A true EB loyalists and extremely dedicated to the cause of the club. U dont get to see these type of selfless administrators in Kolkata football maidan these days. He would be missed.
Swapan Ball Passes Away, Leaves Behind a Whole Host of Memories (In Two Parts)
He was suffering from cancer for a long time. He had to concede defeat at last.
He was the spirit of the club. One could witness his fragile frame just as one entered the main gate of the club. But the octogenarian gentleman would no more be visible after Thursday. It was only on Thursday, at 1:00 p.m, that he passed away into the land of the dead. He was admitted in a private hospital in South Kolkata. It was there that he breathed his last. Swapan-babu had been suffering from cancer for a long time. It was in January this year that he hurt himself in the waist when he slipped inside the bathroom. He had got a reprieve during that time. But he could not avoid the blow of cancer this time.
Swapan-babu was a self-declared unemployed. That is why he stayed put at the club day after day, night after night. A student of Cathedral Mission, Ramakrishna Shikshapith of Birbhum. His college life was spent in St. Paul's College and Calcutta Engineering College. He played football to his heart's content right from his youth. He was the goalkeeper of the East Bengal youth team for 3 years from 1968-1970. It was as a player that he made his entry in the club. He became a member of the club in 1970. Almost five decades have elapsed. He had transformed from a tiny seed into a colossal tree.
He had a family business. A die-hard EastBengalian, Swapan-babu used to invest money in the club from his family business. After his father departed, his uncle transformed him into an unemployed. Swapan Ball's wife used to teach in a school. The family used to run on his wife's earnings. And Swapan Ball used to stay put at his club. He was a favourite of the East Bengal official Paltu Das. He had arranged for a job for Swapan Ball at a brick kiln in Chinsurah in 1993. Swapan Ball used to come to the ground at seven in the morning; after handling the morning practice, he would walk to Babughat from the club. To the Howrah Station after crossing the Ganga, then to Chinsurah by train. Another three kilometres walk to the brick kiln. But he did not have to work for a long time. The brick kiln shut shop within a few days. Swapan Ball again enlisted himself among the jobless.
It was under the tutelage of Paltu Das that he made himself indispensable at the club. He had 'sold' his football career for his club. His becoming a member of the club is itself a thrilling story. One day when he had gone to see an East Bengal match, he returned home with his leg severely injured after suffering the baton charge of the mounted police. He was applying hot sheets to relieve the unbearable agony in front of his father. His father knew about the craziness of his son regarding East Bengal. The next day, he gave his son Rs. 200 and said, 'Give it a try, see if you can get the membership of your favourite club.' It was due to the generosity of the then football secretary Subir Ghosh and Nripen Das that he was able to receive the 'invaluable' much-cherished membership of East Bengal.
Comments
I always respected you for you passion, commitment & love for your club. Feeling a bit lost.
RIP Swapan da
Swapan Ball Passes Away, Leaves Behind a Whole Host of Memories (In Two Parts)
He was suffering from cancer for a long time. He had to concede defeat at last.He was the spirit of the club. One could witness his fragile frame just as one entered the main gate of the club. But the octogenarian gentleman would no more be visible after Thursday. It was only on Thursday, at 1:00 p.m, that he passed away into the land of the dead. He was admitted in a private hospital in South Kolkata. It was there that he breathed his last. Swapan-babu had been suffering from cancer for a long time. It was in January this year that he hurt himself in the waist when he slipped inside the bathroom. He had got a reprieve during that time. But he could not avoid the blow of cancer this time.
Swapan-babu was a self-declared unemployed. That is why he stayed put at the club day after day, night after night. A student of Cathedral Mission, Ramakrishna Shikshapith of Birbhum. His college life was spent in St. Paul's College and Calcutta Engineering College. He played football to his heart's content right from his youth. He was the goalkeeper of the East Bengal youth team for 3 years from 1968-1970. It was as a player that he made his entry in the club. He became a member of the club in 1970. Almost five decades have elapsed. He had transformed from a tiny seed into a colossal tree.
He had a family business. A die-hard EastBengalian, Swapan-babu used to invest money in the club from his family business. After his father departed, his uncle transformed him into an unemployed. Swapan Ball's wife used to teach in a school. The family used to run on his wife's earnings. And Swapan Ball used to stay put at his club. He was a favourite of the East Bengal official Paltu Das. He had arranged for a job for Swapan Ball at a brick kiln in Chinsurah in 1993. Swapan Ball used to come to the ground at seven in the morning; after handling the morning practice, he would walk to Babughat from the club. To the Howrah Station after crossing the Ganga, then to Chinsurah by train. Another three kilometres walk to the brick kiln. But he did not have to work for a long time. The brick kiln shut shop within a few days. Swapan Ball again enlisted himself among the jobless.
It was under the tutelage of Paltu Das that he made himself indispensable at the club. He had 'sold' his football career for his club. His becoming a member of the club is itself a thrilling story. One day when he had gone to see an East Bengal match, he returned home with his leg severely injured after suffering the baton charge of the mounted police. He was applying hot sheets to relieve the unbearable agony in front of his father. His father knew about the craziness of his son regarding East Bengal. The next day, he gave his son Rs. 200 and said, 'Give it a try, see if you can get the membership of your favourite club.' It was due to the generosity of the then football secretary Subir Ghosh and Nripen Das that he was able to receive the 'invaluable' much-cherished membership of East Bengal.
End of Part 1, Part 2 coming shortly