If any sporting event in Bangalore calls for a comparison with the overly-stretched television soaps, the Super Division football league being held at the Bangalore Football Stadium fits the bill perfectly.

Kicked off in the middle of August, the league still totters at the half-way stage, thanks to the deplorable ground conditions caused by spells of heavy downpour over the last two months. Lack of sufficient drainage facilties at the ground, which belongs to the Karnataka State Football Associaton (KSFA), has hit the league badly with 19 matches getting postponed and two others being abandoned in the second-half.

According to KSFA president A R Khaleel, the underground drainage pipes were blocked due to some works undertaken by the corporation on one side of the stadium and efforts were being made to solve the matter.

“The Bangalore Football Stadium has better drainage facilities comparing to many other grounds in the city. Despite the intensity of the rain over the last few months, the field was not flooded like most other grounds. Anyhow, it is ideal to prune down the number of matches in the season as the ground too requires rest,” says Khaleel.

Indeed, the expansion of the Super Division league from 10 teams last season to 15 this year has compounded the miseries of the Bangalore District Football Association, the organisers of the league. Apart from substantial increase in the number of matches — more than 50 per cent — resulting in the league becoming a long drawn out affair, the quality of football too has taken a beating. The wide gulf in standards between the teams and the poor playing conditions have taken the sheen off the competition.

The condition of the ground has attracted the displeasure of the teams and players all around. “Most of the time, we are not able to execute long passes and sometimes we even have to completely avoid some slushy areas. Also, players hesitate to run at full pace fearing injury,” says a player.

Teams in the Super Division have been the worst-affected. The  ground, swept by overnight rains, deteriorates further after the ‘A’ Division tie, which precedes the Super Division fixture. The top-flight teams are thus forced to struggle on a turf that resembles a paddy field at times.

“It is impossible to halt either of the leagues at the moment as it will lead to further backlog,” says BDFA secretary S M Balu, who has a tough job on hand.

The expansion of the league obviously has helped the newly-promoted teams, giving them good exposure but the move has not gone down well with everyone. Lack of seriousness is apparent in certain teams while one club -- Royals -- has already packed its bags after playing just seven matches.

“We are here to compete and there should be good competition among the teams. So, it is preferable the better lot are clubbed in the top division,” says the coach of a leading outfit.

Shortage of referees too has been a problem. At present, there are around 20 referees for officiating the Super, ‘A’ and ‘C’ Division matches, while at least 50 officials are needed for the smooth conduct of the league.

“Two or three matches a week for a referee is fine. But when the schedule becomes hectic, it is very difficult for the officials to manage and stress can lead to erratic judgments,” says a former referee.

Commenting on the issue, Khaleel said the process to select more referees, not conducted last year, would be set in motion by the end of next month. The ongoing league almost came to a halt when the referees’ committee resigned alleging they were not being allowed to function properly by the parent body. The panel later agreed to continue as an ad hoc arrangement.

One of the rare high points of the league has been the emergence of the newly-promoted Bharat Earth Movers Limited as a force to reckon with. The institutional side, with some big signings, has given other fancied teams a run for their money.

BDFA deserves a pat for scheduling high profile fixtures on Sundays and other holidays, thereby attracting sizable crowds. But the fans who flock to watch top teams and some good football would soon dwindle if authorities fail to take corrective measures at the earliest.