I-League fixtures out early

The AIFF on Friday, October 15 released the 26 Round fixtures of the 14 team I-League. And such an early release of the complete fixtures was a first for the AIFF in the 14 year history of the National Football League/I-League and a sign that things are moving in the right direction in Indian club football. A little to slow for my own liking, but at least things are moving in the right direction which is good as the I-League is now an own entity within the framework of the AIFF under its own CEO Sunando Dhar. And I know that Sunando and his team are working overtime to take the I-League forward with all the hurdles which are in its way.

The 4th edition of the I-League will see defending champions Dempo SC face the challenge of local Goan rivals Churchill Brothers SC and Salgaocar SC; the Kolkata trio of Mohun Bagan AC, East Bengal Club and Chirag United SC; Mumbai trio of Air India, Mumbai FC and promoted ONGC; Pune FC; Punjab's JCT; Viva Kerala from the south; promoted HAL from Bangalore; and new entrants the AIFF XI (India Under-20) who have replaced disbanded Mahindra United.

The I-League is set to kick-off on November 26 with the league set to finish in May 2011. The league is set to have only a two week break in March 2011 for the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup qualifiers. The league start had to be delayed for a couple of months due to the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, the India vs Australia cricket series which blocked the Nehru Stadium in Goa and the 2010 Asian Games in November.


FIXTURES

Round 1
26-Nov-2010: Churchill Brothers SC - Dempo SC
26-Nov-2010: East Bengal Club - ONGC
26-Nov-2010: HAL, Bangalore - JCT
26-Nov-2010: Mumbai FC - Air India
26-Nov-2010: Viva Kerala - Salgaocar SC
27-Nov-2010: Pune FC - Mohun Bagan AC
27-Nov-2010: Chirag United SC - AIFF XI

Round 2
30-Nov-2010: Dempo SC - East Bengal Club
30-Nov-2010: JCT - Churchill Brothers SC
01-Dec-2010: Mohun Bagan AC - HAL, Bangalore
01-Dec-2010: Air India - Viva Kerala
01-Dec-2010: AIFF XI - ONGC
01-Dec-2010: Salgaocar SC - Chirag United SC
01-Dec-2010: Mumbai FC - Pune FC

Round 3
04-Dec-2010: East Bengal Club - AIFF XI
04-Dec-2010: Dempo SC - JCT
05-Dec-2010: ONGC - Salgaocar SC
05-Dec-2010: Churchill Brothers SC - Mohun Bagan
05-Dec-2010: Chirag United SC - Air India
05-Dec-2010: HAL, Bangalore - Mumbai FC
05-Dec-2010: Viva Kerala - Pune FC

Round 4
10-Dec-2010: JCT - East Bengal Club
10-Dec-2010: Air India - ONGC
10-Dec-2010: Mohun Bagan AC - Dempo SC
11-Dec-2010: Salgaocar SC - AIFF XI
11-Dec-2010: Mumbai FC - Churchill Brothers SC
11-Dec-2010: Pune FC - Chirag United SC
11-Dec-2010: Viva Kerala - HAL, Bangalore

Round 5
14-Dec-2010: East Bengal Club - Salgaocar SC
14-Dec-2010: AIFF XI - Air India
14-Dec-2010: Dempo SC - Mumbai FC
15-Dec-2010: JCT - Mohun Bagan AC
15-Dec-2010: ONGC - Pune FC
15-Dec-2010: Churchill Brothers SC - Viva Kerala
15-Dec-2010: Chirag United SC - HAL, Bangalore

Round 6
18-Dec-2010: Viva Kerala - East Bengal Club
18-Dec-2010: ONGC - Mohun Bagan AC
18-Dec-2010: Chirag United SC - Mumbai FC
19-Dec-2010: Churchill Brothers SC - Air India
19-Dec-2010: HAL, Bangalore - Pune FC
19-Dec-2010: Dempo SC - Salgaocar SC
19-Dec-2010: AIFF XI - JCT

