R Fernandes
It took the ridiculous penalisation of FC Goa — fine and docking of points only — to wake up football fans: yet they still do not see the entire picture. Today they complain that the panel to decide the FC Goa case had former wicket keepers and many more such complaints.
ISL was started to inculcate a love for football in a cricketing nation. This objective was translated to: bring spectators in huge numbers to the stadiums. To do this entire power was handed over to Event Management Teams who were allowed to do whatever they pleased.
They promoted actors/owners getting them to the stadiums. The crowds did come to the stadiums: some to see/get selfied with actors, others to see themselves on national TV Channels, yet others because they were handed numerous free passes by the team owners. Such people would never have bought a ticket: did any of them witness an I-League match, at least out of curiosity? The FC Goa owners said they would put giant screens outside the stadium for those who did not get tickets. The actual football fans were out here. They introduced a comic who egged on the crowd at any time he chose to creating a literal we against you war. Spectators: not football lovers began taunting the good players for no reason all culminating into the sordid affair witnessed at the last ISL final in Goa.
World over football team owners remain in the back ground: who knows who the team owners of Leicester City or Spurs are? Athletes are physically tough characters and anyone trying to cross their path on the ground risks getting brushed aside, not out of spite or malice.
What followed with the Police and ISL player was not warranted and if foreign players are to come for the ISL games they need to know they will not face such actions.
Is it time to protest all that is not football: we can’t let any Tom, Dick and Harry the liberty to do what they please: there has to be proper knowledge and accountability.
Fireworks too need to be banned at the games.
