Wednesday’s high-octane Indian Super League (ISL) encounter between Chennaiyin FC and Kerala Blasters at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium produced some wonderful moments on the field with both teams scoring three goals apiece in the match. However, a scuffle broke into the stands during the match. It involved the away supporters and a bouncer. The affair threatened to go out of hand till the police intervened.
A video uploaded by a Chennaiyin FC fan on social media showed a bouncer getting into an aggressive spat with the away supporters at Kerala Blasters’ home ground. According to the caption accompanying the video, Chennaiyin FC’s fans were asked to move from their designated place as the Kerala Blasters fans at the back of the stand were unable to watch the match.
The problem led to the scuffle. The video shows a bouncer getting aggressive while discussing the matter with the away supporters. However, before matters could turn worse, some policemen and ground officials intervened to pull the bouncer away.
The incident highlights a very significant problem in Indian football. Due to the lack of bulk away supporters in most matches of the Indian Super League, the home and away stands are not marked very prominently, leading to a lot of clashes between opposing supporters. FC Goa fans faced a similar situation in last season’s ISL in Kochi. The away supporters came out with a lot of bruises from that affair.
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FC Goa has taken a lesson from the incident. They have announced measures to curb the possibility of reoccurrence ahead of their home game against Kerala Blasters. In a post on X (previously Twitter) on Thursday, the ISL club requested the travelling fans of Kerala Blasters to only purchase tickets for the designated away stand. The measure may help to avoid a faceoff between both group of supporters in a game where the adrenalines run high.
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