Road to ISL playoffs: Distinct Identity under Carles Cuadrat and Superb Recruitment - 5 Things Bengaluru FC did Right to make semis

The West Block Blues with a tribute to Udanta Singh and Miku

#2. Bengaluru FC's engagement with fans

Keep the fans happy and they will repay you with love.

This season, 'customers' of the Manjappada, Kerala Blasters' fan group, were unhappy with the poor performance of the club. While they boycotted a couple of their home games, the numbers of the Super Machans, Chennaiyin FC's fans, also dwindled.

Fan support, however, was no problem for BFC.

Bengaluru have gone beyond the norm to engage with their fans and that shows in their home matches, which has mostly seen packed stands in the West Block A of the Sree Kanteerava Stadium.

Since the very beginning, Bengaluru have shared a deep connection with their audience, the urban cosmopolitan crowd of the city.

This season, they outdid themselves and focused a lot paying tribute to the rich history of football in Bengaluru.

For the first time, Bengaluru brought together the teams of HAL and ITI for an exhibition match in which a bunch of their own like Rahul Bheke, Erik Paartalu, Chencho Gyeltshen, Harmanjot Khabra, Juanan Gonzalez and Gursimrat Singh Gill made 10-minute cameos. That apart, the club also paid tribute to a hero, Pushparaj Kumar, who was part of India's 1978 Asian Games squad.

The atmosphere in Bengaluru's home matches has been nothing short of electric. The West Block Blues, Bengaluru's fan army, ensured there were no untoward incidents in the stands this year and were also respectful in their chants, focusing on encouraging their players after the ISL had fined the club over the fans' seemingly vulgar chants.

The fans also made special tifos for their players with the latest one of Udanta Singh attracting praise for its excellent design and artwork.

Maybe a couple of the customers could take a cue out of the West Block Blues and stick behind the club even during its downs.