KOCHI: Football will continue to roll at the FACT Ground in Eloor, for another season at least. For Cochin Premier League side Josco FC is gearing up to constitute a strong side for the coming season, with the venue at Udyogamandal as their base. Fertilisers and Chemicals Travancore Limited (FACT) officials told ‘City Express’ that Josco FC were the only ones to have submitted bids for licence to use the playing area at the FACT Ground. “Tenders were opened on May 3 and only Josco FC had submitted a bid. They have quoted a price similar to that of last year,” said an official who did not want to be named. He said the club was yet to sign a formal contract, which is expected to be made soon.Last season, Josco had taken the ground on licence for `1.8 Lakh. The same was stated as the minimum amount for submitting bids in the tender invitation published on the Public Sector Unit’s website. Sources told ‘City Express’ that the Josco FC management is keen to develop a team good enough to make their presence felt in the second division national league next season.After a couple of promising seasons, during which period they won the state inter-club title and also played in the second division league, the team had fallen into disarray last year following a dispute with some players on payment issues. However, the team managed to put together a side for the Cochin Premier League early this year to keep their registration with the Ernakulam District Football Association intact. Technically, the current season ends only on May 31; and hence, they are playing their cards close to the chest.Meanwhile, the Ernakulam District Cricket Association secretary Jayesh George said the Kerala Cricket Association had stayed away from the bidding process to avoid ill-feeling in the football fraternity.“KCA decided not to bid for the ground as we did not want to cause a feeling that cricket is taking away football venues,” Jayesh said. At the same time, the FACT Employees’ Association - which had come out strongly against the move to include cricket as one of the games for which the ground could be licensed - stuck to their stand that the FACT management was washing its hands off the responsibility to maintain the venue.“FACT is capable of maintaining the ground. But the management is not willing to take up the responsibility and are instead taking the easy way out,” said FEA general secretary P S Murali.
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