The past is a wonderful place. The mind has the unique ability to bring us back to times when the
sun shone brighter, the leaves looked greener and chores never crossed the realms of schoolwork
and sleep. Of course, there were doubtless times when childhood had its irksome and vexatious
moments, but upon looking back, they seem to be conveniently filtered out by the sieve of memories.
Nostalgia is truly a lovely sentiment.
Much the same could be said of football. You could be the most cynical, pragmatic and self-conscious
person alive. You could frown upon football’s growing monetary influence and (perhaps rightly)
opinionate that its hand in wrecking what the game stands for is complicit. For obvious reasons, you
may also feel sickened that the Mansours and the Ambanis look upon footballing clubs and
organizations as “investments” or “businesses”.
But once you’re in the stadium, all grudges dissipate. Much like nostalgia, ill-feelings toward faceless
corporations aplenty disappear in a trice, and even the most reasonable middle-aged man becomes
a moody teenager. Such is the innocence of football; one can freely chant abuses without attracting
the slightest hint of alarm.
Supporting a football club is a lifelong commitment. More often than not, the mood of the club
coincides with the mood of the supporter. It’s a complex thought to express on paper, yet once you’re
a follower of the sport, it requires little explanation. Being wary of the future of the Indian Super League and analyzing the true motives of the Ambanis is reasonable, but quite forgotten once you
enter the battlefield to back your team. It’s almost as if the gates of the football stadium are the
fence, separating an emotional society from a rational one.
Unfortunately, the people who control the sport do not see it that way. Obviously the likes of Neeta
Ambani will reiterate that their prime reasons for birthing the ISL centered around “bringing around
a football revolution”, but don’t kid yourself, she means it. Any entrepreneur worth their salt would
tell you they’re in for the prestige and the profit.
The Ambanis are clever. Their reasons behind signing a 15 year, 7-billion Rupee deal with AIFF aren’t
along the lines of wanting justice for football fans in India. The bitter, but honest truth is that they’ve
done their homework, studied the market and taken a gander at Indian football because, in the
future they want to be the establishment that didn’t turn their backs on the sport. Should they
succeed, the fiscal rewards and increase in stature would be immense.
I’ll be honest, when I saw footballing legends rub shoulders with Indian actors, I was filled with
optimism. I wasn’t alone – like me, plenty had thought that after decades of struggles, we were
approaching an oasis of hope. That hope extinguished in the harsh reality of a scrappy football
game. The quality on offer was of Conference standards.
Clearly what the ISL needs is time. Time - not only for the quality of football to pick up, but also
for players and supporters alike to bond with their clubs. Time for local derbies and Judases to
be formed. Time to build a proper structure and stable academy for every club. An important
component of football is history.
Whether the time in question is in Reliance’s hands remains to be seen. Whichever way one may
want to look at it, the fact remains that they are businessmen. Reliance will drop the ISL project
should ticket prices drop or celebrities lose interest. They won’t afford keeping up a failing
organization for too long, for the sake of the minority. It’s an ugly possibility, but also a realistic one.
Personally, I don’t think that football and India are a match made in heaven, and my reasons lay quite
adrift from investments and patience. I don’t think India has the suitable climate for players to feel
comfortable passing a ball around, and I think that the country is too devoted towards cricket to
comprehend football’s own beauty. Nonetheless, I’ve been wrong on many occasions, and I hope
more than ever that this is one of them.
Bringing India anywhere near football’s elite is an uphill task, but the ISL is doubtless a great start
and a leap forward. What it needs is time and tolerance. Can India give it to them?
- NN
sun shone brighter, the leaves looked greener and chores never crossed the realms of schoolwork
and sleep. Of course, there were doubtless times when childhood had its irksome and vexatious
moments, but upon looking back, they seem to be conveniently filtered out by the sieve of memories.
Nostalgia is truly a lovely sentiment.
Much the same could be said of football. You could be the most cynical, pragmatic and self-conscious
person alive. You could frown upon football’s growing monetary influence and (perhaps rightly)
opinionate that its hand in wrecking what the game stands for is complicit. For obvious reasons, you
may also feel sickened that the Mansours and the Ambanis look upon footballing clubs and
organizations as “investments” or “businesses”.
But once you’re in the stadium, all grudges dissipate. Much like nostalgia, ill-feelings toward faceless
corporations aplenty disappear in a trice, and even the most reasonable middle-aged man becomes
a moody teenager. Such is the innocence of football; one can freely chant abuses without attracting
the slightest hint of alarm.
Supporting a football club is a lifelong commitment. More often than not, the mood of the club
coincides with the mood of the supporter. It’s a complex thought to express on paper, yet once you’re
a follower of the sport, it requires little explanation. Being wary of the future of the Indian Super League and analyzing the true motives of the Ambanis is reasonable, but quite forgotten once you
enter the battlefield to back your team. It’s almost as if the gates of the football stadium are the
fence, separating an emotional society from a rational one.
Unfortunately, the people who control the sport do not see it that way. Obviously the likes of Neeta
Ambani will reiterate that their prime reasons for birthing the ISL centered around “bringing around
a football revolution”, but don’t kid yourself, she means it. Any entrepreneur worth their salt would
tell you they’re in for the prestige and the profit.
The Ambanis are clever. Their reasons behind signing a 15 year, 7-billion Rupee deal with AIFF aren’t
along the lines of wanting justice for football fans in India. The bitter, but honest truth is that they’ve
done their homework, studied the market and taken a gander at Indian football because, in the
future they want to be the establishment that didn’t turn their backs on the sport. Should they
succeed, the fiscal rewards and increase in stature would be immense.
I’ll be honest, when I saw footballing legends rub shoulders with Indian actors, I was filled with
optimism. I wasn’t alone – like me, plenty had thought that after decades of struggles, we were
approaching an oasis of hope. That hope extinguished in the harsh reality of a scrappy football
game. The quality on offer was of Conference standards.
Clearly what the ISL needs is time. Time - not only for the quality of football to pick up, but also
for players and supporters alike to bond with their clubs. Time for local derbies and Judases to
be formed. Time to build a proper structure and stable academy for every club. An important
component of football is history.
Whether the time in question is in Reliance’s hands remains to be seen. Whichever way one may
want to look at it, the fact remains that they are businessmen. Reliance will drop the ISL project
should ticket prices drop or celebrities lose interest. They won’t afford keeping up a failing
organization for too long, for the sake of the minority. It’s an ugly possibility, but also a realistic one.
Personally, I don’t think that football and India are a match made in heaven, and my reasons lay quite
adrift from investments and patience. I don’t think India has the suitable climate for players to feel
comfortable passing a ball around, and I think that the country is too devoted towards cricket to
comprehend football’s own beauty. Nonetheless, I’ve been wrong on many occasions, and I hope
more than ever that this is one of them.
Bringing India anywhere near football’s elite is an uphill task, but the ISL is doubtless a great start
and a leap forward. What it needs is time and tolerance. Can India give it to them?
- NN