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Mohun Bagan are undoubtedly the most historic club in India, but sometimes self-proclaimed titles may lead to confusion among the masses. Even during Sony Norde’s final press conference at the club ground, he referred Mohun Bagan as the 'National Club' of India. Although each and every Mohun Bagan fan might have felt proud after hearing Norde's quote, the fact remains that the statement doesn’t have proof to back it up.
Norde led the club to its maiden I-League triumph and also the Federation Cup next year, but he Mohun Bagan halfway due to injury woes. He was in tears during the press meet and expressed his feelings for the club which has given him so much joy in recent times.
“Mohun Bagan is the National Club of India, day by day they are proving the same. The way they played against East Bengal, it could well have been 6-0 or 7-0,” said Norde during the press conference.
On 29th July 1911, Mohun Bagan became the first Indian club to win the prestigious IFA Shield defeating East Yorkshire Regiments in the final. It was much more than just a football match, Shibdas Bhaduri and Company proved to the British that they are capable of defeating them in all spheres. It wasn’t a win on the football pitch only, something was also won outside the rectangle. The goals inflicted on them symbolically indicated that their time in India was nearing its end. The rest is history!
The Mariners won all the major trophies played in the country and reached the top of its popularity by the first quarter of the 20th century. Only East Bengal gave them a competition in popularity although it was formed 31 years after Mohun Bagan was founded.
Influential players like Gostha Pal, Sailen Manna and Chuni Goswami made the club even more special.
Let’s cut to 1989, the 100th year of Mohun Bagan’s voyage, the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi declared Mohun Bagan as the 'National Club of India'.
An AIFF official said that the belief of Mohun Bagan being the 'National Club of India' has passed on from one generation to the other over decades, although there's no evidence to back up the claim.
Speaking to Sportskeeda, the official said, “There is no historical evidence, once Priyarajan Das Munshi said that Mohun Bagan was the national club of India.
“Actually there is no evidence or proof that the club was given such a title. Many call Mohun Bagan the 'National Club of India' but not a single legal documentation is present to verify the matter,” he added.
Many memorable moments in Indian football history is associated with the century-old club. North American heavyweights Cosmos FC led by the greatest footballer of all times, Pele, visited Kolkata to play against Mohun Bagan.
The match was played in 1977 and 80,000 spectators gathered at the Eden Gardens to witness a breath-taking match which ended 2-2. Pele still remembers the fight given by the Kolkata giants. Even the legendary goalkeeper Oliver Kahn also played the last match of his professional career against the Maidan based club.
Needless to say, the Mariners have achieved more than any other club in India, but still, somehow many eyebrows are raised when their passionate supporters proclaim it as the nation’s official club. A question arises that if Mohun Bagan is not the ‘National Club’ then which team should be given the title. No wonder we don’t really have an alternative contender for the title, as the rich legacy and history associated with Mohun Bagan is comparable to no other club in India.
