By Sriram Chidambaram
Source: Scoopwhoop.com
On a chilly December evening, I walk towards the Kanteerava Stadium. Around me are 20,000 others, dressed in blue and white. We sing out loud, at the top of our voice, "We are BFC, the mighty mighty BFC." The air is filled with energy, but this is just the beginning.
I climb the familiar stairway to the second tier and I find myself in the iconic West Block. Half an hour till kick-off, but the West Block is already filled up. The seats are packed and so are all the walkways. The flags are waving, the drums behind me are deafening and as the referee blows the opening whistle, the 20,000 voices rise once again. 'Come On BFC, Come On BFC.'
Despite being in the stands, I feel like I'm a part of the game and so does everyone in the West Block. Throughout the game, everybody is standing. No one takes a seat. Every successful BFC dribble, pass and shot is applauded intensely. The green pitch glows in front of our eyes, and our own voices ring in our ears. It is quite the atmosphere.
We have chants for every player, from Khabra to Chettri and Paartalu to Gurpreet, and one by one we sing for all our players. The game is tied until just before half-time when Nishu Kumar smashes in a loose ball from outside their box. The goal sends us into a frenzy. I see people hugging the strangers beside them, kids jumping on seats and the drums banging away. Nishu Kumar chants rise around me.
Soon, the referee blows the halftime whistle but there is nowhere to go. The food sold at the stadium isn't worthwhile and there are massive queues outside the mobile toilets. I wait impatiently for the action to resume.
The second half begins, and my surroundings become lively once more. The line 'Haadu Santhoshakke' echoes across the Fortress. After a goalless, yet exhilarating 35 minutes, the opponents equalize. The noise levels around me go down for a moment, but they come back even stronger as BFC restart play once again. In the Kanteerava, the players feed off the energy of the West Block Blues, and the West Blockers understand that. We will do anything to help our team win. 8 minutes later, skipper Sunil Chettri nods in a header and the place goes berserk once more. The skipper acknowledges us in his celebration and we sing his name louder than ever.
'We’ve got Chhetri, Sunil Chhetri, I just don’t think you understand, Oh, when he scores, We go ****king mad, We have got SUNIL CHHETRI!'
The understanding between the BFC players and fans is like no other.
Unfortunately, the games end in a 2-2 draw. I am devastated, and so is everyone around me. On the field, Chettri is devastated, Gurpreet is devastated and so are all the blue shirts around them. Despite the unfavourable result, the BFC players walk over to the West Block and show their appreciation. In unison, we do the Viking clap and call it a day.
I promise you, you will not regret attending a BFC game. It will be the best sporting experience of your life.
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