Two Army outfits gave discipline the go-by and got into fighting mode in an embarrassing turn of events at the Bangalore Football Stadium on Thursday.
Army Service Corps (ASC) and Madras Engineer Group (MEG) were playing a crucial match in the Bangalore District Football Association’s Super Division League when emotions spilled over at the fag end of the match.
ASC, who could have clinched the title had they won by a two-goal margin, were trailing 1-3 with just a couple of minutes left to play when their player Boinao Singh, vent his frustration on MEG’s Dipen Thapa, after he failed to gain possession.
Dipen retaliated and soon it turned into a full-fledged brawl, with other players and the substitutes joining in even as referee Sugandar, assistant referees Vijaya Kumar, Vinay and Santhosh along with BDFA officials and policemen tried to separate the warring parties.
It took a while for them to bring the situation under control and Sugandar showed red cards to five players — three from ASC and two from MEG — apart from expelling MEG’s assistant coach Suman for his role in the fracas.
The remaining minutes were completed without trouble and MEG trudged out with crucial three points, assured in the belief that they can claim the title with even a draw in their final match against AGORC on Saturday. MEG head coach Shaji, who too was pushed around by the opposition players, tried to play down the affair. “Usually the Army sides are very disciplined and such incidents rarely happen, but if you keep provoking a player, what will he do? It wasn’t an appropriate response from my player but it happens,” he said.