Round 7
23-Dec-2010: East Bengal Club - Air India
23-Dec-2010: Salgaocar SC - Pune FC
23-Dec-2010: ONGC - Churchill Brothers SC
23-Dec-2010: JCT - Viva Kerala
23-Dec-2010: AIFF XI - HAL, Bangalore
24-Dec-2010: Dempo SC - Chirag United SC
24-Dec-2010: Mohun Bagan AC - Mumbai FC

Round 8
29-Dec-2010: Pune FC - Air India
29-Dec-2010: HAL, Bangalore - Salgaocar SC
29-Dec-2010: Chirag United SC - JCT
29-Dec-2010: Churchill Brothers SC - AIFF XI
30-Dec-2010: Dempo SC - ONGC
30-Dec-2010: Mumbai FC - East Bengal Club
30-Dec-2010: Viva Kerala - Mohun Bagan AC

Round 9
03-Jan-2011: East Bengal Club - Pune FC
03-Jan-2011: Mumbai FC - Viva Kerala
03-Jan-2011: Salgaocar SC - Churchill Brothers SC
04-Jan-2011: Air India - Dempo SC
04-Jan-2011: Mohun Bagan AC - Chirag United SC
04-Jan-2011: JCT - ONGC
04-Jan-2011: Air India - HAL, Bangalore

Round 10
08-Jan-2011: Churchill Brothers SC - HAL, Bangalore
08-Jan-2011: Chirag United SC - East Bengal Club
08-Jan-2011: ONGC - Viva Kerala
08-Jan-2011: Dempo SC - Pune FC
09-Jan-2011: AIFF XI - Mumbai FC
09-Jan-2011: JCT - Air India
09-Jan-2011: Salgaocar SC - Mohun Bagan AC

Round 11
14-Jan-2011: East Bengal Club - HAL, Bangalore
15-Jan-2011: Viva Kerala - Chirag United SC
15-Jan-2011: Pune FC - Churchill Brothers SC
15-Jan-2011: Mumbai FC - ONGC
16-Jan-2011: Air India - Dempo SC
16-Jan-2011: Mohun Bagan AC - AIFF XI
16-Jan-2011: Salgaocar SC - JCT

Round 12
22-Jan-2011: East Bengal Club - Churchill Brothers SC
22-Jan-2011: Viva Kerala - AIFF XI
22-Jan-2011: Pune FC - JCT
22-Jan-2011: Air India - Mohun Bagan AC
23-Jan-2011: Chirag United SC - ONGC
23-Jan-2011: HAL, Bangalore - Dempo SC
23-Jan-2011: Mumbai FC - Salgaocar SC

Round 13
29-Jan-2011: Air India - Salgaocar SC
29-Jan-2011: Pune FC - AIFF XI
29-Jan-2011: Chirag United SC - Churchill Brothers SC
30-Jan-2011: Mumbai FC - JCT
30-Jan-2011: Viva Kerala - Dempo SC
30-Jan-2011: HAL, Bangalore - ONGC
30-Jan-2011: Mohun Bagan AC - East Bengal Club

Round 14
05-Feb-2011: ONGC - East Bengal Club
05-Feb-2011: Dempo SC - Churchill Brothers SC
05-Feb-2011: AIFF XI - Chirag United SC
06-Feb-2011: Mohun Bagan AC - Pune FC
06-Feb-2011: Salgaocar SC - Viva Kerala
06-Feb-2011: JCT - HAL, Bangalore
06-Feb-2011: Air India - Mumbai FC

Round 15
12-Feb-2011: East Bengal Club - Dempo SC
12-Feb-2011: Pune FC - Mumbai FC
12-Feb-2011: Churchill Brothers SC - JCT
12-Feb-2011: Chirag United SC - Salgaocar SC
13-Feb-2011: HAL, Bangalore - Mohun Bagan AC
13-Feb-2011: Viva Kerala - Air India
13-Feb-2011: ONGC - AIFF XI

Round 16
19-Feb-2011: AIFF XI - East Bengal Club
19-Feb-2011: Air India - Chirag United SC
19-Feb-2011: Pune FC - Viva Kerala
19-Feb-2011: Mohun Bagan AC - Churchill Brothers
20-Feb-2011: JCT - Dempo SC
20-Feb-2011: Mumbai FC - HAL, Bangalore
20-Feb-2011: Salgaocar SC - ONGC

