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Football clubs around the world have made the most of Facebook by having their own official pages. I-League clubs have also done the same with one team also having the third-most ‘liked’ Facebook page among Asian football clubs. Sportskeeda lists the top five I-League official club pages.
5. Dempo (6800+)
The five-time record Indian champions are only placed fifth and could even drop out of the top five soon as I-League debutants United Sikkim (6750) are not far behind. I-League holders Dempo struggle to attract people to their home games and their lack of fanbase is evident even on the social media. It can’t be long before Bhaichung Bhutia’s United Sikkim overtakes them on Facebook but on the pitch it’s completely different as Dempo continue to challenge for the title while the Sikkim club could get relegated in their debut season.
4. Shillong Lajong (32,800+)
Shillong Lajong are still relatively new in the Indian football scene as this is only their third season in the I-League, but the huge popularity of the sport in the North East makes Lajong one of the most followed Indian clubs on Facebook as they are the first club from the region to play in the I-League. Unlike most clubs in the league, Lajong also have good attendances in their home games and there seems to be a real effort from the club management to keep the existing fans attached to the club and at the same time attract new ones. Lajong still have work to do to avoid relegation this term but off the pitch they seem to be faring quite well and the signing of Edinho Junior on loan from Blackburn Rovers could further enhance their popularity.
3. Mohun Bagan (39,400+)
Although they do have another page with more than 34,000 likes, the official page of Mohun Bagan has less than 40,000 likes and thus they are surprisingly not even in the top two. Let’s not forget that Mohun Bagan’s ban from the I-League was mainly revoked due to their enormous fanbase but on Facebook at least it doesn’t seem to be the case. It’s true that the majority of Mohun Bagan fans are from modest backgrounds and hence don’t access the internet but an example little bit later in this article will prove that it cannot be the reason for such a low following on Facebook. For years, Mohun Bagan, like the other two big clubs of Kolkata, have taken the fanbase for granted and even for home I-League matches barring the Kolkata Derby, they don’t get a good turnout. Mohun Bagan certainly have a lot of catching up to do both on and off the pitch.
2. Pune FC (44,100+)
Regarded as the most professional club in Indian football, it is no surprise to see Pune FC in the top two. For a club that was only formed in 2007, it is even more commendable. Clearly the Pune club realise the importance of fans in football and have tried different innovative techniques to increase their fanbase. Pune FC are still a work in process of course as they are yet to have their own stadium and haven’t won any major trophy yet, but they are certainly on the right track and have become an example to follow not only for new clubs but also for the established giants. Pune FC may not have any history but their present seems fine and future looks bright, so the list of their admirers will keep increasing and that will eventually lead to more likes of course.
1. East Bengal (766, 528)
We decided to give the exact figure (at the time of writing) for the number one club in this list because its simply staggering. East Bengal are the third-most liked Asian football club on Facebook and actually have more likes than clubs like Newcastle United, Paris Saint Germain and Los Angeles Galaxy. The company that bankrolls East Bengal handles the page and have made it very interactive. Back in June 2012, the page had around 4.6 lakh likes and was fourth among Asian clubs but they have overtaken Indonesia’s Persija Jakarta now and the milestone of 10 lakh is not far away. East Bengal are one of the most popular clubs in the country and that remains the case on the social media as well, unlike their arch-rivals Mohun Bagan. The recent success has also helped but their official sponsors must also be given credit for using Facebook in the best way, which has allowed their fans around the world to stay very well connected to the club.
