Mohun Bagan 2 – 2 New York Cosmos

Mohun Bagan’s illustrious history is a veritable cornucopia of unforgettable memories. Amidst this treasure-trove of golden moments, a cynosure of attraction is the famous Mohun Bagan vs Cosmos match, which featured Pele, arguably the greatest player the game has ever produced. Mohun Bagan is the only Indian club to have the rare and historic distinction of playing against the legendary Pele, that too on home soil. Apart from Pele, great players like Cinnalia ,Miffin, Alberto, Roth ,Keith Eddie and Tonyfield also graced the occasion. This article takes you down the meandering lanes of history to the year 1977 and relives the euphoria surrounding Pele’s visit to Calcutta.

PROLOGUE
This memorable event in the history of Indian football was the result of the vision and indomitable zeal of Mr. Dhiren Dey.it was his long cherished dream to present Pele before the Indian spectators. Initial attempts on his part were scuppered by the Cosmos club authorities demand of a whooping 4 crore rupees for playing a match in India. Determined not to give up Mr Dey directly contacted Pele and urged him to don his jersey on Indian soil–a land where his name spelt magic and millions of people were crazy simply to catch a glimpse of him in action. This emotional appeal struck an responsive chord in Pele’s heart and he took upon himself the responsibility of convincing the club officials. After some dilly-dallying the Cosmos officials finally decided to send their star-studded team to play against Mohun Bagan.

The Air India aircraft carrying the Cosmos football team landed at the Dum Dum airport on 22nd.September,1977 at 11.15 p.m. A mammoth crowd ,the like of which Calcutta has never seen, gathered at the airport to accord a grand welcome to Pele.Conch shells and trumpets were blown as legions of football lovers gathered on either side of the route through which Pele was driven to his hotel(The Grand Hotel).A huge ocean of humanity congregated in front of the Grand Hotel and they went delirious with joy as Pele alighted from his vehicle. The mass hysteria that Pele’s visit generated remains unparalleled till date in Calcutta’s history. The warmth and love that people showered on Pele moved him deeply, and he remarked “What an amazing crowd!”.

It rained heavily on the 23rd. and it was widely feared that rain might play spoil-sport. Speculation was rife among sceptics that Pele might not play on the soggy Eden Gardens pitch. However, a great human being that he was Pele declared that nothing apart from an absolute meteorological calamity could prevent him from taking the field. The vibes surrounding his visit had carved a niche in Pele’s heart and he was determined not to let rain dampen the spirit.

THE MATCH
The 80,000 strong capacity crowd giving a thunderous ovation as the Cosmos and Mohun Bagan players took the field. The defining chant of “Pele Pele Pele” rent the air, as the referee blew his whistle to signal the start of the match. Fortunately the rain had held up but the ground was still slashy. Both teams started on a cautious note with occasional forays into the rival territory. One such move saw the Cosmos team opening the score. Cosmos drew first blood in the 17th. minute. A brilliant through ball from Pele split the Mohun Bagan defence and an overlapping Alberto tucked the ball into the net. However Mohun Bagan evened the score in the very next minute .Habib initiated a brilliant move, dribbling past a couple of Cosmos players and passed the ball to Akbar. Akbar evaded a diving tackle from Morais and gave the ball to Shyam Thapa whose brilliant punch found the net. The stadium erupted with delirious joy .P.K Banerjee ,the Mohun Bagan coach had deployed Goutam Sarkar as Pele’s marker. The match witnessed a mesmerizing duel between the two. On one occasion, Pele evaded Goutam Sarkar with an impeccable chest-trap and dribbled his way into the Mohun Bagan box. A desperate Shivaji Banerjee jumped full stretch to snatch the ball from Pele’s feet .In a rare gesture of true sportsmanship Pele jumped over the Mohun Bagan goalie into the Mohun Bagan net keeping Shivaji’s countenance intact in the process. This noble gesture drew a warm round of applause from the audience. In the 23rd. minute Akbar took a powerful 30 yard stinging long-ranger. The ball ricocheted off a diving Yesin, the Cosmos goalkeeper and landed before Habib who romped home with a powerful strike. Mohun Bagan shot ahead 2-1 much to the joy of the home crowd. In the dying moments of the first half Cosmos mounted pressure on the Mohun Bagan territory and nearly scored on two occasions. First, Pele took an enthralling 30 yard free-kick that curled viciously past the Mohun Bagan wall and brushed against the cross-piece. The trajectory of the ball left the audience spell-bound with amazement. On another occasion, Sivaji Banerjee pulled off a stupendous save to deny Cannilia who took a blinding shot at goal from close range. Thanks to Shivaji Banerjee, who guarded the Mohun Bagan citadel like a man possessed, Mohun Bagan led by the odd goal in three at half-time. Mohun Bagan made five substitutions in the second half and played a more defensive game. The game did not reach the same lofty heights that the first half witnessed. Pele took another brilliant free-kick in the second half. He gently chipped the ball over the Mohun Bagan wall to Cannilia who passed to Field. However Field failed to score from close range. In the 70th. minute Mohun Bagan conceded a penalty when a Sudhir Karmakar sliding tackle found the referee pointing to the dreaded spot. Cannilia made it 2-2 and the match ended at that score .The crowd walked back home replete with memories of a historic and momentous event in Indian football. The Mohun Bagan players played their hearts out against a formidable opponent comprising of legendary greats of the game and earned the kudos of one and all. The next day the Ananda Bazar Patrika, described Goutam Sarkar as “India’s very own Beckenbaur”.(Incidentally Beckenbaur was scheduled to play against Mohun Bagan but an ankle injury in the previous game prevented him from doing so.)

