Thrissur, formerly Trichur, also known by its historical name Thrissivaperur, is a city and the headquarters of the Thrissur district in Kerala, India. It is the third largest urban agglomeration in Kerala after Kochi and Kozhikode, and the 21st largest in India. The city is built around a 65-acre (26 ha) hillock called the Thekkinkaadu Maidaanam which seats a large Hindu Shiva Temple. It is located central of the state, and 304 kilometres (189 mi) north-west of the state's capital city, Thiruvananthapuram. Thrissur was once the capital of the Kingdom of Cochin, and was a point of contact for the Assyrians, Greeks, Persians, Arabs, Romans, Portuguese, Dutch and English.
Football in India has historically been among the top 3 most popular sports in terms of players participation and TV viewership, together with long time number one cricket and re-emerging kabaddi. India's current top domestic football league is Indian Super League, formed with eight teams to promote Indian football in the country and the world. The league began in 2014 and after third season, it was recognised by AFC as the national football league, running parallel with the I-League, thus leaving India as one of the few countries ever with two fully recognised top-tier football leagues. Also contested in Santosh Trophy, a knock-out competition between states (provinces) and government institutions.
Artificial turf is a surface of synthetic fibers made to look like natural grass. It is most often used in arenas for sports that were originally or are normally played on grass. However, it is now being used on residential lawns and commercial applications as well. The main reason is maintenance – artificial turf stands up to heavy use, such as in sports, and requires no irrigation or trimming. Domed, covered, and partially covered stadiums may require artificial turf because of the difficulty of getting grass enough sunlight to stay healthy. Artificial turf does have its downside, however: limited life, periodic cleaning requirements, petroleum use, toxic chemicals from infill, and heightened health and safety concerns.
The Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, commonly known as the Salt Lake Stadium, is an all-seater multi-purpose stadium located in Bidhannagar, with current capacity of 85,000 spectators. Named after Swami Vivekananda, the stadium forms the home ground for multiple football clubs, most notably ATK Mohun Bagan, East Bengal and Mohammedan. It is the fifth largest sports stadium in Asia by seating capacity. Before its renovation in 2011, it was the largest football stadium in the world, having a seating capacity of 120,000. Prior to the construction and opening of Rungrado May Day Stadium in 1989, it was the largest football stadium in the world. The stadium hosted the final match of the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup, alongside hosting other matches of the tournament. As part of security measures for the 2017 U-17 World Cup, the stadium was only open for 66,687 viewers.
Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Chennai, India. It has a capacity to seat 40,000 people. It hosts football matches and athletic competitions. The complex also houses a multipurpose indoor stadium with a seating capacity of 5,000 which hosts volleyball, basketball, table tennis games. The stadium is also used for functions and concerts. The stadium is named after Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first Prime Minister. The stadium earlier hosted cricket test matches between 1956 and 1965. As of 19 August 2017 it has hosted 9 tests.
Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium is a multi-sports stadium located in New Delhi, India. It is named after the first Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. Primarily a venue for football and athletics, it is an all-seated 60,254 capacity stadium, designed and constructed to meet the international standards for stadiums set by the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). It is the fourth largest stadium in India, 27th largest stadium in Asia and the 103rd largest stadium in the world, in terms of seating capacity.
Inivalappil Mani Vijayan, also known by the nickname Kalo Harin (Blackbuck), is a former professional football player who also captained the India national football team. He played as a striker, where he formed a successful attacking partnership with Bhaichung Bhutia for the India national football team in the late nineties and early 2000s. Vijayan was crowned Indian Player of the Year in 1993, 1997 and 1999, the first player to win the award multiple times. He was also awarded the Arjuna Award in 2003.
The Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium, also known as Kaloor Stadium, is a multi-purpose stadium in Kochi, Kerala, India. The stadium has a capacity of 41,000 spectators. For Indian Super League matches, where Kerala Blasters FC plays its home games, it used to be restricted from 80,000 to 41,000 by FIFA. The stadium is widely touted to have hosted one of the loudest audiences for association football matches in the world.
The Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto is a football stadium in El Llano neighborhood of Alajuela, Costa Rica, which is the home of Liga Deportiva Alajuelense, one of the most successful football clubs from Costa Rica. It also serves as the home ground of Carmelita, who rent the stadium from Alajuelense.
The Rizal Memorial Track and Football Stadium is the main stadium of the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila, Philippines. It served as the main stadium of the 1954 Asian Games and the Southeast Asian Games on three occasions. The stadium is also officially the home of the Philippines national football team and some Philippines Football League matches.
The 1999–2000 Santosh Trophy was the 56th edition of the Santosh Trophy, the main State competition for football in India. It was held from 9 to 23 April 2000 in Thrissur and Chalakudy, Kerala. Twenty-eight teams from all over the country were supposed to take part in the national state championships, but six pulled out. Maharashtra beat the home team of Kerala 1–0 in the final.
The West Bengal football team, currently known as DTDC Bengal for sponsorship reason, is an Indian football team representing West Bengal in Indian state football competitions including the Santosh Trophy. They were the second Indian team to participate in the continental top tier tournament – Asian Champion Club Tournament, by playing in the 1970 edition following Mysore in 1969.
The Odisha football team is an Indian football team representing the state of Odisha, India. The Football Association of Odisha, a state association of All India Football Federation, controls the team. The team competes in Indian state football competitions including the Santosh Trophy Prior to 2014, the team competed as Orissa football team.
The 2005–06 Santosh Trophy was the 60th edition of the Santosh Trophy. The tournament was held from 4 to 21 November 2005 in Kerala.
Malappuram District Sports Complex Stadium, locally known as Payyanad Stadium, is a multi-purpose stadium in Manjeri, Kerala, India, located about 7 km from Manjeri and 12 km from Malappuram. The stadium has a capacity of 30,000 spectators.Built in 2013 as part of the Malappuram District Sports Complex. The stadium is part of Malappuram District Sports Complex & Football Academy, under the management of Malappuram District Sports Council. It was selected as one of two stadiums, along with the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, to host the group stages of the 2013–14 Indian Federation Cup. The stadium hosted matches of group B and D and hosted 12 matches in the 2013-14 Federation Cup.In 2017–18 season of Kerala Premier League, the stadium was used as home ground by Gokulam Kerala FC.
Football is by far the most popular sport in Thrissur. The city and district has contributed numerable players, clubs, coaches, tournaments and stadiums to Indian football.
The International Synthetic Turf Hockey Stadium is a hockey stadium situated at the city of Kollam, first of its kind in Kerala state, with a nominal capacity of around 5,000 seats.
Kottappadi Football Stadium, also known as Malappuram Stadium, is a historic football stadium in Malappuram, Kerala. It is under the management of Malappuram District Sports Council, located right at the heart of CBD of Malappuram. Being one of the early places where football took its root, Malappuram is unequivocally considered to be the cradle of Indian football and this stadium owns much of its credit.The stadium also hosts an array of cultural and entertainment events throughout the year that have made it one of the most beloved places in the region.
Football Club Kerala is an Indian professional football club based in Thrissur, Kerala. The club made its debut in national level football through the I-League 2nd Division in 2017–18. They also compete in the Kerala Premier League.
The 1981–82 Santosh Trophy was the 38th edition of the Santosh Trophy, the main State competition for football in India. It was held in Corporation Stadium, Trichur, Kerala. Bengal beat Railways 2–0 in the final.
