Mohun Bagan fans have raised their voices again, online and offline, against their club officials and football team investors.
Sanjiv Goenka led KGSPL, who are the majority shareholders of the 133-year-old club’s football division, drew the ire of the Mariners when they branded their deal with Mohun Bagan as a “merger of two clubs,” adding the brand prefix ‘ATK‘ (Associated with their defunct franchise Atletico de Kolkata, later called ATK FC after Atletico de Madrid left the venture) to the team’s name.
Press Release of Mohun Bagan AC’ executive committee
Regarding the matter of the removal of the prefix – ATK, it has been discussed at length and it has been decided to seek advice of Justice Ashim Roy regarding the legalities of the aspect, if required. Mr. Satyajit Chatterjee Asst. Gen. Secretary, Mr. Swapan Banerjee, Football Secretary and Mr. Manas Bhattacharya, Youth Football Secretary shall assist Mr. Debashis Dutta, General Secretary in this matter.
It is being observed that from the last few days some untoward incidents in the form of demonstration using abusive language to tarnish and defame this Century Old heritage and fame of Mohun Bagan is taking place in front of the Club premises which lastly ended up in demonstrating in front of the private residence of Mr. Debashis Dutta. This incident and all other related untoward matters have been unanimously condemned very strongly by the entire Executive Committee.
For the last 2 years, Mohun Bagan fans protested against the incursion on their club’s identity, despite many roadblocks including a ban on club flags and banners – something unheard of in modern day football – imposed by KGSPL during AFC Cup 2022. When the fans managed to sneak in their flags and banners anyway, the management sent police to the galleries in an attempt to take down the banners.
The fans are now calling for KGSPL’s departure from Mohun Bagan. The hashtag ‘#GoenkaOut’ trends has trended every day for the past couple of weeks on Twitter. And yesterday, a protest was organised by some of the fan groups in front of the club gates.
Last month, when the team was scheduled to play a friendly match with Chennaiyin FC, the management banned regular fans from attending the game, allowing entry only to card-holding members. But the protesting supporters showed up outside the stadium and held protests in front of the team bus as the players arrived.
