The El Classico, the Manchester Derby, the Milan Derby- these are some of the matches most football fans around the world wait for with bated breath during a regular football season. In India, we too have our own rendition of the most awaited game. But we need not search the world for it. We just have to make our way to the City of Joy, Calcutta.
The Calcutta Derby, contested between East Bengal and Mohun Bagan is not only one of the oldest football rivalries in this hemisphere; it is also regarded as one of the most iconic in the world by FIFA. Played out at the majestic Salt Lake Stadium in Calcutta with a crowd capacity bordering the 100,000 mark every time, it is regarded as the greatest stage in the sport when it comes to the sub continent.
It is also something that I hold close to my heart as I am an ardent East Bengal fan. I still remember my first experience of the Calcutta Derby. It was the 1997 Federation Cup Semi Final, a night when many a temper flared and emotions ran as high as Mount Olympus. Both the teams came into the tie ready to give it their all and honestly, I don’t believe anybody in the stadium could have seen what was coming. Mohun Bagan showed a lot of heart throughout the course of 90 minutes but they didn’t stand a chance against the mettle of East Bengal, led by their mercurial striker, Bhaichung Bhutia, who took on opposition single handedly and scored a spectacular hat trick as East Bengal ran out 4-1 winners on the night. I still remember a lot of hostility being shown by the distraught Bagan fans, who obviously felt humiliated at the score line. I saw bottles being thrown as fans lost their cool and that’s when a fight broke out in the stands. Along with my father, I managed to escape the melee of angry fans and get away from the scene of trouble. Needless to say that wasn’t to be my last experience of this infamous clash. Even now I try to slip away to the stadium whenever possible in order to get a feeling in Calcutta that is truly out of this world.
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