The euphoria of the Indian Super League seems to be dying in Goa, at least the turnout for matches shows so. The massive publicity blitz undertaken by FC Goa with hoardings positioned at various carrying unique Konkani punchlines and pictures of players appears to have not enthused the crowd to turn up for matches at the Nehru stadium, Fatorda. On Tuesday when FC Goa took on Jamshedpur FC, a game that eventually the hosts lost 1-2, saw a paltry crowd of 7,240. This appears to be a minuscule size against the capacity of over 19,000 seats. The North and North-East stands remained empty cutting out a sorry picture of a sport that Goa has been synonymous with in the past, a sport that never fell short of a crowd.
A fast rewind to 2014 when ISL came to Goa, and it was the carnival-like environment that surrounded the Fatorda venue with fans turning out in huge numbers. For a State that was seeing a decline in football appetite over the years, one looked upon ISL to resurrect the sport in Goa, and the enthusiasm in the first few years only strengthened the belief that the league could turn the tide. However, a big slide was witnessed in 2023 with fans turning away from matches and crowds dwindling. The FC Goa versus Hyderabad FC match on 5th April this year saw a dismal attendance of 5,326 a further decline from the March 6 outing against East Bengal which had 5,856 attendees. The attendance in 2023 ranged between 7000 and 8000, despite all the hype and promos that came along. A disturbing trend has emerged raising fears that people may shun the once-favourite league leaving football in a space of no return.
So, what’s behind this decline in interest? Has Goa lost interest in football, or is there more to it? It may be wrong to consider the ISL as a barometer to measure the love for the sport because village football continues with traditional flourish, although on a lesser scale relative to the past. Nonetheless, many of the noted inter-village football tournaments continue the knock-out format and finals are held with pomp and revelry. The ISL has been a different ball game altogether. Here, we saw a different level of patriotism towards FC Goa with the team becoming a unifying factor. There was tremendous support and fan following for FC Goa despite the foreign players and coaches and despite players from other States representing it.
There are possible reasons for the slide. Firstly, the sporting sentiment of FC Goan fans was dented on a couple of occasions. Once in 2019, when high-flying Spanish coach Sergio Lobera was summarily sacked by the management on the eve of the final and at a time when he was all set to take his team past the finish line leaving fans stunned and heartbroken. Despite persistent appeals by fans, there was no turning back on that sudden decision. FC eventually lost out that year undoing all that Lobera had achieved and the team fell apart with players exiting. In 2021, the FC Goa management sacked coach Juan Ferrando when the team achieved fair success in the league with the team failed yet again in their quest for glory. Abrupt decisions lead to a disconnect with supporters and a sense of disillusionment creeps in because the sporting sentiment of people is isolated. Also, the team has disappointed followers by failing to win a single ISL crown despite making it to the semis and finals leading to frustration.
Secondly, Goans, known for their ‘susegad’ lifestyle avoid mixing football in their weekday schedules, and which is why weekend matches see a marginally better crowd. While fixtures may be outside the purview and control of teams, FC Goa does have a say in ticketing. The pricing of tickets at the Nehru stadium is in the range of 200 to 4900, a relatively much higher price bracket compared to other states. Lastly, the engagement of the club with the sporting fraternity is minimal while it engages more with fan clubs, and this could be possibly another reason why the popularity is on the wane.
The team management will have to consider the dwindling match viewers seriously and introspect on the reasons. FC Goa as a club may have an excellent sports programme and plans, but it needs to rebuild its connection and trust with football aficionados across the State through entertaining and skilful football. Fan following is something every team cherishes across sports disciplines, and at no point in time that affiliation can be taken for granted. If FC Goa has to get back to the reckoning of the past, it has an uphill road ahead.
