http://www1.skysports.com/football/...o-open-youth-academy-in-india-in-january-2014 ---------------------------- Liverpool have revealed they are to open an academy in India in 2014. The Anfield club have joined up with Indian side DSK Shivajians to establish a permanent set-up for young players in Pune. The LFC International Football Academy DSK, which will open in January, will be a purpose-built residential complex. It will feature a number of full-size pitches, practice areas, classrooms, changing rooms, a gym, canteen, lecture theatre and medical facilities. It will support players up to the age of 18 and coaches from Liverpool will work on the project. Academy director Frank McParland told the club's official website: "At the academy in Liverpool we aim to develop outstanding players and good human beings. "The results speak for themselves, as last season seven academy players made their first-team debuts. "Education and community work is key to the development of our young players and we look forward to taking our knowledge and experience of developing young footballers to India."
http://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/latest-news/147102-reds-to-launch-indian-academy -------------------------------- The club joined forces with Indian team DSK Shivajians FC today to reveal plans for a full-time coaching academy in Pune. LFC International Football Academy DSK - which will officially open in the first week of January 2014 - will be a world-class, purpose-built residential complex featuring full-size pitches, practice areas, classrooms, changing rooms, a gym, canteen, lecture theatre and medical facilities. Liverpool believe the new venture will be a market-leading development centre for young players in India and will support aspiring young footballers up to the age of 18 with the opportunity to develop their game in a professional academy environment. "At the Academy in Liverpool we aim to develop outstanding players and good human beings," explained LFC academy director, Frank McParland. "The results speak for themselves, as last season seven Academy players made their first-team debuts. Education and community work is key to the development of our young players and we look forward to taking our knowledge and experience of developing young footballers to India." Coaches from Liverpool FC will work on the project in India and will pass on technical expertise from the club to the players and coaches involved in the academy. Over time, the club plans to introduce more full-time coaches from Liverpool FC to oversee each age group at the new academy. "This is the first time an English top-flight club has partnered with an Indian team to help them bring through local talent," added Billy Hogan, LFC's chief commercial officer. "We have millions of fans in India so we are very excited to be working with DSK Shivajians FC and being part of the game's development in the country." Speaking about the partnership with Liverpool FC, Mr Shirish Kulkarni, executive director of DSK Group, said: "This is a strategic move for us at DSK Shivajians FC which will give aspiring young footballers the opportunity to be coached by one of the world's most famous football clubs - Liverpool FC. "We are delighted with this partnership and believe that this will go a long way in inspiring and honing the skills of both the current players and those who aspire to follow them into the game. This will give them an opportunity to realise their potential. "I am a footballer at heart and Liverpool has always been my favourite club. It is today our privilege to be in a position where we can not just help bring in a world-class pool of talent, infrastructure and expertise to Indian grounds but also to do it with a club that has my loyalties. "I am very confident that this academy will go a long way in placing India strongly on the national and international professional football map." DSK Shivajians FC will utilise their facilities at DSK Supinfocom International, situated in Loni, for the new academy, where Liverpool FC will also run its world-renowned soccer schools programme, giving youngsters the opportunity to learn how to play football the same way Robbie Fowler, Jamie Carragher, Steven Gerrard and Raheem Sterling once did.
Sound a good worthwhile project, benefitting lots of youngsters who maybe wouldn't get the chance to play. From a purely mercenary view - what's in it for Liverpool?
Self-fulfilment and eternal joy of helping the locals But I suppose it will help boost our profile in the country which will hopefully increase in merchandise sales ...
I wonder how much the project will cost though, it sounds pretty expansive. Need a lot of merchandise sales to offset the cost. Long term benefits maybe, tapping a 'new' market?
India is probably the last really untapped emerging market in terms of football, oh the soullessness of it all.
1 £10m player from that academy will pay for the lot. Football is a growing sport in India, the population is over 1 billion. its a numbers game that's in our favour
So I'm not wrong then eh? Considering I am.... 'Murican and the prime evil of this world! I will have all saying dove before me!
As a 'Murican you were right I did a BA in American Studies [as a mature student, not that makes any difference] - we were told choose one way [American or English spellings] and stick to it so if you wrote 'specialised' then 'summarized' in the same essay you would be marked down!
