MUMBAI: While the country is caught up in frenzy with domestic football, fans have another reason to cheer. The Premier League and sponsor Barclays will host their second international fan park event on 13 and14 December in Mumbai. Barclays Premier League is offering fans in India the opportunity to watch live matches broadcast on a giant 380-square-ftscreen, meet legends of the league and get up close with the iconic league trophy.
Star India president sports Nitin Kukreja said: “We are delighted to welcome the event to India. This is a fantastic opportunity for BPL fans to enjoy the game together and interact with legends like Robbie Fowler and Peter Schmeichel. Having events as the BPL live alongside the Hero ISL will help bring more and more fans closer to the beautiful game.”
Barclays Premier League live will take place at the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) grounds at Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) on the weekend of 13 to 14 December. The event is a free, interactive experience designed for fans of all ages. Having a capacity for 12,000 supporters each day, admissions will be on a first-come, first-served basis.
Speaking on the occasion Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore said: “We are particularly looking forward to coming to India as interest in football is at an all-time high. Mumbai will provide a spectacular setting as we work with our partner Star Sports to bring the league Barclays Premier League to our Indian fans.”
The local opening times and live matches to be shown are:
Saturday 13 December – Barclays Premier League Live opens at 2:30pm and closes at 10:30pm
• 7pm – Indian Super League semi-final (screen 2)
• 8 30pm – Chelsea v Hull City(screen 1)
• 8 30pm – Leicester City v Manchester City(screen 2)
Sunday 14 December – Barclays Premier League Live opens at 1pm and closes at 9pm
• 4pm – Arsenal v Newcastle United (replay, screen 1)
• 7pm – Manchester United v Liverpool (screen 1)
• 7pm – Indian Super League semi-final (screen 2)
Barclays India CEO and country head Jaideep Khanna said: "Football as a sport and the Barclays Premier League in particular, is fast gaining popularity in India. We want football fans of all ages to experience the league up close through BPL live. We are delighted to be bringing our clients, colleagues and football fans closer to the league”
Fans can take part in a number of activities at BPL Live including:
• The live match zone – the main arena where fans will watch the live Barclays Premier League matches on a giant screen.
• The Trophy Zone – fans will be able to get up close to the Barclays Premier League Trophy.
• The club zone – supporters will be able to learn more about the 20 Barclays Premier League clubs, and through green screen technology, will be able to picture themselves lifting the Barclays
Premier League Trophy decorated with the ribbons of their favourite club.
• The Screening Zone – supporters will experience the noise and excitement of a match day before learning all about the winning teams and captains of the Premier League in this exclusive film.
• The Pitch Zone – there will be a mini-football pitch where Barclays Premier League clubs will be conducting skills sessions with local football teams, and there will also be the chance for young fans to have a game of football run by Premier League community coaches.
• The Skills Zone – there are three football skills pods for supporters to test their accuracy, close control and shooting power.
Robbie Fowler and Peter Schmeichel will be in attendance to offer the crowds their pre- and post-match insight on the live matches. The premier league legends will also take part in autograph-signing sessions and interact with fans.
All of the action will be overseen by John Dykes, the lead anchor for Premier League Productions worldwide, who will keep the crowds entertained in between the matches. Premier League clubs and official partners will be present at the fan park with interactive games and the opportunity for fans to meet club mascots.
