TEAM HERALD
MARGAO: Patron of Churchill Brothers Sports Club, Churchill Alemao and the All India Football Federation appear heading for another round of battle.
Peeved over the omission of his team in the upcoming Federation Cup in Goa, defending champions Churchill Brothers Sports Club patron Churchill Alemao has vowed not to return the Federation Cup to the AIFF if justice is not done to his team.
The All India Football Federation (AIFF), which on two earlier occasions had verbally requested Churchill Brothers officials to return the Cup, are now bracing up to dash off an official letter to the Varca based club to hand over the Cup before the Federation Cup final scheduled mid January 2015. An AIFF official, however, hastened to add that Churchill’s move will not in any way affect the Federation Cup scheduled to kick off in Goa from December 28, saying a new Trophy sponsored by a new sponsor will be introduced from the 2014 edition of the championship. “Reports that Churchill will not return the Federation Cup will not in any way affect the upcoming championship. But, at the same time, Churchill cannot retain the Cup with him,” the AIFF official added.
An unfazed Churchill, however, said that he will not return the Cup. “The Federation Cup is with me. I will not return it back. Let them go to the court. They have done injustice to my team both in the National League as well as in the Federation Cup,” Churchill said during an informal chat with the media.
Reminding that Churchill Bros ought to have directly gained the quarters berth in the Federation Cup given that the team had won the Championship, Churchill failed to understand how they could change the criteria, which was followed all these years. “In the past, they had given entry for Vasco Sports Club and Kerala in the Federation Cup. But, despite Churchill Brothers being the defending champions, we are now denied a slot in the championship,” he rued.
Welcoming the decision of the Delhi High Court on the petition filed by Churchill Bros team challenging the decision to demote the team from the I-League, Churchill said the High Court order clearly shows that injustice was done to his team.
