West Block Blues: A fan base no less than family for Bengaluru FC
BENGALURU: Meghna Nair was eight months pregnant in 2019 when Bengaluru FC was to take on Kerala Blasters at the Kanteerava Stadium in the city. A fan of the club, she had attended two matches in the season despite the inconveniences caused by the pregnancy. In both matches, she was not allowed to take water bottles inside the stadium due to security regulations.
“I was eight months pregnant. I needed hot water, and I needed to take my medicine as well. At the same time, I didn’t want to miss the match because of this. So, I wrote to Bengaluru FC, asking permission to carry hot water. I got a call from them, and they explained that taking water bottles inside the stadium was not possible. But then they blew my mind saying I can watch the match from the owner box,” said Nair, who recently clicked a picture with her child, wrapped in Bengaluru FC’s colours, outside the stadium.
For fans like Nair, Bengaluru FC is not just a club, but it is their extended family.
Formed on May 28, 2013, Bengaluru FC was the new kid in the block, which took pride in its football culture.
Bengaluru’s rich history in the sport dates back to the preIndependence era. After all, it was a team from Bengaluru that beat the British in their own tournament for the first time.
The feat occurred during the Rover’s Cup, the second oldest of the three big tournaments in the country started by the British in 1891. During its early years, the tournament only included the football teams of the British army regiments but in 1923, Indian civilian football clubs were allowed to participate in the tournament.
Even though Kolkata-based Mohun Bagan reached the final that year, the dream of an Indian team winning the tournament remained unfulfilled for 45 years until the barefoot men of Bangalore Muslims created history at Bombay’s Cooperage football stadium.
Even though the Bangalore Muslims put Bengaluru on India’s football map, they were forgotten over the years. Several legendary teams like ITI, HAL came along and produced national players, but the love for the game died down over the years. So, when a new football club came to town, there was scepticism.
“In 2013, after the club was formed, we called for an open practice session with the Bengaluru FC players to promote the team. The fact was that they were always available but made it premium by making it a formal event. Seven people turned up,” recollected Kunaal Majgaonkar, the media manager for Bengaluru FC.
“There were more players than fans that day. But the most important thing was those fans were happy. They had three players talking to one fan. Then, the word spread. People heard stories about Sunil Chhetri (national team captain) playing football with fans. In the next session, we had 60. Now, every season starts with a practice session and the numbers are beyond belief,” Majgaonkar.
What started at that small practice session is now known as the West Block Blues, a name worn proudly by the fans of Bengaluru FC.
“West block A was one of the many stands at the Kanteerava stadium. Over the years, we spent enough time there that we started calling ourselves the West Block Blues,” said Rakesh Haridas, a Bengaluru FC fan.
Even in terms of the fan base, Bengaluru FC has stood out. While Bengaluru had several football fans who thronged the stadiums, it never had a football culture like the English clubs.
“Before Bengaluru FC came into the picture, many of us were followers of many English football clubs. Those of us who argued in pubs over English clubs finally had a team of our own to rally behind. So, we wanted to introduce those elements to our team too. We created an anthem and created chants for each player,” said Haridas.
According to Akanksha Singh, meeting the players or the coach after the match and even running into them at a pub is not common with Bengaluru
FC.
“The Bengaluru FC team itself lives as a family in one single apartment in the city. They are always accessible, and even when the team management organises events with fans, players don’t come because they are asked to, but because they love it. Also, they don’t behave like the politicians, they become one of us,” said Singh, a fan since the team’s inception.
From chats inspired by English football culture to loudly singing ‘Santoshakke’ the famous Kannada song by S P Balasubrahmanyam, the atmosphere is always an experience for the fans.
When Bengaluru FC calls itself a family or part of the community, it doesn’t end with slogans.
During the two waves of the Covid-19 pandemic, the team and their fans were part of the city’s fight against the virus.
“We knew that we can’t be sitting on the sidelines when the city was going through one of the biggest challenges. So, during the first wave started using our network to support small businesses in Bengaluru. We worked with them to put their message out in the public and help them get their businesses back on their feet. The team and fans took the campaign personally,” said Majgaonkar.
When the city was hit by the pandemic again, in 2021, blues decided to roll up their sleeves.
“Since the season was happening under strict lockdown, we were confined to our hotel. We asked what we could do, so it was decided that we would use our reach. The skipper (Chhetri) had more than 1 million followers, so we found volunteers, who were helping with SOS messages seeking beds and medicines. So, the skipper gave them access to his account to promote the message. He didn’t just give the access, we are constantly in touch with them asking what more can be done,” he added.
According to Majgaonkar, when a team becomes a community and even family, a team becomes much more than just a game. “We know that even though not big football fans, the owners of the small businesses and those who were helped during the pandemic will cheer us when the team steps on the field next time,” Majgaonkar added.