An electronic scoreboard, an official match-day programme containing a message from coach Ashley Westwood and a sizeable crowd lapping up the action — Bengaluru FC’s first competitive match-day at the Bengaluru Football Stadium couldn’t have gone any better.
They only managed a 1-1 draw in their first ever I-League thanks to a late header from Mohun Bagan’s C S Sabeeth but this was always going to be one of those days when the result would have inevitably taken a back seat as the fans came in droves for their first taste of I-League since the 2011 season when HASC were relegated from the top division.
The fans are the lifeblood of any football club, irrespective of who they are owned by, and with BFC’s fans already belting out songs and chants, there are early signs of promise.
Westwood, in his message in the programme, urged the fans to make themselves intimidating.
“Let’s try to make this stadium, home of Bengaluru FC, a fortress and an intimidating place to visit for all away teams and supporters.”
The fans seemed willing to toe Westwood’s line.
Nitin Fernandes, a 22-year-old who has seen HASC’s matches when they were the top dogs in Bangalore, said he was pleased by BFC’s start.
“To see so many fans, it’s really good. It shows that BFC are going in the right track and I hope it continues.”
Praveen Ramesh and Anuj Venkatesh, two 17-year-old fans, were all praise for the club ‘we are already starting to love.’
“This is the first time that we are watching football inside a stadium and we must say that the buzz the crowd created was electric.”
When asked if they were planning to buy season tickets, they replied in the affirmative.
Jorn Rohde, a German who supports Hamburg in the Bundesliga, said he was pleased by what he saw but urged the new team and the management to not sit still and rest on their laurels.
Both outside and inside the stadium, there was demand for BFC flags and whistles while the official BFC shop did brisk business as fans clamoured up to soak in the atmosphere.
Given that there were more people outside wanting to get inside rather than vice-versa, this was a good beginning.