It was a Calcutta Football League match between the biggies Mohun Bagan and the minnows Tollygunge Agragami. Mohun Bagan, if they lose, will be on the verge of elimination, to their arch rivals East Bengal.
During the game there were three offside-goal decisions, which the referees ruled out, that irked the Mohun Bagan supporters. First, lets look into the 3 incidents.
First offside
The linesman rose his flag just when the head was done. At the time of release of the ball, Bidemi was slightly ahead of the last defender. Verdict : OFFSIDE.
Second offside
At the time of the release of the ball, Prabir Das was clearly ahead of the last defender. Verdict : Definitely OFFSIDE.
Third offside
The third one was the controversial one. First let me clear, according to the match commissioner, Azharuddin was in offside position and not Amiri. So the new rule stays void in this case. When Duffy released the ball, we can see Azhar was ahead of the last defender. The linesman might not be in the correct position, neither the camera is in a good position but his call has been perfect. For more clarity, I have made a 3D Mapping of the ground.
3D mapping of the 3rd decision
In 3D mapping, it clearly shows that Azhar was ahead of the last defender at the time of the release of the ball. Verdict : OFFSIDE.
With
the match locked 1-1, trouble erupted after Mohun Bagan winger Azharuddin
Mallick's goal was disallowed. Furious Mohun Bagan players charged at referee
Dipu Roy and protested assistant referee Ujjal Haldar's decision to flag the
goal as offside.
The
players' dissatisfaction permeated the packed galleries and the supporters soon
started throwing bottles and other missiles to the pitch, forcing the game to
be halted. Dozens crossed the fencing and ran on to the ground.
Fans started to break the barriers and enter the ground
Filthy languages and obscene gestures forced this parent to take his son out
Fans showing their disagreement to the ref's decision from the goal line
Crazy scene, when the crowd broke the barrier and entered the ground
Fans pissed off at the ref
Mohun Bagan official calling his team out
This Mohun Bagan supporter broke down in the midst of chaos
Fans throng at the gate with chappals in hand
Police trying to calm the crowd down
Fans begging the police for forgiveness
Crowd crashing into the ground
Police started the lathicharge!
The award for the funniest scene goes to...
These set of fans were more interested in taking a selfie on the ground!
The
police force and Mohun Bagan officials tried their best to calm down the fans
for over an hour but failed to bring the situation under control. Match
commissioner finally announced the match had been abandoned.
Also,
here's a video which shows scene from the Mohun Bagan ground. Click
on the video to play!
People, those who know me, regard me as one of the biggest fan of East Bengal FC. But last few weeks in Kolkata, for me, has been different. I-League is the most prestigious football tournament in India (leaving out the hullabaloo with ISL). Bengal, which was once the undisputed Mecca of Indian Football, didn't win this league since its inception.
So the taunts were vivid from football freaks in Indian Football Live Facebook group. Taunts accumulated into obstinacy, and I got this obsession to prioritize Bengal over East Bengal or Mohun Bagan. By hook or crook, I-League must be home. By the end of 18th round, it was all but over for East Bengal. Automatically, loyalties made a temporary switch to the bitter opponents, Mohun Bagan.
Our's is a huge joint family with me being the eldest among the 10 kids. 9 East Bengal fan, and 1 Mohun Bagan fan. Odd enough! It was his sheer passion towards the game, which motivated me to accompany him to the Barasat Stadium for the match vs Sporting Goa. Rest all is history.
The above 3 parahs are just to say, I am a very much East Bengal fan, who is satiated that finally, after almost a decade, I-League is here in Kolkata.
The following are some of the best snaps which I found in the social media from the Victory Parade:
Also, here's a video which shows the Top 10 Goals by Mohun Bagan this season. Click on the video, and enjoy!
