PANAJI:
FC Goa have received tremendous support at home since inception in 2014 and the
Goan franchise will now get a taste of the same support when they play away at Bengaluru.
Two fan clubs - FC Goa Fan Club and The
Football Dug Out - have collaborated with the club and sponsor and will now be seen in numbers at the Sree
Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru on Friday.
A total of 120 fans, 40 in each of the three buses have travelled to cheer Sergio Lobera's men, who are fighting for a place in the semifinals, while another 40 fans, winners of a sponsor contest, have earned themselves a fully-paid trip. Several other fans from Goa have also made the trip, while Goans settled in Karnataka will also make their presence felt.
This is not the first time that Goan football fans are travelling for an away match. Dempo Sports Club and Churchill Brothers have received support when they play away in AFC Cup but never before have so many fans got together and contributed towards the trip.
"We are all geared up with flags, placards and much more. We have plans to roll the replica of the club jersey in the stands too, similar to what is done in European football. We will reach Bengaluru in the morning and more Goan fans, around 200 from there, will join us before kick-off. A kilometre away from the stadium we will march towards the venue. Since we are nearing Carnival, 'King Momo' will lead our way," said Omkar H, founder of FC Goa Fan Club.
Bengaluru FC have always been backed vociferously by their fans, particularly the West Block Blues at the Kanteerava Stadium. FC Goa fans will be seated in the Northern stand, and while they won't have as good a view as West Block Blues, they would still make themselves count.
"This is a very crucial match for us at this stage and we have to come together as a whole to support our team," said Siddharth Mehta from The Football Dug Out.
When the teams met last in November at the Nehru Stadium in Fatorda, FC Goa emerged victorious after a 4-3 thriller.
"Fans travelling to away games is a common practice in all the established leagues across the world with a section in the stands reserved for the away fans. I am delighted to see the trend catching up in the ISL. It has most certainly been the stand-out feature of this edition of the league," said FC Goa's vice-president (Operations), Rahul Rodrigues.
"Away fans add to the atmosphere within the stadium around which club rivalries in football evolve and grow. Close to 200 FC Goa fans are traveling for the away game to Bangalore and we expect a bigger number to travel to Pune. It is a first for the club and we are grateful to our partners for backing the initiative and enabling fans from the fan clubs travel to the away game in large numbers," he added.
FC Goa are sixth at the moment with 20 points and have two games in hand over their competitors. Their away form has been decent. Out of six games, they managed 10 points which included three wins and a draw. They have suffered only two defeats with a 1-2 scoreline against Mumbai City and North East United being disappointing results.
With support from fans in the north upper stand, FC Goa will hope they can add to their points tally in Bengaluru.
Representative image
