An Isolated Land and A Football Fan

CHAPTER -1 : How it started?It was July 18, 1994, early morning around 3 or 4 probably, when a 6 year old boy was given the first taste of “The Beautiful Game”. It was the World Cup final and he never knew that his dad would be such an ardent football follower. Growing up in a cricketing nation, it’s a Common Surprise. It was a DD1 telecast and we had a Color Telerama TV. Thank god for the urine (monsoon cold makes a 6 year old piss over and over again), he saw the first big surprise that his dad was wide awake on a Monday Morning that too so early. He went up to his dad asking, “is it 8 already and still so dark, is it gonna rain?” Dad smiles and says “Ab uth hi gaye ho Football dekh hi lo, kaise khelte hai game ko” (Well, if you are awake, sit down and see how the game is played). You would have guessed by now that the He here, is me. I sat there watching the tremendous speed of Yellow jersey players running throughout the game giving the Blue jersey team a hard time, at times blue jersey dominating with a Pony tailed curly hair No.10 wearing fellow. I asked dad “Wo koun hai, papa?” (Wanting to know the name of the player who had impressed me a lot). Dad replies with a smile “Wo, chotee (pony) wala?, wo Roberto Baggio hai” (I also learnt Romario that day). I by-hearted the name, repeating it 5-6 times. Went on watching the game asking doubts about why the player is using his hand to throw the ball, why is the guy in the different color whistling and raising Cards to players, why are all arranged in front of kicker etc, etc. The questioning and answering went on up to the point when match actually came to a halt and all the players looked nervous and were busy relaxing themselves. I go again “Papa, ab kya hoga?” and dad replies with all the draw details and how the tie breaker works. I had understood bits and pieces from it. Five players from the Yellow jersey team had taken their penalties and four from the Blue jersey, there came the pony tailed fellow. I knew that this guy had made me a fan of his, then and there, watching the match and all I could do was sit with my hands joined praying silently for him to score. The guy runs, shoots and the ball isn’t seen in the nets. I knew something had gone wrong, as the pony tailed fellow stood disheartened, looking down the ground for what folly he had done. I was sad, pretty damn sad about the thing. Dad could see that and said “Khel hai kisi ko to haarna padta hi hai” (Some one has to lose in the game).

Roberto Baggio disappointed for what could have been The Divine Ponytail World Cup :’(

I started loving the game the moment I saw it. But that’s not easy for someone who stays in an isolated island way east in the middle of the Bay of Bengal. I would go about asking my elder cousins and uncles but all I could get was Maradona and Pele. Then I would find Dad, free on Sundays, to gather more from his football knowledge. It was then when he told me about watching Maradona in the ‘86 WC and adoring the game. I came to know about Lothar Mathaus, Koeman, Guillit, Rijkaard, Bebeto, Dunga, Klinsmann, Carlos Valderrama and few others.

There were hardly any cable connections, books available to upgrade myself about the game. 2-3 years went by and I was missing the game, came almost close to forgetting it when the sudden hype about the next World Cup began and a new Channel named Star Sports came up. I remember watching some international matches being telecasted every now and then. Watching highlights of the 1996 Euro Cup, Oliver Bierhoff was the first footballer I’d learnt about, by myself. Since I was 9, I’d apparently grown brains and hence started noting down the names of those doing well on field.

CZECH REPUBLIC V GERMANY EURO 96 FINAL: Oliver Bierhoff scores winner

Chapter 2: The Anxious Young Football Lover

The year 1997 to be precise was about to end when I first spotted some different football than the International ones. It was the Club football, but I stayed away from them. I had bought a Sportstar (The Hindu newspaper’s Sports Magazine) magazine then giving a preview about football in certain pages, giving a big boost to the fan in me. And then I would go hunting for the book every Wednesday at various Book stores but would end up empty handed. That’s very typical of Andaman’s isolation. We hardly came across the quality stuff, wherein the people in mainland India would have already gotten well versed with those new things.

It was 1998 and the next world cup was round the corner. I had vacations and dad had gone to Kolkata for his regular business purchasing and brought me the BEST GIFT (as a kid we all expect parents to bring presents when they go out).

It was an All New Special World Cup Edition Sportstar. Read it thoroughly almost 10 times by-hearting every big player’s name, even some of the squads. I came to know what Club Football was about after reading that edition. I then bought few more magazines with all the Football World Cup details from wherever I could get. World Cup commenced and to be honest I didn’t miss one Brazil match. Saw a few Italy, Argentina, Netherlands (Holland), Germany and France matches too. I can go on mentioning certain matches and details from the Big Event. The Final was up, and the Ronaldo hype was cooled by a French Half Bald but Totally Skilled Zinedine Zidane. This world cup also made me a David Beckham fan, a young handsome footballer who led the English team and hence wanting to see him play more.

