The Goan players in the away team came in for extra-long and loud boos! This is racism. It didn’t stop there: every single missed shot, missed pass, petty foul was booed. The away team players were heckled no end. In between, even when the ball was in play, a cartoon character on the public address system egged on the crowd every 5 minutes. Where in the world is this done? It was an absolute circus out there: the game could not be enjoyed. It was only when the away team equalised and went ahead in the score-sheet did the apparently ‘paid’ rabble become silent: the true sporting section of the crowd could be seen and heard clapping and chanting the home team name and one could actually begin to enjoy the game. Sadly, this lasted a few minutes: the rabble was back. The vast majority of the spectators were not sportsmen. Goans are known to have a very sporting spirit especially in football: the beautiful game was killed here. What we witnessed was not a game but a ‘battle’ between the crowd and the away team egged on by the organisers, which spilled onto the player’s themselves. Damage control is required immediately.
It is very important the organisers (unsportsman characters themselves) employ sporting characters and inform the public not to boo the lineup roll call or unnecessarily. They should refrain from using the loudspeakers to egg on the crowd. They should come to witness a game – a beautiful game – and ‘cheer’ the home team: not heckle the visiting team! Whatever good is done by having the ISL will be undone by this attitude. Football will suffer. The crowd needs better coaches.
R Fernandes, Margao
