<p class="title">Real Kashmir Football Club have taken the I League Second Division by storm this season. Unbeaten in the eleven matches they’ve played so far, the Kashmiri side have braved odds through sheer grit and determination.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Much of this change is down to the never-give-up spirit instilled by their Scottish coach David Robertson, a former Aberdeen, Rangers and Leeds United defender, roped in by the club in 2017. Robertson was tasked with building Real Kashmir, a club established in 2016 in Srinagar, from scratch. The Scot had other offers but the challenge to try something new lured him to Kashmir.</p>.<p class="bodytext">“I’ve had a couple of opportunities. I could have gone to China or Uganda just before I came here. This was like a fresh start,” Robertson said. “The clubs that I was offered to coach before were established. This is brand new. It’s been fantastic and I have had so much support from the owners. Last year we played six games in I-League (second division), we just missed out on goal difference. This year we knew exactly what we needed. I just want to see how far we can go.”</p>.<p class="bodytext">Aside from being stunningly beautiful, Kashmir has been racked by terrorism. But Robertson, who made the place his second home, is not bothered by it. “To be honest I didn’t really do too much homework. I was just thinking about the club. I had never been to India before. I thought everything in India was hot. The second I arrived in India in January, it was snowing and I thought I was still in Scotland. I love the place, the mountains, it’s beautiful,” he said. </p>.<p class="bodytext">“You hear about conflict and sometimes there are curfews but I can walk the streets with no problem at all. We go to city centre, residency roads. People are always nice to me. I think a lot of it is hyped up by the media. Hopefully, this will give the whole of Kashmir a lift and others something else to write about.”</p>.<p class="bodytext">Robertson fondly recalled his time with Rangers. He was a key part of the team that qualified for the Champions League in 1992-93. Rangers also completed the club’s fifth domestic treble then.</p>.<p class="bodytext">“That season I played 54 games. It was a long season. We won the domestic title. We won the league, the league cup, and Scottish Cup. We beat Leeds United 2-1 on home and away to qualify but just fell short (later). It was a fantastic season. It was a great achievement. That Rangers team was great but probably not the best. Many times we were two-nil down but we’d come back. We knew that we can win. To be honest, I was fortunate to be part of that fantastic team. You can have great players but if you don’t have a team it will be very difficult,” he said. </p>
<p class="title">Real Kashmir Football Club have taken the I League Second Division by storm this season. Unbeaten in the eleven matches they’ve played so far, the Kashmiri side have braved odds through sheer grit and determination.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Much of this change is down to the never-give-up spirit instilled by their Scottish coach David Robertson, a former Aberdeen, Rangers and Leeds United defender, roped in by the club in 2017. Robertson was tasked with building Real Kashmir, a club established in 2016 in Srinagar, from scratch. The Scot had other offers but the challenge to try something new lured him to Kashmir.</p>.<p class="bodytext">“I’ve had a couple of opportunities. I could have gone to China or Uganda just before I came here. This was like a fresh start,” Robertson said. “The clubs that I was offered to coach before were established. This is brand new. It’s been fantastic and I have had so much support from the owners. Last year we played six games in I-League (second division), we just missed out on goal difference. This year we knew exactly what we needed. I just want to see how far we can go.”</p>.<p class="bodytext">Aside from being stunningly beautiful, Kashmir has been racked by terrorism. But Robertson, who made the place his second home, is not bothered by it. “To be honest I didn’t really do too much homework. I was just thinking about the club. I had never been to India before. I thought everything in India was hot. The second I arrived in India in January, it was snowing and I thought I was still in Scotland. I love the place, the mountains, it’s beautiful,” he said. </p>.<p class="bodytext">“You hear about conflict and sometimes there are curfews but I can walk the streets with no problem at all. We go to city centre, residency roads. People are always nice to me. I think a lot of it is hyped up by the media. Hopefully, this will give the whole of Kashmir a lift and others something else to write about.”</p>.<p class="bodytext">Robertson fondly recalled his time with Rangers. He was a key part of the team that qualified for the Champions League in 1992-93. Rangers also completed the club’s fifth domestic treble then.</p>.<p class="bodytext">“That season I played 54 games. It was a long season. We won the domestic title. We won the league, the league cup, and Scottish Cup. We beat Leeds United 2-1 on home and away to qualify but just fell short (later). It was a fantastic season. It was a great achievement. That Rangers team was great but probably not the best. Many times we were two-nil down but we’d come back. We knew that we can win. To be honest, I was fortunate to be part of that fantastic team. You can have great players but if you don’t have a team it will be very difficult,” he said. </p>
