Very impressed with the vociferous Kerala supporters in Delhi; every attack that they created, the crowd just egged them on; on the contrary the Delhi supporters were muted. Seems Delhi wala is only interested in "Chhokris"!
And the Kerala players returned the favour to them after the match, when they celebrated their win with their supporters near the gallery.
Sports to me is that moment.... whatever be the format of the game/the age of the players, nothing can be more appeasing to the eyes than these emotional visuals...
Kerala already 1-0 up b'cos of their supporters in the run up to the finals.
ISL 2016: Kerala Blasters fans upset with shoddy Delhi Dynamos hospitality
Ramachandran Sriram
15-Dec-2016 17:59:21
On Wednesday, the CEO of the Sachin Tendulkar co-owned side, along with hundreds of Kerala Blasters fans, were allegedly refused entry into the stadium by the security staff...
Kerala Blasters pipped Delhi Dynamos to the final of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2016 3-0 on penalties after the two sides were locked 2-2 on aggregate at the end of the two-legged semifinal.
With such drama on the field, this tie was one of the best games witnessed this season with both sides going through an emotional roller-coaster. However, for scores of Kerala fans who had made their way to the stadium only to be turned back, the crowd management rendered their night a fiasco.
Manjapadda , the group of dedicated Kerala Blasters loyalists, had coordinated the presence of about 2,000 men-in-yellow armed with flags and banners to spur their team on, Goal had learnt on the eve of the game. But there were just a few hundred yellow shirts in the crowd, surprisingly.
When contacted, a spokesperson for the Manjapadda revealed that the security detail at the stadium, put in place by Delhi Dynamos, not the league, were blocking the entry of fans clad in yellow or carrying banners declaring their support for the Sachin Tendulkar co-owned side.
“Around a few hundred of our members had first assembled outside the ground around 5:30 PM. They were initially not being allowed inside the stadium by the security staff. Their clear message was that those in yellow were not to be allowed in, as per the instruction of the club. Fans wearing the yellow jersey were asked to either cover it up with a jacket or throw it out.
“They said that this being a Delhi Dynamos match, the fans had to dress up in either neutral colours or in those of the home club, by buying the merchandise sold right outside the stadium. Then we had to contact the Kerala Blasters’ management, who facilitated the entry of some of our fans from gates no. 6 and 10. Even then, flags and musical instruments were not allowed for us, while they were for the home fans.
“However, after initially allowing the entry, the reneged and went back to halting our passage inside the stadium, despite all our pleas. Hundreds of fans had to go back, including three Malayali priests from a Delhi-based church who had come to watch the game! We fans might wear yellow, blue, green or whatever, but at the end of the day we stand for the betterment of Indian football. And in no other city or stadium has our travelling group faced such an appalling situation,” they stated.
According to sources close to Goal , Kerala Blasters’ staff and their Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Amit Kohli were also initially refused entry and were manhandled by the security staff and said sources also corroborated the Manjappada's version of events.
When contacted for a statement, an official from Delhi Dynamos denied the occurrence of such events and rubbished the Kerala fans’ claims.
“We maintain that anyone with a valid ticket or an accreditation was allowed inside the stadium. We have never instructed the security detail to halt opposition supporters, and we have gladly welcomed them in fact, as seen in the game against NorthEast United where the away support outnumbered the home fans,” they said.
To cap off an incredulous night of mismanagement, before the kick-off and oftentimes during the game, the public announcement system was handed to a section of Delhi fans. That saw demeaning chants, some with a racist undertone, like ‘lungi fategi’ , being blared out. Such incidents disrupt the decorum of the league that has set high standards of sporting professionalism in its fledgling period of existence.
In a blow to the reporters present as well, the mixed-zone was declared out-of-bounds after the game for a while before things were sorted out and instructions given to the security staff again. However, by then, most players had made their way back to their team buses, rendering the mixed-zone moot!
Comments
Also that scuffle is nothing. Surprised Nandy was involved, considering he is the oldest in the league
ISL 2016: Kerala Blasters fans upset with shoddy Delhi Dynamos hospitality
Ramachandran Sriram
On Wednesday, the CEO of the Sachin Tendulkar co-owned side, along with hundreds of Kerala Blasters fans, were allegedly refused entry into the stadium by the security staff...
Kerala Blasters pipped Delhi Dynamos to the final of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2016 3-0 on penalties after the two sides were locked 2-2 on aggregate at the end of the two-legged semifinal.
With such drama on the field, this tie was one of the best games witnessed this season with both sides going through an emotional roller-coaster. However, for scores of Kerala fans who had made their way to the stadium only to be turned back, the crowd management rendered their night a fiasco.
Manjapadda , the group of dedicated Kerala Blasters loyalists, had coordinated the presence of about 2,000 men-in-yellow armed with flags and banners to spur their team on, Goal had learnt on the eve of the game. But there were just a few hundred yellow shirts in the crowd, surprisingly.
ONE OF INDIA'S BIGGEST FAN GROUPS - WHO ARE THE MANJAPPADA?
When contacted, a spokesperson for the Manjapadda revealed that the security detail at the stadium, put in place by Delhi Dynamos, not the league, were blocking the entry of fans clad in yellow or carrying banners declaring their support for the Sachin Tendulkar co-owned side.
“Around a few hundred of our members had first assembled outside the ground around 5:30 PM. They were initially not being allowed inside the stadium by the security staff. Their clear message was that those in yellow were not to be allowed in, as per the instruction of the club. Fans wearing the yellow jersey were asked to either cover it up with a jacket or throw it out.
“They said that this being a Delhi Dynamos match, the fans had to dress up in either neutral colours or in those of the home club, by buying the merchandise sold right outside the stadium. Then we had to contact the Kerala Blasters’ management, who facilitated the entry of some of our fans from gates no. 6 and 10. Even then, flags and musical instruments were not allowed for us, while they were for the home fans.
“However, after initially allowing the entry, the reneged and went back to halting our passage inside the stadium, despite all our pleas. Hundreds of fans had to go back, including three Malayali priests from a Delhi-based church who had come to watch the game! We fans might wear yellow, blue, green or whatever, but at the end of the day we stand for the betterment of Indian football. And in no other city or stadium has our travelling group faced such an appalling situation,” they stated.
According to sources close to Goal , Kerala Blasters’ staff and their Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Amit Kohli were also initially refused entry and were manhandled by the security staff and said sources also corroborated the Manjappada's version of events.
When contacted for a statement, an official from Delhi Dynamos denied the occurrence of such events and rubbished the Kerala fans’ claims.
“We maintain that anyone with a valid ticket or an accreditation was allowed inside the stadium. We have never instructed the security detail to halt opposition supporters, and we have gladly welcomed them in fact, as seen in the game against NorthEast United where the away support outnumbered the home fans,” they said.
To cap off an incredulous night of mismanagement, before the kick-off and oftentimes during the game, the public announcement system was handed to a section of Delhi fans. That saw demeaning chants, some with a racist undertone, like ‘lungi fategi’ , being blared out. Such incidents disrupt the decorum of the league that has set high standards of sporting professionalism in its fledgling period of existence.
In a blow to the reporters present as well, the mixed-zone was declared out-of-bounds after the game for a while before things were sorted out and instructions given to the security staff again. However, by then, most players had made their way back to their team buses, rendering the mixed-zone moot!