'Boycott management, but abandoning team is not loyalty,' CK Vineeth tells Kerala Blasters fans

C K Vineeth, once a fan favourite at Kerala Blasters, is on a mission to educate the club's supporters who have been boycotting home matches in the Indian Super League (ISL).

In a couple of social media posts, including a long video, Vineeth said boycotting matches was not the right way to register a protest. “Boycott is not the right way. A boycott doesn’t just affect the management, it affects the players, coaches, officials, investors and sponsors,” Vineeth said in a video posted on Instagram.

“I’ll join you if you decide to protest by raising banners,” said the former star player, who was in attendance at the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium in Kochi on April 18, when the Blasters posted their second win of the season, and a first at home, against Jamshedpur (2-0).

The former India international from Kannur said he would be at the stadium for the Blasters’ next home match against Odisha FC on April 23.

The Blasters’ fan groups, including the most popular one, Manjappada, have launched a major protest against the management. The Manajappada has accused the management of “lacking clear footballing vision” and has demanded the ouster of 'those incapable of running' the club, among other things.

“When Kerala Blasters was launched, football fans flowed to the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi, turning it into a sea of yellow.

“That yellow wall was a strength for us when I played. The visiting teams were scared of the galleries packed with about 60,000 fans. That yellow sea showed the true passion of football in the Malayali hearts. But today, that stadium is empty,” Vineeth said.

The former winger said having fans in the galleries matters more than having a huge number of followers on social media. “I always say that Kerala Blasters fans are needed in the galleries, not on social media. It has been common to see attendance climb with each Kerala Blasters win and fall with each defeat. But is it normal for the numbers to fall this low? That needs introspection.”

‘Business of loss’
According to Vineeth, a large section of the fans raising the slogan ‘Magnum Out’, demanding a change of management, was not the right move either. “Football is a business, and who will invest in a club that is running at a loss? We are aware of the situation of global giants City Group after they invested in Indian football,” Vineeth said.

Vineeth spent three seasons at the Blasters, starting in 2015, and scored some memorable goals. He had initially joined on loan from Bengaluru FC, but when he left, he was the Blasters’ leading Indian goalscorer with 11 goals, including in their race to a second ISL final.

“I didn’t leave Kerala Blasters by my choice. I was forced to exit. But I see that as part of professional football. Selling and buying players is part of the business of football. It is very common in football.

“As for ticket revenue, it is true that you spend your hard-earned money to buy tickets. But that is how fans across the world watch football. That is the same even in our seven’s football. So to use that as an argument is childish.”