The underwhelming turnout for the World Cup Under-17 match between North Korea and Niger in Kochi on October 7. The total number of visitors stood at 2,754.These two photographs are not the same, but similar. The first photograph was taken a few days ago from Nehru Stadium at Kallur in Kochi during the Under-17 World Cup group D match between North Korea and Niger.
The crowd during the Federation Cup match held at Thrissur corporation stadium in 1990. Since the galleries were full, spectators were seated near the sidelines on the ground. Forty thousand football lovers turned up to watch the match.The second photograph is from the Thrissur Municipal Corporation Stadium. The picture itself tells its age -- it is a few decades old, 1990 to be precise. It was the inaugural match of Federation Cup, between Kerala Police and Salgaocar Goa.
It is fairly easy to spot the similarity -- they are both football matches. Now, what is not similar is the difference in the number of spectators in the two photos.
Due to technical issues and FIFA restrictions, the number of people who turned up to watch the World Cup match in Kochi was 2,754.
In contrast, when there were no restrictions, the number of people who swarmed the Thrissur Corporation Stadium stood at a spectacular 40,000. The stadium was full to the brim. Spectators were seated till the sidelines of the ground.
When the excitement of the game spread to the spectators, the makeshift galleries too danced precariously with their movements. Those were tense moments for organizers and spectators themselves when those in the galleries cheered and responded to the electrifying moments on the field.
It clearly proves that good teams and great players make a game memorable, and we can safely say that the Federation Cup match was no less than a World Cup fixture.
Canecharge threat
It was the Vishu day in 1990. Easter too was on that day. Three people were standing outside the corporation stadium literally pulling their hairs out, thinking what to do with the problem they have in their hands. The anguished three were the then district collector Somasundaram, DYSP A.R. Ramachandran, and executive engineer P.V. Antony.
Thousands of football fans were already inside the stadium while many were waiting outside. They decided to call DFA secretary O.K. Devassy who was the tournament's general convenor.
The DYSP made things clear -- the stadium's capacity of 35,000 was already over, but thousands of people were still waiting outside. He may have to resort to canecharge to disperse them, else they might gatecrash. What is the solution, the DYSP asked the general convener. Devassy thought for a moment and sought five minutes’ time. He then met the match commissioner.
One from the archives. Actor Rani Chandra meets players participating in the Chacola football tournament in 1970s. On the right is Victor Manjila, the former Indian international football goalkeeper and coach from Thrissur. The stadium was full then too.The match commissioner was briefed about the issue. He was requested not go by the book and cooperate. He agreed and people were let in. They literally invaded the stadium and occupied every available space, from the sidelines to galleries that were being built.
It looked like the galleries could collapse anytime as the crowd started cheering and their excitement grew. A terrified Devassy could not watch the match, and his gaze was fixed on the galleries near the Shakthan Thampuran memorial. The galleries on that side were moving along with the spectators and Devassy was praying to every god that had ever existed. And his prayers were answered -- and nothing happened those galleries. And, Kerala Police defeated Salgaocar Goa for 2-1.
The tournament ended with profits running into lakhs of rupees. The gallery built at a cost of Rs 13 lakh stands high in world football history. It had entered the Guinness World Records for being the largest and highest temporary stadium in the world that can hold 35,000 spectators at a height of 70 feet.
The World Cup match in Kochi and its measly visitor turnout would have rekindled the fond memories of the Federation Cup and Santosh Trophy matches of yore among football lovers from Thrissur.
Three decades later
Three decades on, the Thrissur corporation stadium has changed a lot. It became the first in the state to get a synthetic football turf and has a FIFA 2 star certification, the highest rating for artificial turf from the world football's governing body.
Will it see a turnout like that? Lack of good tournaments and football players have resulted in keeping spectators away from the game and the stadium. And football lovers in the district today have nothing more than fond memories of the past to sustain their love for the most beautiful game.
Devassy's organizational skills
O.K. Devassy with the photograph of the 2001 Santosh Trophy winning Kerala team in the background. He was the team manager then.O.K. Devassy now lives behind Lourdes Cathedral Thrissur and is all of 78. But he has enough energy in him to set up another gallery and bring back the crowds to the game.
He had pawned his house to sign the contract to build the gallery for the Federation Cup and other tournaments. If something untoward had happened and the organizers couldn't pay compensation, then the entire burden would have fallen on him. The love for the game and enthusiasm got the better of him then which would perhaps be impossible today.
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He was the secretary of the district football association and was in the forefront organizing big tournaments. The Santosh Trophy matches in 2000 was an example of his organization skills. Devassy was the team manager when Kerala won the Santosh Trophy final in Mumbai in 2001. He was also the team manager of the India team for a match.
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