Former India captains recall the chaos of Kolkata’s derby clash and Bengaluru stampede

Two of the finest footballers from the city and both former India captains, Shabbir Ali and Victor Amalraj, were witnesses to the massive clash between the supporters of Mohun Bagan and East Bengal in the Kolkata League ‘Derby’ clash, which left 16 dead in August 1980

Hyderabad: Two of the finest footballers from the city and both former India captains, Shabbir Ali and Victor Amalraj, were witnesses to the massive clash between the supporters of Mohun Bagan and East Bengal in the Kolkata League ‘Derby’ clash, which left 16 dead in August 1980.

Both Amalraj, who was leading Mohammedan Sporting — which was actually topping the table with seven wins before that match — and his teammate Shabbir, were watching the match from the club house of Eden Gardens.

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Now, after the stampede in Bengaluru, which saw 11 people die during the IPL victory celebrations of Royal Challengers Bangalore, Amalraj goes down memory lane to recall those horrifying moments.

“It was a first-time and unforgettable experience for me, for sure. Everything looked so good at Eden Gardens in front of a capacity crowd before Bagan’s winger Bidesh Basu was felled by East Bengal’s full-back Dilip Palit. And, the referee’s decision too only added fuel to the fire, leading to an invasion by the fans. Suddenly, there was total chaos,” Amalraj said in a chat with Telangana Today.

“Those days, most of the fans were invariably glued to the radio commentary, even when they were at the stadium for the matches. And, the uncontrollable emotions among the fans of both teams spread like wildfire before anyone could imagine what was happening,” Amalraj said. “In hindsight, it could be said the police force was far less to handle such a situation,” he added.

“We were all immediately rushed to nearby rooms and quietly sent off from the stadium with an escort. We were in for a shock, for sure,” the former India midfielder said.

“Not only was that match abandoned, but also the entire league,” he said.

“I think the Eden Gardens incident and the latest Bengaluru stampede, both of which led to deaths, could have been avoided with better planning and stringent security,” he felt.

Are you for road shows?
“They are quite common across the world. But there has to be proper planning and coordination between the security agencies and the organisers. I feel these celebrations can wait, for life is more precious,” Amalraj said.