
Dr. Anjan Kumar Das : Why does one become a fan of a particular club and not another? When I was a kid, I was most influenced by my maternal uncles. My two youngest uncles, who influenced me the most were fanatical East Bengal supporters. It would have been natural for me to support that team. However I was ever since I can remember a Mohun Bagan fan. I first saw a Mohun Bagan team play in Krishnanagar where I had gone for our Easter holidays. It was a game of hockey, I do not remember who the opponents were, but I do remember that I saw Gurbux Singh play for the first time. He was then at the peak of his powers and would captain India in the next Olympics.
The first time I saw Mohun Bagan play football was in 1968. I was then all of ten years old and it was a tournament that the Amrita Bazar Patrika newspaper (now deceased) had organized as part of its centenary celebrations. Mohun Bagan played Mohammadean Sporting, a formidable power in those days and drew 2-2, a dark hued genius called Pungam Kannan saved the day for Mohun Bagan with a last minute goal. The next day or perhaps one day later, I went again for my first derby match, the match that is the holy grail of Indian football: Mohun Bagan vs East Bengal. Mohun Bagan won and I was for ever a Mohun Bagan fan. The next year I remember the Shield ( IFA shield) final where Pranab Ganguly scored a brace tearing down the left flank and ripping the East Bengal defence to shreds
Little did I know that it was the last victory we would see for a long 7 years. From the next year East Bengal started its chain of victories which left us dispirited and in despair as we lost and lost and lost. There was a rare victory in the Durand cup where East Bengal was slain, but in Calcutta the barren run continued.
Then came the autumn of 1975. The IFA shield final. And East Bengal scored five times against Mohun Bagan. I was then a medical student and I cried all the way home and did not eat for one whole day . This was a humiliation that was unbearable.
The next year came revenge: Md Akbar scored in the 17th second in a move that still remains green in my memory. Kick off: Habib to Prasun, long through to Ulaganathan who raced down the right flank to send in a perfect center to Akbar whose header went in. We had scarcely settled in. The rest of the match belonged to East Bengal and I died a thousand deaths as the Mohun Bagan goal was saved from disaster so many times that we lost count. That was the coming of age of Subrata Bhattacharya, the “Mohun Baganer ghorer chele”.
We celebrated for two days without stopping. We celebrated in the streets, at homes, in addas and in college. The humiliations that we had had to undergo for the past seven years became history. Since then there have been swings in fortune, but Mohun Bagan , have often had better of the exchanges.
Over the past decade or so, I did not follow the fortunes of my club so minutely. But even today, whenever Mohun Bagan loses, I am reluctant to open the newspapers the next day. And it still leaves me with a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach and I am back to my school days when all our moods were dictated by the fortunes of Mohun Bagan.
But the 5 goal humiliation remained. Until 2009, that is. I was travelling back from Jakarta where I had gone to speak at a conference. But to a long time fan the derby is always in the back of your mind, whether you are in Jakarta or Jadu Babu’s bazaar! As soon as I got back, I got online and then after 34 years I exorcised the ghosts of 1975. Thank you Karim Bencharifa. Thank you Edeh Chiddi. I wish I was at The Krirangan last night, and I am not ashamed to say that tears came to my eyes as I thanked the stars that I lived to see this day. Revenge is truly a dish best eaten when cold!!!
By Dr. Anjan Kumar Das (Taylor’s University School of Medicine)
May 12, 2019 @ 7:51 pm
Awesome write-up. You have a strong grip in vocabulary and the effervescent style in your drafting made me enthralled. All the very best to you for your life. I will copy your last line and may paste somewhere I feel like.
May 12, 2019 @ 8:11 pm
Dr. Das, I remember that in 1975 I was a class 7 student. While coming out after the school was over, I heard that we were trailing by 4 goals, and on reaching home, found that the radio commentary has been switched off because we has conceded the 5th one. I don’t consider the 2009 match as “revenge” since the scoreline was 5-3. I am still waiting to wipe the 1975 tears from my eyes. Don’t know if I would see my team will avenge that 1975 humiliation in my lifetime. Also etched in my memory are the Shyam Thapa bicycle kick goal in the 1978 Shield Final, the Gautam Sarkar free kick goal in the 1980 Fed cup semifinal replay (in the morning, which was followed by ugly scenes and I had much difficulty in getting back home), the valiant fight against Pele Cosmos whence the Late Shibaji Banerjee saved a gem of a free kick from the football emperor, and a few more. But all those memories are either in the Mohun Bagan ground or Eden, since after 1983 I didn’t find time to go and watch a football match, and hence have no memories of the club I love at Yuvabharati. Like you, I had also seen hockey matches with stalwarts like Gurbux Singh, Deane, Paes, Samar Mukherjee playing for us. Like you, I also become sad after losing even today, and celebrate when we win. For example, when we beat the red & gold in December 2017 by Dicka’s brace, I included a prawn dish in the menu of my daughter’s marriage which happened on the next day!
May 13, 2019 @ 9:28 am
অঞ্জন da, where ever you will be প্লিজ come to see this season #Derby match of #CFL & #ILeague derby matches, I can ensure you, this season almost at least 3 derbies you will be able to see, & let me tell you অঞ্জন da these upcoming 3 derbies is goining to be very interesting, for 2 reasons :
01) MohunBagan has selected this José Alexander Kibu Vicuña as coach, who has a UEFA Pro License Coaching Degree, it means he can trains those applicants who are featuring for getting UEFA A License Coaching Degree, Now let me share you another most interesting fact : Kibu Vicuña coached PEP – Guardewala Coach of Manchester City & Ex Coach of Barcelona under whose coaching also Worldcup Champion Spain team was formed & EURO Cup Champion Spain Team was formed .
02) EastBengal has also a UEFA A License Coach : Alesandro Menendez he was also get the training from Kibu Vicuña ( Coach Of MohunBagan ) . So, at the end of day it is goining to be very interesting to see what really happens in upcoming 3 derbies .
NB : It may be / may not be that Alesandro Mendez may not coach EastBengal in #CFL derby, he might be at Spain for Scouting players in favour of Spain .
José Alexander Kibu Vicuña, The Coach of Mariners, has already got the #ProfessorofTactics Season 2001-’02
#MasterofPhysicalPreparation Season 2007 -‘ 08
All I am goining to say is : Please Come home অঞ্জন da, Enjoy #Derby, & also do not forget to watch #BengalPremierLeague will be started from : 24/05/2019,Conducted by : #IFA, this tournament will be occurred in every district of #Bengal . #BPL will be broadcasted on : ZeeBanglaCinema
Enjoy #BPL
Enjoy #CFL
Enjoy #ILeague
Enjoy #Football
Sob Khelari Sese Bangalir Sera Khela
#JoyMohunBagan
And অঞ্জন da please do not critisize our Honourable Management Members unnecessarily
Enjoy #Football
#AmraMohunBagani
#AmraBagali
May 13, 2019 @ 10:21 am
Speaks the hearts of a true Mohunbagan fan ! #JoyMohunbagan
May 13, 2019 @ 10:25 am
Joy mohun bagan
The national club of india and I am proud as a supporter of this club.