Bengaluru FC: A new hope for Indian football

It was a Sunday morning like no other. For once, European football wasn’t the foremost thing on my mind. Instead, the OOTB boys were going to make a trip to the stadium to (finally) watch our home-town club.

Bengaluru FC is the newest addition to Indian football, and one that has taken the most professional approach yet. The attraction the club has drawn, the excitement it has created is unmatched in most of India and especially the city of Bangalore (aka Bengaluru). The city, which has always had a strong football following, finally has a football club of its own.

The most frequently asked question about Indian football is, “There are a billion people, surely eleven can get together and form a decent team?”

Well, as we all know, it isn’t that easy. But given that there are a billion people, there is bound to be a strong following for the “World game”, despite it being a cricket-loving nation.

The city of Bangalore itself has always had good football support. From pubs, to sports cafes, to your very own couch, and onto social media post-match, football has always been discussed among the masses in the city of Bangalore.

I, for one, have been a football follower nearly all my life. This despite growing up in a cricket-loving environment. Football came to me much before cricket did; in fact cricket never came to me and I intend to keep it that way.

But like me, most other football fans in Bangalore, or indeed India, will probably name all of Chelsea’s recent managers (a sizeable feat given the revolving managerial door at the Bridge), they will also probably name all of Manchester United’s top scorers over the last few seasons, they would have no hesitation in outlining Real Madrid’s tactical game plan against Barcelona, and they’ll all understand jokes based on Luis Suarez biting Branislav Ivanovic.

This is the common trend of football support in India; the traditional Premier League big four and the Spanish giants are greatly followed and adored by millions. Ask these same people the defending I-League champions, and you’re bound to get blank faces.

One can’t blame them though; it’s difficult for domestic Indian football to grow when European leagues are given so much exposure. There’s a good chance you’ll catch Crystal Palace taking on Hull City live on ESPN, but the opening day of the I-League this season wasn’t telecast anywhere.

The preference to watch European football is also understandable, the level of football and the competition is unmatched in the world. But while watching Liverpool play Manchester United at home or in a Sports cafe is immensely gratifying, watching a game unfold live in front of your eyes with fellow supporters is an entirely different experience.

It is this aspect of football support that was lacking among Bangaloreans, and it is this exact void that JSW’s Bengaluru FC is attempting to fill (and doing a good job of it).

The market for football has always been there, but for most of the individuals who could afford to tap the market, didn’t find it profitable enough to do so.

Jindal Steel Works (JSW) did take that leap of faith and delivered to Bangaloreans their very own football club. We’ve seen the togetherness and the faithful support Indians have (just like those in Europe) for their respective clubs, in the popular Indian Premier League (cricket).