ISL 2020-21: 5 things you didn't know about the Kolkata Derby

The Indian Super League (ISL) will see its first-ever Kolkata Derby on Friday when ATK Mohun Bagan and SC East Bengal face each other. Two-time ISL-winning manager Antonio Lopez Habas will lead the Mariners while Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler will take charge of the Red and Gold Brigade.

Before its arrival in the ISL, the Kolkata Derby was the marquee fixture of the I-League and averaged an attendance of over 60,000 fans. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the titanic clash will be played behind closed doors this year.

We look at 5 things that ISL fans need to know about the Kolkata Derby.

#5 It rekindles the Ghoti-Bangal rivalry

Ghoti refers to individuals from Bengal who draw their heritage from those born in the western region of the undivided state before the partition. Bangals, on the contrary, are people whose lineage can be traced to the eastern region of the state (now Bangladesh). Many Bangals migrated to India following the partition.

Inter-faith marriages have mostly nullified the concepts of Ghoti and Bangal in the modern world. But, traditionally, the Ghotis cheer for Mohun Bagan while the Bangals back East Bengal.

#4 A fan committed suicide after Mohun Bagan lost in the Kolkata Derby

East Bengal hammered Mohun Bagan 5-0 in the 1975 IFA Shield final. Shyam Thapa scored a brace while Ranjit Mukherjee, Surajit Sengupta, and Subhankar Sanyal further added to East Bengal's tally.

This was also the highest margin of victory in the Kolkata Derby, and an ardent Mohun Bagan fan couldn't bear it. He committed suicide after the loss and mentioned, in a suicide note, that he would play for Mohun Bagan and avenge the loss after his rebirth.

#3 The stampede at Eden Gardens

Although the Kolkata Derby has seen many controversies in the past, 16th August 1980 is considered one of the darkest days in the history of the derby. The Ranji Stand of Eden Gardens sold the cheapest tickets available and was overcrowded on the day.

Usually, both sets of fans were segregated during the fixture. However, that was not the case on this day in 1980 and Mohun Bagan and East Bengal fans found themselves sitting next to each other.

The referee showed a red card each to a Mohun Bagan and East Bengal player after an on-field scuffle and a melee broke out in the stands. Both sets of fans started fighting each other and 16 young lives were lost as a result.

#2 This is not the first Kolkata Derby to be hosted in Goa

The venue for the iconic Kolkata Derby in this year's ISL will be the Tilak Maidan in Vasco. While the match is usually played in the state of West Bengal, this is not the first time the match will be played outside the state, or even in Goa for that matter.

During the 1998-99 season of the National Football League (NFL), East Bengal and Mohun Bagan qualified for the final stages of the league, with Goa hosting all the first round matches. Jo Paul Ancheri scored for Mohun Bagan while Saroj Das scored the equalizer for East Bengal in the 1-1 draw.

#1 The game affects the fish prices in West Bengal

East Bengal fans usually celebrate the match by eating Hilsa, while Mohun Bagan fans do the same by eating prawns. Fish sellers usually increase the price of Hilsa if East Bengal wins. Similarly, the price of prawns is also increased if Mohun Bagan wins.

Although fans won't be able to make it to the stadium for the first-ever Kolkata Derby in the ISL, fishermen in the state will be delighted if the match does not end in a draw.