Number of teams6
Level on pyramid3
Promotion toNone
Relegation toNone
Domestic cup(s)None

Structure

The league was organised by Celebrity Management Group, who had signed a 30-year deal with Indian Football Association, the apex body of football in West Bengal. There would have been six teams in the inaugural 2012 season; they were to have been owned by franchises, who would have to bid for the team for 10 years and pay a yearly franchisee fee. They were to be based in Kolkata, and five regional centres: Howrah, Barasat, Durgapur and Siliguri.[3][2] Each team was to play every other team twice (once at home and once away). Three points were to have been awarded for a win, one for a draw and zero for a loss. At the end of the season a table of the final League standings was to have been determined, based on the following criteria in this order: points obtained, goal difference, and goals scored. After the regular season the teams would have played in a play-off style tournament in which there would have been semi-finals and a final. The tournament would have been played across seven weeks, from 24 March to 6 May 2012.[4]

Media Coverage

As of February 2012 there had been no television deal for the 2012 PLS season announced.[4]

Clubs and stadiums 2012

A list of clubs for 2012 season was to have been decided after an auction on 10 to 12 February 2011.[4]

TeamPriceOwnerIcon PlayerOverseas PlayerAsian Origin PlayersCoach
Barasat Euro MusketeersRs 25.15 croreUro Infra Reality IndiaHernán Crespo $840,000Christian Lara $200,000; Joaquin Botero $180,000Park Byoung-Gyu $90,000Teitur Thordarson $210,000
Bengal TuskersRs 18 croreAajay ConsultantsFabio Cannavaro $830,000Santino Quaranta $180,000; Limberg Gutierrez $180,000;Hwang Gyu-Hwan $90,000Marco Etcheverry $200,000
Kolkata CameliansRs 11.5 croreCamelia GroupRobbie FowlerRobert Egbeta $350,000; Daniel Varela $120,000Park Ji-Seung $140,000Peter Reid $200,000
Manchester HowrahRs 9 croreSyncsys InfotechRobert Pires $715,000Jose Gabriel Rios $180,000, Diego Madrigal $120,000Byun Yoon-Chul $115,000Fernando Couto $240,000
Durgapur Vox ChampionsRs 7.6 croreTulip InfonetJay Jay Okocha $550,000José Carlos Castillo $80,000; Alonso Solís $200,000Kim Bong-Kyeom $150,000Samson Siasia $210,000
Haldia Heroesbase tag of Rs 70 lakhGrey Mind CommunicationsJuan Pablo Sorín--John Barnes


Postponement and cancellation

In the last week of February, Utpal Ganguli, the secretary of the Indian Football Association, announced that the league has been postponed. He did not reveal the new dates or the causes of postponement. It is believed that financial hurdles and lack of venues were the major reasons.[5][6][7][2]

In January 2013, the Indian Football Association announced that it had withdrawn support for the venture, citing financial problems, the lack of suitable venues, and the unavailability of overseas players in the period the competition was to have been played.[8]

References
  1. "Move aside cricket, here comes India's Premier League Soccer". firstpost.com.
  2. "Robbie Fowler's Indian payday under threat as Premier League Soccer hits problems". The Daily Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group. 22 February 2012. Retrieved 6 October 2013.
  3. "IFA announces launch of Premier League Soccer". timesofindia.indiatimes.com.com. 25 April 2011.
  4. "Stars lined up for Indian soccer league - The Times of India". The Times Of India.
  5. "India's new star-studded league postponed". dawnnewspaper. 2012-02-23. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
  6. "Lack of venues sees start of India's Premier League Soccer postponed". Guardian newspaper. London. 22 February 2012.
  7. "Premier League Soccer postponed". ESPN STAR SPORTS. Archived from the original on 24 February 2012. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
  8. "India's ambitious Premier League Soccer plan finally axed". goal.com. Perform Group. 30 January 2013. Retrieved 6 October 2013.
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