Kolkata I-League 2 side Southern Samity could exit Indian football

I-League Division 2 and Calcutta Premier Division side Southern Samity are close to exiting Indian and Kolkata football as they are unable to find a sponsor who could fund their football team for the new season.

The reason behind their problem is simple – the football scene in Kolkata has been hard hit by the chit fund scam in the state of West Bengal, with these companies having been in recent years the key sponsors of many football clubs.

Now with the transfer season currently on, Southern Samity are not able to even sign a single player, though earlier it had been announced that Mohammed Mukhtar would join them from Mohammedan Sporting, while their players on contract are free to sign for other teams.

The rise and fall of Southern Samity is an example of numerous Calcutta Premier Division clubs, who, mainly with the support of chit fund companies, have been able to rise to the top of Kolkata football. But now, with these companies either bankrupt, closed down or under the radar, their money is no longer in the football circuit.

Further, this easy money has led to players salaries rising heavily in the good times, but now with tight budgets even at the I-League clubs like East Bengal and Mohun Bagan, the smaller clubs are hit even harder. These chitfund companies were not only co-sponsors like at the big clubs but title sponsors at the smaller clubs. Interestingly, there have been rumours surrounding numerous clubs about payment issues of sponsorship money.

What makes the situation at Southern Samity even more tragic is the fact that the club president is none other than West Bengal Sports & Transport Minister Madan Mitra and he has said that he has been unable to get in any sponsorship money in the current financial scenario of the state.