Has Kolkata football slowly walked into the sunset?

I can accept failure, but I can't accept not trying -- Michael Jordan

The rickety wooden stands at Mohammedan Sporting ground in Kolkata hits you on the face. It tells you a tale of a series of failures the century-old club has been battling with. After the club logged themselves out of the XIth National Football League, Sporting fans are now reeling under a certain kind of fear psychosis.

Sporting's story isn't an isolated case. East Bengal and Mohun Bagan's pdestrian show in recent years have re-established the hard-core truth about Kolkata's gradual decline as a powerhouse. There were early warnings. But then the Kolkata clubs overlooked the imminent danger as they wore arrogance on their sleeves. Because in Kolkata, officials always beleive that 'tradition and history' would sail them through.

But then the combo effect of 'history and tradition' has been proved redundant in their bid to resurrect an image lost long back. Sample this. The last time a Bengal team won the National Championship for Santosh Trophy was in 1998 while after 2003-04 no other Kolkata club has been able lay their hands on NFL crown.

A quote on Kolkata's football culture from none other than FIFA President Sepp Blatter will put things in the right perspective. "I visited three clubs. One (Mohun Bagan) which was over a hundred years old. It was established even before FIFA in the past century. Its infrastructure is from that century only."

While Dempo, Mahindra United or even JCT showed exuberance and committment every time they stepped on to the field, Kolkata clubs kept themselves busy with debilitating issues off the field.

At one stage, it looked like East Bengal would pip frontrunners Dempo and Mahindra in the NFL title race. But ideological differences between chief coach Carlos Roberto Pereira and tecnhical manager Manoranjan Bhattacharya put paid to their hopes of a possible fourth title.

At Bagan, the scenario was even worst. They got trapped in their self-created complications after rebellious streak in their senior players inlcuding Baichung Bhutia and Jose Ramirez Barreto saw four coaches made the exit midway into the NFL season!

With better-organised teams like Dempo, Churchill and Mahindra virtually outpacing Bagan or East Bengal, justifiably then, should we still refer to Kolkata as the 'Mecca of Indian football'. Because like the holy Mecca's geographical position, Indian football too has shifted to the West.

Probably the best quote on Kolkata football came from Blatter's counterpart in Asian Football Confederation (AFC), Mohammed Bin Hammam. "We have seen your three clubs. We know you have the history. But what is the future?"

The AFC president's evaluation was correct and to the point. After all, 'past history and tradition' in no way can lift the game from where it is today. No wonder then the clubs' future seems to be heading towards an unidentified zone. People have lost interest in games while players have lost their will to play and club officials are not too keen to run the game.

Added to the woes is the amateur set-up where unprofessionalism runs deep in the football system. Officials often blame it on sponsors or players. When none of the blame seems accurate, coaches are made scapegoats.

In the 70s and 80s, Bengal was considered to be the supplyline of footballers. Using informal network of scouts, dedicated club officials searched for talent. There was dedication and an intense love for the club. But none of these happens anymore as officials prefer 'dubious agents' to do the overseas scouting during the transfer market. In this way, money is made from overseas players' by the officials and from anything that represents the club. Be it commissions for players' kits or others.

Then there is serious lack of investment in its youth teams. If the first guilt of not having full-time youth structure was outrageous, then fielding overaged players made a total mockery of city's football setup.

Has Kolkata football slowly walked into the sunset?

(In Kolkata, 2007)