Malappuram shows the way

“The tickets for the semifinals and the final of the Federation Cup football tournament to be held at Kochi will be available at counter,” announced a person in a rasping voice. About 20,000 spectators gathered at Manjeri booed with their maximum energy to this announcement and it was well understood that they jeered at Kerala Football Association for not being able to attract crowd for the Kochi matches.

The football tourney was a major hit in Manjeri, a small town of Malappuram, but at the main venue, Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium, it became a dull affair. So will be the knockout matches be played in front of an empty stadium?

“It is really sad to hear that. They could have organised it in a better way. Anyway, Manjeri or Kochi, Malappuram people’s love to watch football never ends. We will be going to Kochi to watch the rest of the matches,” says Adhil Krishna, an avid football fan from Malappuram and who watched some of the matches played at Manjeri stadium.

“About 20 friends of mine and I will be going to Kochi to watch the match,” he says. Malappuram FC members were on high when they heard the group matches will be held at Manjeri. The club, which is still in nascent stages and is planning for a home team from the region for the I-league in near future, used the opportunity to spread the word of their launch during the matches at Manjeri. “The crowd at Manjeri shows how popular the game is here. Our convener will be heading to Kochi to watch the matches there. I have also heard several of my friends going to Kochi to watch the matches. Everyone was saying, an empty stadium cannot be allowed,” says Basim Ali, one of the member of the club.

“I personally know about 10 to 30 people going to Kochi to watch the matches. Maybe, there will be more people from Malappuram. They love the game and do whatever they can to promote it,” said Basim.

Though the Kochi stadium will not fill to its capacity with these small number of people visiting, their fervour for the game cannot be ignored either.