EPILOGUE
Mohun Bagan threw a banquet in the evening at Grand hotel in honour of the Cosmos players. On behalf of Mohun Bagan Chuni Goswami presented Pele with a glittering diamond ring. Pele praised the Mohun Bagan players effusively and commented that the hosts could have led 4-1 at half-time had they not bungled chances.He particularly showered praise on Goutam Sarkar,Subrata Bhattacharyya,Pradip Chowdhury,Habib,Bidesh Bose and Shivaji Banerjee.During the party,Pele gave an affectionate pat on Goutam Sarkar’s back and said: “You No.14 did not allow me to move”. On 25th.September,Pele bid adieu to Calcutta but left behind a treasure-trove of fond memories to cherish a life-time. This match marked the end of Pele’s contract with Cosmos. It was the penultimate match of Pele’s illustrious career. He played his last farewell match at New Jersey on 1st. October. Years later, during the 1990 World Cup Shyam Sunder Ghosh, a reporter of The Statesman asked Pele about his memories of the match. Pele reminisced: “I still remember Calcutta and also some memorable occasions, particularly goalkeeper Shivaji Banerjee who dived to save a goal on my feet which I could have scored. This incident was the best in Eden Gardens. “This match will always stand out as on of the brightest feathers in Mohun Bagan’s cap during its long and glorious history.

 

Composed by Joydeep Bhattacharya – Nov 2004

Mohun Bagan 6 – 1 Dalhousie Club

This is perhaps the first football trophy won by Mohun Bagan and it had it elements of drama.The match was played in Chinsurah,a suburban town close to Calcutta.Dalhousie had just won the IFA Shield ,the most prestigious tournament of the time,pipping Calcutta Football Club(CFC) 4-3 in a nail-biting final.As Indian teams were barred from participating in the IFA Shield this match generated tremendous interest among the local people as it pitted the IFA Shield Champions against the emerging giant of football–Mohun Bagan.Dalhousie fresh from their triumph against CFC,an awesome team in the pre-independent era,were the more fancied side.On the day of the match both the teams boarded the same train from Sealdah station.On seeing only seven opponent players a MB player naively asked their captain about the remaining four players.”Only 7 men are enough to beat you natives”, came the reply.The arrogance of the answer sparked within the Mohun Baganis an indomitable zeal to beat the English side.Dalhousie fielded their full squad–the same one that had won the IFA Shield–the other 4 players arrived via Howrah.The Mohun Bagan players took the field with a lot of fire in their bellies and with the irrestible urge to give a fitting reply to the arrogant British for casting a racial slur on Indians.Mohun Bagan literally toyed with Dalhousie and drubbed them 6-1.Shibdas Bhaduri scored the first two goals.This win sparked wild celebrations among the Indians.It gave them a platform to give vent to the rebellious spirit that was gaining momentum against British oppression.The game transcended the boundaries of an ordinary sport and became symbolic of the fight of the valint sons of Mother India against the British despots.This match holds a very special place in the annals of history as it heralded the arrival of a new star on the horizon of India-Mohun Bagan–a star that still shines with dazzling brilliance 115 years down the line.

