SpeakOut: The 12th Man Exists Beyond Kolkata Now.....

In this week's Speakout, Goal.com's Amoy Ghoshal talks about the high attendances in this season's I-League and how it has been a feature in venues outside Kolkata also......

04-Nov-2009 6:32:58 PM

I League 2009 Shillong Lajong FC Supporters(Mango Peel)

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I League 2009 Shillong Lajong FC Supporters(Mango Peel)

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Football fans in India will be well aware that the supporters in the stadium are considered to be the 12th man of the home team. Famous Stadiums like Anfield, San Siro, Nou Camp are known to create an atmosphere that often gives their teams the upper hand in matches.

Previously in Indian football such a sight would be only seen in Kolkata especially in the derby games involving the big three clubs (Mohun Bagan, East Bengal and Mohammedan Sporting). However this season’s I-League has seen much higher attendances in other venues also.

Three of the four promoted clubs Pune FC, Shillong Lajong and Viva Kerala have all attracted good crowds for their home fixtures.

Pune’s opening game against East Bengal was watched by a full house at the Balewadi Sports Complex and the average attendance for their home matches so far this season has been close to 10,000. The club doesn’t have too many stars but still have the feel of a well run professional outfit which makes it a point to ensure that their supporters come to watch their games.

Big crowds in Viva Kerala games were more or less expected as the southern state is known to be passionate about the beautiful game. But considering that their team didn’t make a good start but that still they turned out in large numbers for all the three home games is a very good sign.

The biggest contribution in this aspect has been of Shillong Lajong. I-League’s first ever north eastern representative has attracted around 30,000 people for their home matches, a number rarely seen even in home games of the big Kolkata clubs.

Pune and Lajong are clubs with hardly any history yet they have been able to attract a considerable amount of people for their games because they have issued season tickets and promoted their club in every possible way which has created a fan base and ultimately attracted more supporters to the stadium.

It is true that clubs like Churchill, Dempo, and JCT should do more off the field to ensure that more people come to watch their matches. While Mumbai FC and Mahindra United still attract a pretty modest attendance for their matches. But overall the progress in this aspect has been positive and it is mainly down to the fact that this season’s I-league has more of a nationwide feel than last time as there are teams from almost every part of the country.

National team coach Bob Houghton stated during the Nehru Cup that India have the ability to beat Asian powerhouses like Australia and Japan provided they play in front of a packed Ambedkar Stadium crowd.

Such a comment from an experienced coach clearly shows the importance of crowd support in football so it is good to see that few of the I-League clubs are giving importance to it.

But it is very important that other clubs also start doing the same especially the ones without any fanbase like Chirag and Air India. It would not only help them off the pitch but on it also as we have seen teams like Pune, Lajong and Viva performing way above their levels when they play at home which makes the league more unpredictable and interesting because we get to see surprising results like Dempo needing a late goal to earn a point against newly promoted Pune FC.

The marked increase in attendance also proves that the popularity of Indian domestic football is increasing and more importantly it's not just restricted to the big games like the big Kolkata derby.

It is often easy for Kolkata teams to attract the very best players of the country since they are such well supported clubs. But the trend is now changing and the players are willingly to play outside the City of Joy also because there is both passion and money elsewhere.

The derby between Mohun Bagan and East Bengal still remains the most viewed match but one has to remember that their rivalry is an old one so other rivalries need time to get big.

Even if other teams don't match the popularity of Kolkata clubs, they have certainly showed the way as to how to promote their brand which has ultimately led to high attendances and helped in popularizing the game in the country.

Additionally there has been no crowd violence also in any of the new venues something which players prefer.

While in Kolkata that problem still exists which Mahindra goalkeeper Subhashish Chowdhury and the JCT bench found out during their games against Mohun Bagan this season in the IFA Shield and I-League respectively. So players, fans and coaches are willingly to look beyond Kolkata now.

Therefore it's fair to say that Indian football is no longer just about the Kolkata teams both in terms of results and popularity.

Amoy Ghoshal

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