FC Goa: Unifying the state's diverse football following population

Yesterday in Baga, after jostling with archives and talking to people all day for my dissertation, I finally managed to settle down in what happened to be a small hotel. The guy who managed the place lived downstairs and while I readied to check myself in, his kids ran in wearing FC Goa T-shirts and pleading us to join them for a game of football.

Curiosity got the better of me and I asked the elder one if he knew who the coach of the team was, whose jersey he had put in. Almost annoyed at my query, he told me everything he knew about Zico. From being one of the best footballers ever to not win the World Cup to anchoring the footballing revolution in Japan, he mentioned it all and then exclaimed ‘how could someone not know about it!’

His father then went on to explain how deeply passionate both his sons are about football and how their only ambition over the last year or so has been to represent the ISL franchise from the state one day.

Interestingly as I ventured into the city later in the evening, I could see FC Goa logos and banners everywhere; there were also people who wearing the club colours and a few had even painted their vehicles in blue and orange!

A quirky banner at one of FC Goa’s recent home matches

Goa as a state has always been obsessed with football and I wondered why I couldn't see many Churchill Brothers, Salgaocar or Dempo T-shirts floating around the crowds here. Is it because the ISL is going on currently?

An interaction with another football-obsessed stranger over dinner followed. Mahesh happened to be a marketing executive and his comments were insightful to say the least. “It’s not that we don't care about the I-League clubs, but the ISL is so much better marketed. We follow the teams even when they are on road. There are dedicated websites to get more information about them, also international legends are playing for us like Lucio. Zico is our manager – that gets people excited,” Mahesh said.

“Many of us do not manage to go to the stadium for the games but the way Star Sports telecasts our matches, it makes up for it. It’s so much better than the I-League matches; as a fan, I get more hooked if the telecast is better,” he added.

Adding on to Mahesh’s comments, the ISL matches have been witnessing attendances in excess of 15,000 here at the Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium. That’s exponentially higher than the sparse crowds which greet the teams in the I-League matches here.

Needless to say, the ISL and FC Goa in particular are bringing about a footballing revolution of a much greater magnitude in this part of the world. It remains to be seen though how well it will sustain the enthusiasm when the league isn't on. Till then, let's revel in the hysteria!