Round 17
26-Feb-2011: East Bengal Club - JCT
26-Feb-2011: AIFF XI - Salgaocar SC
26-Feb-2011: HAL, Bangalore - Viva Kerala
27-Feb-2011: Churchill Brothers SC - Mumbai FC
27-Feb-2011: Dempo SC - Mohun Bagan AC
27-Feb-2011: ONGC - Air India
27-Feb-2011: Chirag United SC - Pune FC

Round 18
04-Mar-2011: ONGC - HAL, Bangalore
04-Mar-2011: Dempo SC - Viva Kerala
04-Mar-2011: JCT - Mumbai FC
04-Mar-2011: AIFF XI - Pune FC
05-Mar-2011: Churchill Brothers SC - Chirag United SC
05-Mar-2011: East Bengal Club - Mohun Bagan AC
06-Mar-2011: Salgaocar SC - Air India

Round 19
08-Mar-2011: Pune FC - ONGC
08-Mar-2011: Mohun Bagan AC - JCT
09-Mar-2011: Air India - AIFF XI
09-Mar-2011: Mumbai FC - Dempo SC
09-Mar-2011: Salgaocar SC - East Bengal
09-Mar-2011: Viva Kerala - Churchill Brothers SC
09-Mar-2011: HAL, Bangalore - Chirag United SC

Round 20
12-Mar-2011: Air India - East Bengal Club
13-Mar-2011: HAL, Bangalore - AIFF XI
13-Mar-2011: Pune FC - Salgaocar S.C
13-Mar-2011: Viva Kerala - JCT
13-Mar-2011: Mumbai FC - Mohun Bagan AC
13-Mar-2011: Chirag United SC - Dempo SC
13-Mar-2011: Churchill Brothers SC - ONGC

Round 21
02-Apr-2011: East Bengal Club - Mumbai FC
02-Apr-2011: Air India - Pune FC
02-Apr-2011: Salgaocar SC - HAL, Bangalore
02-Apr-2011: AIFF XI - Churchill Brothers SC
03-Apr-2011: JCT - Chirag United SC
03-Apr-2011: Mohun Bagan AC - Viva Kerala
03-Apr-2011: ONGC - Dempo SC

Round 22
09-Apr-2011: Dempo SC - AIFF XI
09-Apr-2011: Pune FC - East Bengal Club
09-Apr-2011: Viva Kerala - Mumbai FC
09-Apr-2011: Chirag United SC - Mohun Bagan AC
10-Apr-2011: Churchill Brothers SC - Salgaocar SC
10-Apr-2011: ONGC - JCT
10-Apr-2011: HAL, Bangalore - Air India

Round 23
15-Apr-2011: East Bengal Club - Viva Kerala
16-Apr-2011: Pune FC - HAL, Bangalore
16-Apr-2011: Mumbai FC - Chirag United SC
16-Apr-2011: JCT - AIFF XI
17-Apr-2011: Air India - Churchill Brothers SC
17-Apr-2011: Mohun Bagan AC - ONGC
17-Apr-2011: Salgaocar SC - Dempo SC

Round 24
23-Apr-2011: Dempo SC - HAL, Bangalore
23-Apr-2011: Churchill Brothers SC - East Bengal Club
23-Apr-2011: AIFF XI - Viva Kerala
24-Apr-2011: Mohun Bagan AC - AIFF XI
24-Apr-2011: JCT - Pune FC
24-Apr-2011: Salgaocar SC - Mumbai FC
24-Apr-2011: ONGC - Chirag United SC

Round 25
30-Apr-2011: East Bengal Club - Chirag United
30-Apr-2011: Mumbai FC - AIFF XI
30-Apr-2011: Viva Kerala - ONGC
01-May-2011: Pune FC - Dempo SC
01-May-2011: HAL, Bangalore - Churchill Brothers
01-May-2011: Air India - JCT
01-May-2011: Mohun Bagan AC - Salgaocar SC

Round 26
to be finalised later...