Mohun Bagan-ATK merger: Heritage down the drain or canny move?

The death of a club?
The death of a club?

For 130 years a sports club on the bank of the Hooghly river had represented the hopes and aspirations of millions of supporters spread across the world. For sure, Mohun Bagan AC's fundamental supporter base are Bengalis, especially Bengalis known by the epithet Ghotis (the ones who lived on this side of the border in undivided India), but the emotion that this famous institution engenders transcends barriers of all kinds.

Indeed, the Mariners, as they are called because of the signature boat that flutters its sails on their insignia, are one the oldest existing football clubs in Asia. Such durability is not a mean feat by any stretch of the imagination. Even on the field, the achievements of the Green and Maroons aren't. Their folkloric triumph over the East Yorkshire Regiment in the 1911 IFA Shield final to become the first Indian team to win the grand-old trophy, has entered the annals of India's nationalistic aspirations.

Grand battle

As recently as 2015, Bagan won the I-League, adding to their previous three top-flight league titles, they have also won the Federation Cup a record 14 times. But the romance that surrounds the team is primarily due to its storied rivalry with neighbours East Bengal, another legendary institution in their 100th year and have historically represented the East Bengalis (Bangals). This socio-political and cultural conflict has made the Kolkata derby, competed by the two, one of the greatest spectacles in global football, despite India not being anywhere near the top echelons of the sport.

Indeed, a full Yuva Bharati Kridangan on derby day is a sight to behold, as this correspondent can testify and the passion on display can more than match up to any such match-up in the world even if the skills on the field can't.

Intrinsically changed

However, the pressure of the business of the sport does not care for romance and Bagan, who were desperate to play in the Indian Super League next season, have announced a narrative-altering deal with ATK, the incumbent Kolkata side in that league owned by the RPSG group and the two clubs have merged in perpetuity. What will hurt old-timers more is the fact that the nouveau-riche club will own 80 percent of the new entity and have most of the say in the running of the club, including selecting players and coaches.

Yes, the historic Bagan club ground and facilities will be used by the new ATK-Mohun Bagan but only if the manager likes them. Painful for the vociferous fans and it is not just the new name that will rankle.

A failed revolt

The Mariners were one of those vocal I-League clubs that wanted a merged 1st division in India featuring I-League and ISL clubs but that proposal never reached fruition because of the clout of the powers-that-be running ISL and the financial entanglement that the AIFF had found themselves in. In the end, the grand old institution of Indian football had to give in to a deal where they are clearly the minor players.

A loss of identity

Let's get down to brass tacks, the Mohun Bagan, as we knew it, has ceased to exist. Yes, proponents of the deal will say they had played with the name McDowell's Mohun Bagan once, but this is different and an existential and philosophical conundrum as much as a business one. It is not even final if the famous Mariners jersey and crest will be used by the new club (even though it probably will) and what role the actual club facilities will play remains to be seen.

Detractors and hurt fans are also bringing in the socio-cultural side of the debate into the equation; they claim an inherently Bengali club has become part of a culture-less business conglomerate, negating the very foundations it was built on.

Business sense

However, in the world of profit and loss, the deal makes sense, Bagan could not conjure up the gigantic entry fee and other overheads required to get into the ISL and were in financial difficulties according to reports. They clearly had no way out and submitted themselves to the team with no cultural clout but all the money.

The willingness of the ATK owners to merge their rather successful club (one of the best performers in the nascent ISL), shows that the success on the pitch hasn't translated to an identity among fans and the heritage they seek as attendances have fallen since the high of the first season, especially with some anti-ATK voices emerging in the city. For them, this deal makes eminent sense as they can hypothetically buy the intangibles like footballing culture and fans.

In conclusion

While Bagan has survived a financial storm even though they have relinquished most executive decisions to the RPSG side, it's the fans who might have to rise above an inner conflict if they are to support the new club that bears the name of their beloved team. Legends of the club and many supporters have already backed the deal, however, many feel back-stabbed. They will have to wake up to the harsh and heartless realities of contemporary sports though if they want a team to support next season.

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Edited by Raunak J