THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It is an exciting time to be a fan of Chelsea Football Club with the West London giants coasting to the 2016-17 Premier League title. Another silverware could be on the way as they face local rivals Arsenal in the final of the FA Cup at the Wembley Stadium come Saturday.
In the capital city too, the Blues supporters are in full voice as they cheer their team over the final hurdle. On Saturday, they will come together in one of the cafes in the city as the match, kicking off many time zones away in the United Kingdom, is projected on the big screen.
“To be honest, we have Star Sports, who broadcast the Premier League matches in India, to thank for bringing us together. It got difficult for us to watch Chelsea play once Star decided to move all PL matches to HD channels. Hence, we started doing this to see our favourite team play,” said Binsagar S who took the initiative.
With an entry fee of Rs 150 per match, supporters get to watch the game as well as enjoy a drink and snacks over it. In the screening which took place on the day Chelsea were crowned champions last week, the Trivandrum Blues turned out in t-shirts featuring their outgoing ‘Captain, Leader, Legend’ John Terry.
“Around 20-25 people turn out for most of the screenings. We also have combined screenings with fan clubs of Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool when the teams play each other. During these days, the attendance could rise up to 50,” said Binsagar who is on the lookout for a cafe to host the screening on Saturday.
“Normally we hold screenings at Sante Sip in Pattom. But space there is limited such that big gatherings cannot take place. As most of the games take place on Saturday or Sunday evenings which are peak business hours, many cafe owners are not warm to the idea of providing us the space for screenings unlike other cities,” Binsagar said.
Trivandrum Blues are the city chapter of the Chelsea Fans Kerala, a collective of around 8,000 Chelsea supporters, which conducts match screenings at cities like Kochi, Kozhikode, and Kannur too. “Chelsea fans here have always wanted to unite. We are going to make it bigger and better next season- just like our team expects to do on the pitch,” Binsagar said.