The Mohun Bagan verdict - A blessing in disguise for the Calcutta Football League

For a country ranking way down the pecking order in the world of football, there is not much one expects them to boast of. Yet, India, despite all it’s short-comings, flatters with one of the most distinguished footballing histories around.

However, years of misfortune and mismanagement had seen it’s golden past covered with rust, almost beyond repair. Nonetheless, one of them may just have found a new lease of life, albeit under the most inglorious of chapters in Indian Football.

Following the verdict on Mohun Bagan‘s suspension from I-League for the next two seasons, the Mariners not only stand on cusp of losing their chance to challenge their might against the country’s best, but also against their bitter rivals East Bengal.

The Kolkata derby has for so long stood as an ornament of Indian football, romanticism of which could challenge the greatest of sporting rivalries over the years. With incredible viewership and following, the event till date stands as one of the high profile sporting events of the country. So, with the “boro match” now out of the equation in the national frontier, the only scope stands in one of Calcutta’s forgotten tournament – The Calcutta Football League.

Founded in 1898, Calcutta Football League is the oldest league in Asia and one of the oldest in the world and until about a decade back, it would stand as a heavy-weight competition among the Calcutta clubs. However, years of mismanagement by Indian Football Association(IFA) and the rising importance of the professional league on the national scale, meant the tournament dropped down in priority among the Big TWO of Kolkata. What remained was only a breeding ground – a trial tournament to test the potential talents for the future.

Nevertheless, as some would say “amidst the darkest of hours, there is always a slight ray of light penetrating through”, and hence in the middle of this inglorious Mohun Bagan fiasco, the CFL seems to be the biggest gainers. For the next couple of years atleast, the CFL would be the only platform for the Mariners and the Red and Gold Brigade to fight for the bragging rights. And thus could possibly add some further incentive for both the sides to win the tournament.

After all, it has indeed been sometime since for at-least one of the Big two, winning the CFL had been of utmost importance and at the top of the wanted list. And possibly with Mohameddan Sporting nowhere close to challenge the biggest teams at the national scale, a revival of the old “triangular rivalry” might well be on the cards.

The same applies for the fans, who having now been deprived of a large chunk of matches, will look to take advantage of whatever limited is there on the plate; which will in all probability increase the attendances of the Calcutta Football League.

As for the IFA, it is imperative to jump on this unlikely opportunity and use it to its advantage. Perhaps one of the last opportunities to revive CFL’s past glory, it is time to act smart, avoid controversies and organize a smoother edition of the league – which has quite been a rarity of late.