Crumbling walls of Delhi football

Surrounded by crumbling walls and three surviving gates, the still vibrant old Delhi, built during Mughal emperor Shah Jahan's reign, is very much a city within a city.

A labyrinth of serpentine lanes crowded with rickshaws, it is lined with 17th-century havelis whose once ornate facades are now defaced with rusted signs and sprouting satellite dishes. This decay symbolises the dwindling fortune of football in the Walled City, a sad state of affairs since it once used to dominate Capital's soccer scene.

In the halcyon days, driven by passion for the game, old Delhi traders and businessmen did not mind diverting their business profits into football, helping the emergence of well-known clubs like City Club, Shastri FC, Youngmen, Mughals, and Indian Nationals.
While the clubs flourished, the game attracted the middle-class. Such was the clubs' appeal that even common folks came forward with contributions as clubs like Indian Nationals or City Club became a part of their lives.

Today, these clubs are up against harsh reality: How to carry on their legacy without funds? Passion alone cannot take them forward. The clubs have ceased to enjoy patronage from the locals as well. And businessmen no longer support them as they used to.
Most of these clubs spend from their own pockets. Gone are the days when these clubs would be treated with handsome contributions from Delhiites.
"It's definitely good for the game here. But there should be more takeovers like this," said a Delhi Soccer Association official.
Today, a top club needs about Rs 10 to 15 lakh to run its affairs. It's a huge amount by Delhi standards as football is still a poor man's game here. But still, some clubs are able to manage the money required to run their affairs which indicates there are takers for the game.

Most of these clubs depend on their communities for financial support. But with football's charm slowly fading, even old fans now chose to stay away.

One of the main reasons for the decline of soccer in the Capital, club officials feel, is that DSA does not have its own ground. "Ambedkar Stadium (which usually hosts important football matches) is easily accessible for fans from the Walled City. But ever since some games have been shifted out of Ambedkar, fans have found it difficult to follow their teams," said a club official.

In fact, absence of proper grounds have pushed Delhi football way behind the rest. There was a time when people used to kick a ball on the roads, in the parks and in empty areas which have now been taken over by high-rise buildings.

"In old Delhi, if someone played football, others watched him. And gradually followed him. That was how many youngsters took to the game," said an old fan who has been following Delhi football for decades.

With some leading corporates showing interest in Indian soccer recently, there has been something to cheer about for the soccer fan. But how will the lot of Delhi football improve, no one knows.

(In Delhi, 2007)