League merger: Kolkata giants raise objections on IMG-R draft

According to the club officials the proposals contained in the draft contract seeks to obliterate a lot of things associated with the tradition of the two clubs.

Should East Bengal and Mohun Bagan decide to participate in the merged tournament the two will have to give out the rights of their intellectual property to the promoter of the new tournament including the name of the clubs, their emblems, the colours of their jersey among other things for the next 30 years.

Two of the oldest and most decorated football clubs of the country, Mohun Bagan and East Bengal, sounded out their reservations on numerous points about the draft contract issued to them for the proposed merger of I-League and Indian Super League. The clubs recently received the draft contract for merger and showed a rare unity in standing against a lot of points contained in it. The top functionaries of both the clubs met the president and secretary of the state governing body of the sport – Indian Football Association – on Tuesday to vent their grievances.

According to the club officials the proposals contained in the draft contract seeks to obliterate a lot of things associated with the tradition of the two clubs. Should East Bengal and Mohun Bagan decide to participate in the merged tournament the two will have to give out the rights of their intellectual property to the promoter of the new tournament including the name of the clubs, their emblems, the colours of their jersey among other things for the next 30 years. There are other points about sharing of profit and investments which the clubs find objectionable, said a Mohun Bagan official.

The meeting, held at reputed club in the city, was attended by the president and secretary of IFA, Subrata Dutta and Utpal Ganguli while Mohun Bagan and East Bengal also had their top officials coming to voice their concerns. While discussing the provisions in the draft, the clubs informally asked the state body to take up their cause with the All India Football Federation and its marketing partner, IMG-Reliance, which is calling the shots in this merger.

It was decided that Subrata Dutta, who is also the senior vice-president of AIFF, will meet the IMG-R officials to sort out the reservations of the two clubs and find a solution to the merger plans. “I have heard the two clubs and will represent their views to the IMG-R hierarchy soon. This not merely an issue of objection to some provisions in the draft but it is about the concerns of two clubs which have millions of supporters and have century-old traditions which is appreciated the world over,” Dutta said after the meeting.