Friday, 10th October, 2014
Former Manchester City and Leeds boss Peter Reid, current manager of Mumbai City FC, has backed the Indian Super League to become bigger and better in the future.
The inaugural season of the tournament is slated to start this Sunday with Reid’s Mumbai City FC travelling to Kolkata to take on Atletico de Kolkata at the Salt Lake Stadium.
The former Leeds manager, who has experience of coaching in Asia with the Thai national team, sees a lot of enthusiasm for football in India and feels that it can only grow from here on in, along with the ISL, which he thinks is a smartly organised tournament.
"Football is in India and one thing I know is that it will grow", Reid told the BBC.
"The ISL is very well organised. This project is only going to get bigger.
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"We drove past a beach and there were so many people playing football it surprised me", he said.
Reid said that with the popularity of the Premier League and La Liga and with various club supporters’ group arranging events based on the game, there is no shortage of fans in India for quality football.
He only feels India still need to create an environment at grassroots level for the development of the game in the country.
"It will grow and one of the reasons is the Premier League. The Indians are watching this and La Liga is on as well.
"While I have been in India, I went to watch the Liverpool-Everton derby at a Liverpool supporters' club.
"There were Evertonians in there as well – only a couple of us, mind – but it was fantastic. There are also Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea supporters' clubs.”
"Hence the grassroots and getting the children playing because they are playing on the beaches. There aren't many pitches about so that has to grow."
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