Atter rumours spread that a company run by Indian billionaire Anil Ambani was to take over UK football club Newcastle United last Sunday, Reliance Communications issued a denial. “There are no such plans; the news report is completely false and baseless,” a spokesperson clarified. The forthright statement leaves little room for further speculation that Ambani, whose wife Tina was a leading Bollywood actress in the Eighties, is investing in English soccer.

Whilst we may have to wait to see if Michael Owen makes his Bollywood debut, other English clubs have been wooing Indian fans via representation in Bollywood films. This is because India represents a significant untapped commercial market for football.

In last year’s Jhoom Barabar Jhoom, Abhishek Bachchan kept declaring that he was an ardent Chelsea FC fan. Hunky John Abraham’s footie flick Goal featured a key sequence filmed at Manchester United FC grounds. United’s chief executive David Gill confirms: “India is interesting. We would not rule out going there.” Tottenham Hotspur, John Abraham’s team, held discussions earlier this year about playing a friendly, while Everton already run coaching schemes in India.

London club Queens Park Rangers may be next, especially as Indian billionaire Lakshmi Mittal owns a 20 per cent stake in the club. Amit Bhatia, vice-chairman of QPR and son-in-law of ‘the steel King’ Mittal confirmed: “Most definitely we want to take the club to India. QPR’s profile is getting bigger because there are Indian shareholders.” Do not be surprised if at future footie games, fans break out into Bollywood song and dance!

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