This match marked the initiation of Mohun Bagan into the mainstream of Indian nationalism and the club became a burning symbol of Indian patriotism.Mohun Bagan became symbolic of the aspirations of millions of Indians. While the Britishers were determined to divide India along racial and religious lines the nascent spirit of Mohun Bagan started a counter revolution of sorts embracing people from all over the land and bringing them under the Green and Maroon banner.Mohun Bagan’s triumphs and failures became synonymous with the vicissitudes of India in its quest for freedom.The arrival of the club unlocked the dreams in the hearts of the Indian people long suppressed by imperialistic forces and gave them wings to fly high and free.Thus when barefooted men in green and maroon took the field against any English side the match transcended the barriers of an ordinary game and became symbolic of India’s fight for freedom.The heroics of the players on the field became the stuff of legends and folklores and contributed to the mounting rebellion against the British.This rich history and legacy is what sets Mohun Bagan a class apart from all other clubs especially those who clung to geographically localised and religious identities.Just as our national falg is sacred our national club Mohun Bagan is also sacred as it has been consecrated by the sweat and blood of the Green and Maroon warriors who fought against the British on the field and inspired others in their fight off the field.”If we can beat them on the field we can also beat them off the field”—-MB’s triumphs infused this powerful message into the collective psyche of a nation languishing in ill-conceived notions of inferiority.It awakened them from years of slumber and instilled in them a sense of national pride.This is the contribution of Mohun Bagan to the cause of Indian history.Can any club beat that?

 

Composed: Joydeep Bhattacharya – Nov 2004

On 26th, 27th and 28th May, 2006, there was a unique program shown on Doordarshan’s DD-Bangla channel at 9.40 pm on Mariners.

There was a title song sung by Devdas/Parineeta fame artist, Mr. Raghav Chattopadhyay, music given by Mr.
Kalyan Sen Barat on the lyric of Mr. Avijeet Sarkar. The lyrics was indeed a very, very attractive lyric that has been penned by Mr. Sarkar as ” Sabuj a Merun a Ki Uchchhas “. Overall the song was very good and matched perfectly with the spirits of Mohun Bagan.

A tremendous narration was given by inimitable voice, our super star of silver screen, Mr. Saumitra Chattapadhyay, who himself is a real Mohunbagani. A special thanks should have gone to the Information Bureau of West Benagal Government for providing clippings of some of Mohun Bagan’s matches/activities when there was no TV. Also, the
noted journalist Mr. Moti Nandy provided some narrations on some glorious past of MB, during its earlier years.

Interviews with some noted personalities like Sailen Manna, Chuni Goswami, Manna Dey, Badru Banerjee, Subrata Bhattacharya, Gurbax Singh, Gautam Sarkar, Prasun Bannerjee, P.K. Bannerjee, Amal Dutta, Arun Sinha etc. was the highlight of the program.

Mr. Moti Nandi told about the glorious past of MB in the initial years including the historic 1911 Shield winning. He told how Bengalis as well as non Bengali Indians, irrespective of their caste, religion, and language supported MB in the football ground when MB fought against any English team. He also told how MB was a symbol of Indian freedom movement. We came to know that in Traders Cup, MB beat Dalhousie, Calcutta Club etc in big margin in those days, that was a tremendous result. MB players were playing bare footed against English men’s boot. Mr. Amal Dutta told that in India, MB has the maximum number of supporters in comparison with other clubs. Other personalities told how they used to be motivated by MB.

