Malappuram ∙ After the Santosh Trophy, which was a super hit by the crowd, the football excitement is once again coming to the Mancheri Payyanad Stadium. Defending champions Gokulam FC will play their first 6 home matches in the new season I-League. It is indicated that the first match will be against Muhammadans on 29th of this month. This is the first time that the I-League match will be played at the Payyanad Stadium, which hosted the Federation Cup and Santosh Trophy. Spectators are admitted.
Gokulam FC club was registered in 2017 based in Malappuram. However, the home ground was shifted to EMS Stadium in Kozhikode due to non-availability of an I-League standard stadium in the district. Apart from Paiyanadu, Kozhikode will also be the venue for the home matches this time.
The Santhosh Trophy tournament held last May attracted attention at the national level as the Payyanad Stadium was packed with spectators for Kerala’s matches. Nicknamed ‘Malabarians’ among fans, Gokulam is a team that showcased many trophies in a short span of time. The team has already won two I-League titles and the Durand Cup. Gokulam also holds the records of being the first team to retain the I-League title and the first Kerala team to become league champions. There are 12 teams in the I-League this time. The winners get entry into the next season’s ISL.
English Summary: I League football in Manjeri