By Joseph Solomon,
AIFF Media Team

NEW DELHI: Football belongs to the Players who make it glamorous by their sizzling tricks captivating audience far and wide by their ethereal finesse whilst packaging the sport in a very ‘champagne’ like way – bubbly and exciting. However, it is the set of ardent and passionate fans which constitute the base of this champagne and with the right equilibrium it gives the sport a dazzling and a glittering outlook, much like the fizz which erupts out of a champagne bottle when it is un-corked.

This fizz of attaining the right balance – between the Club and the fan bases – has been practiced quiet successfully by Clubs around the World and prominent examples like Juventus, Manchester United and Barcelona, assert the importance of how fans can influence the outlook of a Team.

Spinning the globe and in India one such scenario of JSW Bengaluru FC and their set of supporters which has attained a perfect equilibrium stands out. ‘The Blue Army’ as they are dubbed have paved a way for the Indian Gen-Y to support their home Teams and take pride in the Football of the land. While one can bracket their approach as European, it certainly is a new vogue in Indian Football and seems to spiral upward gradually.

With the fizz enveloping Bengaluru every match day one fails to imagine that the inception of the support group started with a hand-full of fans. “There were 15 or so odd fans who showed up for the first training session of JSW Bengaluru FC and today there are thousands, that pour in from every corner of the city”, says Terry Larsen, a die-hard Bengaluru FC supporter and a prominent figure amongst the support group.

“It has been quite a fairytale for us. We started with few members and gradually it picked up pace”, he adds.

In the age of Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, Bengaluru FC used all forms of social media to add to their fan base through various fan engagement sessions. And soon Bengaluru stood up and polarized their footballing love into the Team.

“It is my opinion that Bengaluru FC have prioritized their fans. From Player-fan interactions to contests to match-day atmosphere, everything has been done keeping the fans in mind. And that is important because when you know the club is doing their best to do everything for you, you as a fan want to do everything to back them up”, opines Terry.

Regardless of age and gender, Fans poured in like melting iron into the casket that is Bengaluru FC and jousted in unison to support their home Team. Scenarios like Women donning Bengaluru FC jerseys instead of a Zara outlook and kids chanting names of their favorite Bengaluru FC Players seldom became sporadic.

“The fact that there are some many Football fans in Bengaluru, who were just waiting for something local to pour their passion into, happened”, expresses Ayeshni Dasgupta, who is one of the many faces of the massive outreach of the Club.

“Gen-Y is the most active part of the support, but tons of people from all ages and walks of life – ranging from a 2 year old kid to an 80 year old elder – come to cheer the Team”.

“The number of female fans is also pleasingly large”, she adds.

You inquire about the depth of their love towards the Club and Terry chalks out a simple modus-operandi. “You go for a game, you soak in the atmosphere, you fall in love with it and then it becomes contagious. You’ll as they say, ‘eat, sleep, pray’, about it.”

Another trait of support groups are the buzz and the hostile environment which they create for the opposing Teams. Bengaluru FC’s fan base has always kept this at the top of their to-do lists. “The buzz on match days is immense. You can feel it kick in well in advance. It is almost like war that we cannot use”, says Terry.

Albeit minute, the use of ‘we’ in the quote above perhaps tells us how large Bengaluru FC is in Bengaluru and how it is perceived by the new generation of fans – as an integral part of them.

“There is something or the other planned for every game, either a new chant, a march or a new banner”.

Ayeshni elaborates their take on match environment and says, “We plan on being loud and intimidating to the opposition, to make our home a place that they fear and respect.”

“There is a chant called ‘Santhosa’ which is in Kanada and roughly translates into ‘Play, play for the love of the game”, she adds.

With the Hero I-League coming to a photo finish in Bengaluru on Sunday (May 31, 2015), the support groups will be looking to create an environment to remember for the away Team, that are current league leaders McDowell’s Mohun Bagan.

“It does not get any bigger than this. These are the moments that you crave for as a fan. It would have been nicer to have wrapped up the title earlier, but winning it in the current scenario amid the pressure will be nonetheless sweeter”, says Terry.

Bengaluru FC need to win if they aim to retain their Hero I-League Title. With scenarios chalked, dices cast and the stage set, one can only fantasize about the environment which the fans are set to create. And that perhaps may prove pivotal for the Club.

The indulgence of fans in any sport is seen as a welcomed commodity. And with Indian football on an upward surge, one can also conclude that the Fan culture in India, seems not only limited to Kolkata, but touches every part of the country, indicating that the number of fans, which chant for their hometown Teams, are also on a gradual rise.