Witnessing Bengaluru FC in action: A splendid matchday experience

The East Stand on the far side hasn’t opened for the public yet

Bengaluru FC promised to bring professionalism to football in Bangalore and boy, have they delivered!

The attendance for the club’s first ever game exceeded 6,500 – the highest crowd for any football match in Bangalore in over 25 years. To be honest, I was a little pessimistic that the attendance might bead down after the first game.

However, in hindsight, I couldn’t have been more wrong. There was an even bigger audience for the second game, estimated to be around 7,100, a highly impressive number considering the game was also televised LIVE, and the opponents on the day were little-known Rangdajied United.

The supporters have been really vocal in getting behind the team, highlighted by India and Bengaluru FC’s captain Sunil Chhetri who called Bangalore’s crowd as the best he’s played for in India. High praise coming from a man who has played for half a dozen clubs across the country.

Although syncronised chants haven’t got going yet, there has been enough promise to suggest that it won’t be long before we see all the supporters chant in unison.

In the game against Mohun Bagan, a group in the West Stand started singing “When the Blues go marching in”, on the lines of the iconic tune “When the Saints go marching in”. In due course, that should become the club anthem. Perhaps, the club could even collaborate with a local band and release a single, which can be played before and after games.

One of the funnier chants, albeit sung by only a handful of people, were the colourful “Are you Stoke City in disguise?” chants aimed at Mohun Bagan’s tactics in the first game. The Kolkata-club were content with just hitting it long and hoping to prey on second balls, a style of play predominantly used by Tony Pulis during his time with the Potters.

Speaking of hoof-ball, Bengaluru FC’s style has been anything but that. It’s been very impressive with the way Ashley Westwood has got the team playing fine, free-flowing football.

The third goal against Rangdajied was a thing of beauty. The cross-ball from John Johnson, the one-touch pass from Keegan Perreira, the one-two between Sunil Chhetri and Sean Rooney, and an emphatic finishing. It was resplendent!

At any given opportunity, the Blues have tried to pass from the back. So much so, that I’ve noticed centre-backs splitting to opposite ends of the penalty box as a goal kick is taken.

That is something Pep Guardiola introduced and used during his days as manager of Barcelona to great success, a tactic that looks to tire out the opposition’s forwards, as explained ever so brilliantly by Gary Neville here.

In this system, John Menyongar plays the role of Sergio Busquets, constantly falling behind to receive the ball and covers the central part of the defensive area as the centre-backs go out wide.

I’m not trying to compare Bengaluru FC to the Catalan giants, of course not. Barcelona are light years ahead, but adapting their way of football is a step in the right direction.

John Johnson, our vice-captain, looks a monster at this level. He has been like a rock at the back, hardly allowing anything to get past him.

If I’m not wrong, he has won each and every header that has come his way over the course of the two games. Rangdajied United’s forwards simply had no answer to the Englishman’s intimidating presence on Sunday.

The former Middlesborough player also scored the team’s first goal with a towering header in the opening half. He has been, by far and out, the best Bengaluru FC player on show so far.

The matchday programme

Coming back to off-field activities, the club have done remarkably well to interact with fans, both in the real world and in the virtual world.

The Facebook and Twitter pages are regularly updated. Bengaluru FC also became the first Indian football club to tie up with BookmyShow, giving fans the option of buying tickets online. Another step in the right direction.

So many fabulous activities at the club, yet the thing that impressed me the most was the matchday programme. Traditionally associated with English clubs, a matchday programme is a fantastic concept in sport.

Although the programme provided was more of a booklet than a full magazine, it’s a good start especially considering it was provided to the fans for free.

All in all, the match-going experience has been marvellous so far. And I, for one, have no doubts that it’ll improve with time.