Just like every other Indian football fan, I was waiting for my team to kick off their ISL season. I was not only an Indian football fan, but a member of a champion football fan club which has already lifted the ISL trophy twice in just four years. Yes, the blessed member of Supermachans – the fan club of champions of India – Chennaiyin FC.
I remember getting ready for the first tie.
The fixtures were announced and it was September 30th. The wait was finally over. We were gearing up for the banner preparations, making sure the flags are right, face paint, body paint or whatever. We made sure that we as away fans (Supermachans travelled to Bengaluru to watch their team take on Bengaluru FC) gave the best to our team as it’s not only a battle between rival clubs but also the battle between the fan clubs as well.
It was all set and we kicked off our journey at our arch rivals' practice ground – the Sree Kanteerava Stadium – the ground that had already given us a lot of memories to cherish.
A tiring and exhausting journey from Chennai to Bengaluru, lack of sleep and traffic issues made us stop because we wanted to show the world what it takes to be a member of the fan club for the champions of India.
It’s become a trendsetter for a while whenever there is a match between the Bengaluru FC and Chennaiyin FC. The west block blues are noted for their Viking claps but are also noted for their fan base.
Though the match went in favour of Bengaluru FC, we the Supemachans were clapping and cheering our team who have already brought home two trophies. They lost a few points, but not our hearts.
The journey though was a tiring one but was not without a great share of fun and atmosphere we have had from the time we took off from Chennai. One bad game and don’t write us off. Champions will come back stronger than ever. We are the champions.
With love and passion,
Supermachan Thushaanth Baskar
(The author is a 24-year-old residing in North Korattur and works as a US tax analyst. The views expressed in the article is that of the author and do not reflect the views of The New Indian Express)