After the Santosh Trophy, the Mancheri Payyanad stadium is again full of football action. Defending champions Gokulam FC will play their first 6 home matches in the new I-League season. The first match will be against Muhammadans on the 29th of this month.
For the first time, an I-League match is going to be held at the Payyanad Stadium, which was the home of the Federation Cup and the Santosh Trophy. The Santhosh Trophy tournament held last May attracted attention at the national level as the Payyanad Stadium was packed with spectators for the Kerala matches.
There are 12 teams in the I-League this time. The winners gain entry to the next season’s ISL. Gokulam FC club was registered in 2017 located in Malappuram. However, the home ground was shifted to the EMS Stadium in Kozhikode due to non-availability of a standard I-League stadium in the area.
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Apart from Paiyanadu, Kozhikode will also be the venue for the home matches this time. Nicknamed ‘Malabarians’ among his fans, Gokulam has won 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. Football fans are sure to flock to Malappuram, the home of football, to watch the Malabars play.
Story Highlights: Football match coming to manjeri payyanad stadium
