Franchises in search of fans

GUWAHATI: NorthEast United FC (NEUFC) will be up against debutants Jamshedpur FC (JFC) on Saturday. A close look at the teams shows more similarities than differences.
What has stood good for NEUFC is the passionate home support, and the team is hopeful the support will be there. "I have heard that spectators come in large numbers in Guwahati, 'NEUFC head coach Joao de Deus had said, "We must give them enough reasons to support us.I am sure good results will bring them back to the stadium. So, I would like my boys to play well and win games for the supporters."
JFC coach Steve Coppell, who has earlier managed Kerala Blasters, is aware of the power of crowd support.
"It's like a blank page. I hope the stadium (JFC's home, JRD Tata Sports Complex Stadium) would be ready by December 1 when we play our first home game against champions ATK. There's a history of football in Jamshedpur through TFA, so I am hopeful fans will connect to us," he said.