Team Herald
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PANJIM: FC Goa’s two proposals – to Goa Football Association (GFA) – to field its junior team in the First Division League for the 2020-2021 season and to structure the Goa Professional League (GPL) – has met resistance from many Executive Committee members from North and South Goa with some having already having conveyed the same in wiring to the GFA secretariat .
FC Goa wrote to GFA on July 29,2020 stating: “As part of our plans to strengthen our youth structure and increase the number of matches they play, we would like to propose our junior team, comprising of U-20 players, to be fielded in the GFA First Division League. Much like Salgaocar (Jrs) who also play in the GFA First Division League, there will be no promotion for FC Goa (Jrs), should they be eligible for promotion nor will we stand to gain any additional representation in the General Body.”
“The Salgaocar junior team started playing from the Third division. We qualified from third to second and when we got promoted to the first Division and it was the General Body that allowed us to play within the stipulated conditions,” Adlear D’cruz, General Secretary of Salgaocar FC and Executive committee member of GFA told Herald. “We did not get direct entry into the First Division,” added Adlear.
“FC Goa’s proposal was circulated amongst the Executive Committee members and the First Division teams and they objected to it,” stated Lavinio Rebello, GFA Vice President North.”
“ …..according to the status he (Tandon) should register his team as a separate entity, play in the 3rd division and try for promotion as done by other two teams. I remember, when AIFF had written us to register FC Goa in the year 2013, GFA instructed them to follow the procedure and finally they started by playing in the third division league. So, in my opinion, let us follow the regulations and let football be the winner,” Executive Committee member Babli Mandrekar wrote in an email to GFA on July 30.
FC Goa has also sent a proposal to GFA to consider “A revamped structure to make Goa Pro League more competitive.”
“The Goa Professional League is for teams from Goa. If FC Goa wants, they can give us a proposal to have an all India league,” stated Prakash Desai, GFA Executive Committee member from Cuncolim.
“If FC Goa wants to help the football ecosystem in Goa they can do so by helping us host the Bandodkar Gold Cup, Taca Goa and the Police Cup. We can have great football through the year with outstation teams. But getting outside teams playing in Goa Professional league is outside our constitution,” said Babli Mandrekar.
“Let us assume we invite outstation teams. What if one outstation team finishes last and a team from Goa finishes second last and the outstation team refuses to play next season?” wondered Prakash.
“FC Goa can play in the First Division only after they qualify. If Salgaocar and Dempo have done so, why not they?” stated Digvijay Velingkar, co-opted member of the GFA Executive committee.
The two proposals sent by FC Goa will have to be discussed in an Executive Committee meeting which is yet to be called. GFA President Churchill Alemao had informed Herald, a fortnight back, that he would be having a meeting through Zoom so as to maintain the Social Distancing norms and regulations put in place because of the Pandemic.
Some Executive members are now reluctant. “These two proposals placed by FC Goa cannot be discussed through Zoom. This needs a threadbare face-to-face discussion,” stated an Executive Committee member on condition of anonymity.
