Herald is the only local newspaper to highlight matters important to Goans. The editorial on empty stands at football grounds is highly commendable and GFA should hang their heads in shame as they are fully responsible for the decline of the beautiful game of football in Goa. Take the example of Duler stadium where earlier atleast 2500 football lovers from Bardez and nearby places used to come to watch the game with so much of passion but during the last year there are hardly 10 (TEN) spectators for a match.
One has to go to the genesis of the problems for the spectators. Firstly the infighting between the GFA president and its north Goa vice president has taken a toll on Duler ground as no good senior matches are allotted. Then last year due to a fight people realized that coming to the ground is a risky proposition as commercial interests has taken priority over all the other aspects. The buzz is the security (nay Bouncers) manning the stadium has been given to a security agency owned by the owners of one of the local team, so one can conclude the plight of opposition supporters. The administration of the Duler ground is farcical enough that nobody knows what is happening on the ground before, during or after the matches.
The ground itself has been designed for disaster; where in the world does a ground have concrete (cemented road pavers) track on its immediate outer periphery. Any player with his momentum invariably runs onto this cemented track and is liable to slip and fall with dangerous consequences. It is understood there are atleast 3 complaints of player heavily injured after falling on the concrete pavers. No cognizance has been taken by GFA to those complaints.
Then the extra metal goalposts lie scattered all around. The local manager is never to be seen and seems to have entrusted all the day to day affairs to outsiders employed and who have absolutely no knowledge of the beautiful game. The ball boys hardly know how to conduct themselves; they are more interested in poking fun at each other or collecting mangoes from nearby trees or relaxing under the shade during the game. The score board lies unattended in updating the score during the match. The underage stretcher boys hardly know how to handle the stretcher, let alone how to handle or move an injured player. There is competition among non-Goans boys to serve the game purely for monetary reasons as can be seen from their attitude to the conduct of the game. The match commissioner if ever is present hardly is interested in the game. Some commissioners are always busy talking to the linesman or spectators during the game thereby showing lack of interest in conduct of the game. Most of the referees do not deserve to be given license, let alone be appointed as a referee as their decisions are pathetic or biased towards particular teams.
On 21st May there were 2 matches scheduled at the same time. Fortunately or unfortunately the local team seemed to have withdrawn from the completion and the same was never conveyed to the opposite team prior due to which the opposite team reached the ground for no fault of theirs. There is neither proper medical facility in the form of doctor or ambulance available for any of the game. What more assessment is required for the decline of the spectators?
