Malappuram: Abdu Samad Pookkottur, State Secretary of the Sunni Yuvajana Sangham (SYS) and a prominent leader of Samastha Kerala Jamiyyathul Ulama, has questioned the growing culture of spending money on football-related flex boards and banners in Malappuram, arguing that such funds could be better used to support poor families and relatives.

Speaking at a function in  Mamburam, amid the football fever that has gripped parts of northern Kerala, particularly Malappuram district, Pookkottur said many young people are willing to wake up in the early hours of the morning to watch football matches but often fail to show the same commitment to religious worship.

The Samastha leader criticised the practice of erecting large fan displays and hoisting the flags of foreign football nations. He argued that many of the countries supported by fans continue to carry colonial-era attitudes and have histories marked by racial discrimination. According to him, football enthusiasts rarely protest against racism faced by players but enthusiastically celebrate and promote those same nations through banners and flex boards.

“Why should people spend money to raise the flags of countries associated with colonialism, racism and discrimination?” he asked, while stressing that he was not opposed to people enjoying football as a sport.

Pookkottur also cited Islamic teachings on avoiding wasteful expenditure, saying that money spent on fan displays could instead be used to assist poor relatives and struggling families. He claimed that some of the youth involved in putting up football flex boards come from economically distressed households, with family debts and other pressing financial responsibilities.

His remarks have triggered discussion on social media and among football fans in Malappuram, a district known for its passionate support of international football teams, particularly during major tournaments such as the FIFA World Cup and Copa America.