Some old/nostalgic clippings were shown as under: –

1) Some clippings of MB’s 75 years of platinum jubilee celebration. The said celebration took place for continuous 75 days. There was a huge program of sports including football, hockey, cricket, athletics, tennis etc. The then top club Hungarian Tatabania Football Team came to play with MB and the match was held on MB ground.

2) In Athletics, noted gold medal winner athletes from East Germany participated and the event was held on MB ground.

3) In Hockey, MB played with the Olympic gold medal winner India team.

4) In Cricket, there was an invitation match between the Commonwealth XI led by Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi and World XI led by Sir Garfield Sobers. The match was held in Eden Gardens.

5) In Tennis also, India’s famous players participated.

The then Chief Minister Late Prafulla Chandra Sen, Atulya Ghosh ( A Blind MB supporter), His Excellency Governor Mrs. Padmaja Naidu, Gosto Pal, Balaidas Chatterjee, all noted personalities were present.

It was a grand celebration for 75 days, no other club in India could stage such a celebration.

6) Some clippings of the Historic match against Cosmos, led by world’s most famous and legendary footballer, Pele held on 24.9.1977 at the Eden Gardens were shown. The ambience and gathering at the Eden Gardens was awesome, the full credit has gone to our beloved late General Secretary Mr. Dhiren Dey. The match ended in 2-2. Mohun Bagan was leading 2-1 after Cosmos took the early lead. The late equalizer came from Cosmos via penalty.

7) In 1990, Mohun Bagan invited another world class football team, Cameroon’s National team, led by Roger Milla. Some clippings of that match were also shown.

8) Some clippings of MB matches, where MB could beat their arch rival, EB in Fed Cup, NFL etc were shown. The pictures of Green and Maroon flags in gallery with fans cheering up were most enjoyable. Snap of the famous backvolley goal by Shyam Thapa was shown.

9) Mohun Bagan is the only club in India, in whose centenary celebration in 1989, a first day cover stamp was issued from the Indian Post and Telegraph Department, which was indeed a great honour.

10) In 1989, holy Ganges water was brought into club tent from the pilgrimage, Hardwar.

11) 1964, at the inaugural of our platinum jubilee celebration, the torch like Olympic torch was enlightened throughout the 75 days of celebration, and the torch was enlightened by none other than Mr. Chuni Goswami at our club ground.

12) Mr. Manna Dey told us stories about his fight with Mr. S. D. Burman regarding Mohunbagan-East Bengal. He also told us that the Megastar Mr. Amitava Bachchan himself is also a Mohunbagani.

13) On silver screen also, Mohun Bagan’s name has come all along, all times e.g. Film “Dhanni Meye”, where we see that in the morning after praying to God, Uttam Kumar was seen praying before the images of Sibdas Bhaduri, Gosto Paul etc ( though Uttam and Ray were also blind MB fans ) Ray’s film Jana Arannya and others etc. etc.

14) In those days, Mr. Dhiren Dey handed over Rs. 50000 as donation to our then chief minister Late Dr. Bidhan Roy, he also donated money to the then prime minister late Jawaharlal Nehru etc.

In addition, there was also interviews from our rival camps, like Mr. Kalyan Majumder, ex-footballer Mr. Bomkesh Basu etc. Even they have acknowledged the status, spirit, culture, MB’s ” freedom fighting ” on the football ground etc. The statement of Mr. Basu that “The status of the members of Mohun Bagan Club were much higher than us” is noteworthy.

We also came to know from the program that in India only there are many names of roads on Mohun Bagan footballers, like Gosto Pal, Sailen Manna, Sibdas Bhaduri, Umapati Kumar, Kirti Mitra also there is a road itself named by Mohun Bagan lane. It is a unique fact and incomparable in India.

Overall the program was a successful one, though few other clipping could have been added like the Akbar goal, 1976 triumph of Mariners etc.

Indeed a great tribute shown to The National Club of India. Thanks Doordarshan.
SOME EXCLUSIVE PICTURES FROM THE PROGRAM:

 

REPORT: R. D. BURMAN (A DEDICATED MARINERS SUPPORTER )