“We’ll soon collaborate with a famous English club” – Mohammedan Sporting Club investor Dipak Kumar Singh confirms (Exclusive)

It’s a great time to be a Mohammedan Sporting Club supporter. On November 18, the club ended a 40-year drought to clinch their 12th Calcutta Football League Premier Division A title. Marcus Joseph’s 3rd minute strike against Railway FC in the final at the hallowed Salt Lake Stadium was all the Black Panthers needed to announce their resurgence in Indian football.

The fans, understandably, went berserk and marched through the streets of Kolkata to celebrate their beloved club’s moment of glory.

It’s amazing to think of how quickly the fortunes have reversed for MSC. Only seven years ago, the club was on the brink of a shutdown owing to a severe financial crisis. From dominating Indian football in the pre-Independence era to becoming a “sinking ship” in the early 21st century, MSC’s rich legacy had been surviving on thin ice despite the officials’ best efforts to defy the imminent catastrophe.

The situation began to change drastically when a Gurgaon-based company called Bunkerhill Pvt Ltd joined hands with the club and became its investor in October last year. In a span of a year, the Black Panthers have reaffirmed their credentials in the country’s football landscape.

In addition to their historic CFL triumph, MSC, under Bunkerhill’s aegis, finished runners-up in the Durand Cup and the inaugural Futsal Club Championship earlier this year. They also won the second division I-League last season to return to the first division after a seven-year hiatus.

What is the secret behind MSC’s dramatic turnaround? Speaking exclusively to Sportskeeda on Monday, Bunkerhill’s director Dipak Kumar Singh said:

“We have a long term vision with Mohammedan Sporting and the performance since Bunkerhill came in shows that we are on the right track. We want to bring a professional approach to the club, including timely payment of salaries and a massive infrastructure boost.”

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On MSC’s upcoming partnership with a prominent English club

Ever since East Bengal’s ground-breaking association with England’s Leicester City in 2004, a string of I-League and Indian Super League clubs have entered into partnerships with top-tier European clubs. The latest to join the bandwagon is Maharashtra-based Thane City FC, who announced a 3-year tie-up with English Premier League outfit Southampton FC a couple of weeks back.

On being asked if Bunkerhill has similar plans for MSC, Singh confirmed:

“We’re in advanced talks with a famous English club. Hopefully we’ll close the deal very soon and divulge the details.”

He continued:

“Our vision is to enhance Mohammedan Sporting’s youth development. Whatever talent we generate in Bengal will be sent to the foreign club’s academy for training. We want to develop our own set of players who’ll serve MSC for a long time. We also want the club to play pre-season friendlies against Europe’s top sides in the future. We’re here to help MSC regain its past glory.”