Mohun Bagan: The Oldest I League Football Club
This club, founded in the nineteenth century, back in 1889 and up to this moment, is still one of the oldest clubs in Asia and in the history of the I League, much like Casinon Svenska one of the olders operators in the Nordic markets. In the mid-1920s, angry that Jora Bagan’s favorite footballer was not on the ground against Mohun, a local industrialist even set up his own club, and this is how East Bengal was formed and acceded to the I League. The first I League match between the two rivals took place in 1925 and ended with the victory of the East Bengal with 1-0. Mohun Bagan is the author of the first “milestones” in the history of Indian sport and the I League. A rivalry that has entered FIFA’s list of the most controversial derbies in the world. It is the derby of Calcutta, played at the second largest stadium in the world, Lake Stadium and the I League, with a capacity of 120,000 seats, between Mohun and East Bengal. in 1997, when the biggest audience in the history of Indian sports and the I League: 131,000 spectators saw how the best-known Indian footballer, Bhutia, scored a hat-trick against Mohun Bagan.
A History of Violence
In 1975, another 5-0 East Bengal victory in the I League schedule triggered a rival riot of such great magnitude that Mohun’s players had to leave overnight on a boat on the Gange River. December 9, 2012 saw the worst incident between the I League supporters of the two teams, when 40 fans were injured in the fireball of the Indian football. The match was suddenly interrupted when East Bengal opened the score near the break in the 43rd minute, and almost immediately a player from Mohun Bagan was eliminated from the I League. Mohun Bagan’s supporters began throwing with everything at hand and a stone hit one of their own player’s head. He needed medical attention, and Mohun Bagan left the field and refused to return. They received a penalty of 12 points in the I League, and now in the rankings the two rivals are at the opposite end of the standings, with East Bengal first and Mohun Bagan on the last. Under the rules, Mohun Bagan’s 2-year I League suspension would have been imposed, but the federation was afraid of the supporters’ reaction and applied a gentler penalty of just 12 points, citing.
Fun Facts
As for a couple of I League fun facts, the local fishing industry is the main beneficiary of the derby. Supporters Mohun Bagan celebrate victory with shrimp and those of East Bengal with “hilsa”, so the day after the derby, whichever one wins, the fish is found at a prohibitive price. Mohun Bagan is called “Sailors,” and East Bengal “Red-Yellows”. As for their last match against Aizawl, Mohun Bagan went through quite tensioned moments as the first goal was an auto one by Masih Saighani, followed by an excruciating 53-minute interval until the decisive I League goal scored by Aser Dipanda Dicka.
