Letting soccer down in the sun and shadow

KOCHI: Football runs in the veins of people in Kerala, boasting a rich football heritage spanning decades. Stands brimming with fans during ISL matches speak volumes for this obsession. Yet, despite hosting one of the most sought-after sporting events in the world, the galleries remained an apology for the event.
It’s debatable whether the people failed the game or the governing body FIFA let down the fans by foisting its taut norms in the conduct of the under-17 World Cup matches.  

As the first leg of competition winds up, the roaring galleries of the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium mostly wears an eerie silence barring matches featuring the Men-in-Yellow.Statistics testify to this grim scenario. An analysis of the turnout in the six stadiums shows that Kochi fared dismally, despite having an impeccable track record of drawing huge crowds, while Kolkata and New Delhi added to their legacy with thousands of fans swarming the stadiums for every match.

While the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata saw an average turnout of around 50,215 fans per match, the average turnout in Kochi was a mere 11,858 over six matches. As if that’s not embarrassing enough, the lowest ever turnout in the series was also recorded in Kochi (North Korea-Niger - 2,754). Former India captain I M Vijayan said over phone from Kolkata, “It was the restrictions imposed on the ground, galleries and nearby places which dampened the spirit of the game and kept fans away from the stadium.” 

With the logistics in a mess even in the eleventh hour, a spectator who came for the opening match would have gladly given the second match a miss.  Besides, a dearth of food kiosks, potable water and exorbitant rates charged for both inside the stadium, and vexatious security restriction imposed by the authorities, all dissuaded the spectators from making a beeline for the matches, he said. “Whereas the Salt Lake stadium wore a festive look as there were no such restrictions in Kolkata,” he said. 

The state government’s nodal officer for the event in Kochi, A P M Muhammad Hanish, said it was a fact the people were annoyed by the restrictions imposed by FIFA. But the security restrictions are imposed as per the international standards set by FIFA to ensure the security of players and fans. “Unlike in ISL, World Cup matches had no local talent, which also played a pivotal role in keeping the fans away from the galleries,” he said. 

“Besides, people harboured misconceptions that it was very difficult to go and watch the matches amid the tight security, which was not true. We had run ample publicity campaigns, evoking a good response in the beginning. But the misconception spread like wildfire through various media, which was off-putting for the fans. A lot of people who booked tickets online didn’t collect the tickets from the counters set up at the stadium.”Nonetheless, we expect the remaining matches to attract reasonably good crowds, he said.

stadium        average turnout
Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, New Delhi     Average    35,410 
DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai    Average     17,571 
Fatorda Stadium, Margao    Average    10,670 
Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Kochi     Average    11,858 
Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium, Guwahati    Average    11,625 
Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata    Average    50,215