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It had been announced in late-June 2011 that Chirag Computers is buying a 60% controlling stake in Viva Kerala. Yesterday in a press conference in Kolkata the details of the team and their future was announced. Unlike in earlier announcements the club will not be known as Chirag Kerala.
After the takeover of Viva Kerala by Kolkata-based Chirag United Sports Pvt Ltd the team will be known as Chirag United Club Kerala or CUCK and for this season the club would retain Kerala as their home base in the I-League, but preparatory camps for tournaments like the Federation Cup, Durand Cup and IFA Shield would be held in Bengal.
At the press conference Chirag Computers owner Kaustav Roy told the media about his attempts to shift the team to Kolkata over the summer break, but that it was blocked by the AIFF as they did not want a fifth team in West Bengal after Pailan Indian Arrows joined East Bengal Club, Mohun Bagan AC and Prayan United SC as Kolkata-based I-League sides. But he did mention he would try and shift the team to Bengal next year, if not Kolkata then Siliguri could be a home base with affiliation to the Indian Football Association (West Bengal).
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For this season Kannur will be the home base of Chirag United Club Kerala with Cochin set to host the I-League home matches, but with Ranji Trophy matches to be played there the team could be forced to play in Trivandrum or elsewhere in the southern state.
Subrata Bhattacharya has been appointed as the new technical director of the team with P.K. Kunhikrishnan continuing as the coach of Chirag United Club Kerala.
Kaustav Roy also said that 21 players from the old Chirag United SC still had contract with him rather then the club so they would be joining his new club side, but that was denied later in the evening by officials from Prayag United SC. There seems to be a potential problem brewing for the players.
It is interesting to see new companies from Kolkata coming forward in sponsoring and owning football teams – Prayag Group of Industries and Pailan Group at the top besides others of Calcutta Premier Division teams besides older one’s like Chirag Computers. Sadly it isn’t happening anywhere else in India at the moment.
