BENGALURU : As Bengaluru FC kicked off the match against NorthEast United in the second leg of the Indian Super League (ISL) semi-final, the fans started singing their signature song, “Oh When the Blues… Go marching in…” Around 18,000 BFC supporters gave their voice to the chorus at Sree Kanteerava stadium, creating an atmosphere what you can find at a stadium in European football. The result? BFC marched into their second consecutive ISL final with a 3-0 victory over NorthEast, overturning a 1-2 deficit from the first leg in Guwahati.
Such is the home support of BFC that they haven’t lost a single game at in the ISL this season. For a club which was established just six years ago, such fan support is extraordinary, to say the least. The reason could be primarily because of a lack of football clubs, which is a challenge in Indian football.
Karnataka boasts of a rich football culture that dates back to pre-Independence era. Over the years, Mysuru and Bengaluru have produced numerous gems in Indian football. In such a culture, having vocal supporters isn’t new. But Bengalureans had lost that connection after Indian Telephone Industries (ITI) and Hindustan Aeronautical Limited (HAL) lost their charm. The city was starved of a football club which they could cheer for. In July 2013, when Bengaluru FC were established, the city football enthusiasts breathed fresh air.
Almost six years later, as the club grew bigger with trophies, the number of fans increased with it too. They are the team’s 12th man and a confidence booster for the players. One of the club’s fan groups — the West Block Blues — creates such hostile atmospheres inside the stadium that opponents have a hard time dealing with it psychologically. They also travel in numbers for BFC’s away games.
“They (fans) are incredible. When we returned from Guwahati losing to NorthEast, Carles was confident that we could pull off the job at the Fortress. He told us ‘all you have to do is score and not concede. I’m sure you can do that at the Fortress’. Someone told me that we play at home with 12-13 players. Our fans are such. They play a very crucial role,” Sunil Chhetri, Bengaluru FC skipper said. “This is one reason why we haven’t lost a single game in the ISL this season.”
The enthusiasm never dies for thousands of fans who flock to Kanteerava on every match day with tifo and banners. One such fan, Anil G R, who started following BFC after their first I-League title back in 2013-14 season, said, “Which football fan doesn’t want to be part of such an incredible atmosphere? We now have a club which we can cheer for even on foreign soil at AFC Cup tournaments. We missed that for a long time.”
Another fan, Rajeev S said he became a fan after watching one game from the west block of the stadium. “I was not really an Indian football fan. But once my friend asked me to come to the AFC Cup semifinal (BFC vs Johor Darul Ta’zim of Malaysia). The way our players performed, I became an instant fan. I have hardly missed a home game since,” Rajeev said.With the interest in football increasing every day through promotion from ISL and European clubs and leagues, the fan culture is set to rise and rival the likes of Kolkata and Kochi in the near future.