Rules are there to be bent

Only on last Thursday I was told by AIFF officials in Delhi that the I-League 2010/11 would be held with 14 teams with Mumbai's ONGC & Hindustan Aeronautics Limited from Bangalore to replace the two relegated sides whoever they would be while the India Under-21 team would replace Mahindra United with the club being shut down.

Now there is said to be a new line of thinking going on within the AIFF, especially General Secretary Alberto Colaco is said to favour this stand. And that is to increase the I-League to 16 teams next season by keeping the relegated Shillong Lajong FC and Sporting Clube de Goa in the league.

And why this sudden change of thought? It is simply because Lajong finished bottom of the league forcing them to go down and the AIFF wants to support the North-East's development. A good premise, but not the right way to do it.

Should the AIFF break its own set of rules? I would surely say "No", then otherwise it wouldn't make sense in having such rules in the first place. Some clubs with a strong lobby would somehow always avoid relegation under the banner of national interest or other prerogatives.

Rules which are set at the start of the league season should also be followed until the end and not changed in the interest of one or two clubs after the final standings are out. I know this has happened in the past, but then such mistakes shouldn't be repeated over and over again.

Clubs like Dempo SC and Churchill Brothers SC had actually gone down to the 2nd Division in the days of the National Football League. Both clubs came back stronger and both went on to win NFL & I-league titles. Maybe a model for Lajong to follow and also they would get time to rectify their mistakes before attempting a return to the I-League.

As much as I feel for Lajong and would love to see them in the top tier next season, I can't see rules being broken like this. Then the whole system of relegation would be a farce, which isn't acceptable.


Meanwhile Goa's Vasco Sports Club has appealed to the AIFF that it should replace Mahindra United after finishing third in the 2nd Division I-League. The Goans have a point there, but that spot has already gone to the Under-21 team to be based in Delhi.