Chapter -3: THE ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE and A BLUE LOVE

I had learnt a lot by now and also had ESPN in my TV set. I followed ads and knew about PL now. The season began with me watching it just for David Beckham, but then there were few problems

1. He played for Manchester United, a team that wore Red Jersey

2. I was shown 1994 WC final so had loved The Blue Jersey since then

3.The Top 3 teams would all have Red, White or B/W 4. Also being an Indian and the Cricket team wearing Blue I wanted to support a good team in Blue

I watched other teams play as well and just fell in Love seriously with the Club Format. I still would watch Man Utd games more often than any other team. It continued until I started creating the blue color love yet again. The club was called Chelsea FC, also making a point that I wasn’t a Glory Hunter Plastic Fan (for the people who know me as a CFC fan now). The team had flair and was good enough to give a better show against big teams. The team finished 3^rdthat season and I had chosen them as the team I would back hereafter.

The Chelsea Blue

Sporstar now was easily available and I read the season end preview where an article included the mention of Chelsea defeating Arsenal 5-0 in League Cup, and now the doubt came up about – How on earth is League Cup different from Premier League, which later was cleared by reading further sports magazines and newspapers. I also came to know about the FA Cup win 1997 and where we had routed Tottenham Hotspur 6-1 with Tore Andre Flo magic. The name struck me that I heard this before, later realizing that he scored for Norway against Brazil in 1998 World Cup game. A better feeling about the chosen team came in. The next season began and now I had to follow 2 teams one was United for Becksy and Chelsea for my new love for the team. But unfortunately it was hard to see their matches, as they weren’t a happening team. The only way to see them play was if they had matches against Man Utd, Liverpool, Arsenal, Leeds or Newcastle. Ten days before my 11^th birthday it was a Man Utd v Chelsea game. I glued to the TV and the match didn’t disappoint me at all. Chelsea won the game 5-0, goals coming from Gustav Poyet (brace), Chris Sutton, Jody Morris and an own goal from Berg. I couldn’t follow rest of the season due to ESPN unavailability, coming to know from Sportstar that we had finished only 5^th. But to make things better Robero di Matteo had scored a winner in the last game at Old Wembley against Aston Villa to win the FA Cup Silver. The next two years were dismal but not as a fan. The game had got beyond what I would have expected it could.

Di Matteo The Wembley Winner

Chapter- 4: The Growing Interest

Ronaldo outdoes Kahn

The 2002 world cup had come and again the fever was all around the world. This was the World Cup I saw every single game. Noting down the team squads, venues, score line, goal scorers etc. My mom didn’t like any of those but my dad came to know about the day games which he couldn’t watch as he was working. I have seen the Brazilian team play yet again the Best and had labeled them the winners even before the WC started, to dad. I came to know the Classy Diego Forlan act against Senegal. The Korean biased referees especially in the games against Italy and Spain and witnessed the fall of champions in first round. A Master class Ronaldo on top form, a poacher like Klose who would be just there at the right time for Germans.

Klose: Always at the right spot

The understanding of the game bettered and I could now be an ardent football fan. I would go into classroom and start discussing with few others to inculcate something from them and make them learn a little from my incurred knowledge.

The 2002-03 season was disappointing for Chelsea.The next season Arsenal won it as the invincibles, one team I never liked or could ever like.. It was that Wengerian dislike I had, not intentional but just grew with the Love for my club or may be for the French Disconnection I had. The next year it was different, we were a better team and have finished the Season being No.2. The new owner, a lot of purchases and the new look club. I loved these changes. There were new good young players and some experienced ones along with them. I could stand head held high among the Man Utd and Arsenal fans of my class and friend circle (No Liverpool fans as such then). I have proved them that following a club like Chelsea can also be fun without knowing that what was coming next was even bigger.

Adios Ranieri

Chapter 5: A Happy Glorified and Present Me

2004-05 season changed the mentality of fans, pundits and others about Chelsea FC as a club. We had a coach who was bold and had got the team even stronger. We were so strong and better that we had won The Premier League for the 1^st time and the First Division after 1954-55, exactly 50 years. Then came the 2^ndin succession and made the lives of a Chelsea fan better. Though the rivals still feel we had money and money bought us all the fame. But I would like to inform, money can’t buy cups it’s the team that plays together and contributes to the team. We can buy all the players but if they can’t work together the silverware will be far from the reach.

The Champions

The Roman Era

I have followed the game on with difficult next 3 seasons, then coming back again with a double, various sackings, and various misfits but still following the team I had taken up.

I saw every single game yet again in the 2006 WC and again predicting the Winners correctly, carrying forward the tradition to 2010 WC and again doing the same. My dad was sure I was better than any octopus when it came to International Predictions.

To the achievements, for what I have known I am happy to be called a good fan of my club. I won’t boast about it as this is just the beginning. I administrate two football groups and a forum online and can claim them having the best fans to date. Yes, I am an Indian, I grew up in Isolated Island but yeah it is also true I have the same amount of Football in me like any other fan watching a game at the stadium or any fan from a well known football playing nation has.

Long Live Football, Long Live the fans

Winners After all :)