16th August, 1980: A ‘Black Day’ for sports

For the 1980-81 season, Mohun Bagan was quite a formidable side on pen-and-paper. On the other hand, arch rivals East Bengal looked a bit weaker, some of their star players of the previous season being left for Mohammedan Sporting. Yet, the battle was on for the first meeting of the season of the two Calcutta giants in the CFL tie at Eden Gardens, since derby or the ‘boro-match‘ is always considered as the 50-50 match. 

There’s a popular opinion in maidan, that EB coach PK Banerjee motivatedly instigated his team’s Dilip Palit to take on Mohun Bagan’s brilliant left winger Bidesh Bose. Palit, actually a left back, was shifted to the other flank for the purpose. Few minutes into the game and Palit was up to his task, charging ugly and unsporting tackles on Bidesh. At one time, gentleman Bidesh lost his cool and retaliated. That triggered the gallery. The fans of  the two teams got involved in a serious brawl, resulting in the police forces to ‘lathi-charge’ heavily. The crowd all started to rush down the gallery, falling one over the other, as many as 14 youths got stampeded to death on spot, 2 died later even after being rushed to hospital. 

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Mohun Bagan in Group C of ACL2

AFC Champions League Two Draw

Mohun Bagan has been drawn into Group C of the AFC Champions League Two ‘2025–26, Asia’s second-tier club competition.

The other three contenders of the group are:

    • Sepahan SC (Iran) – Persian Gulf Pro League runners-up

    • Al Hussein SC (Jordan) – Jordanian Pro League champions

    • Ahal FC (Turkmenistan) – Yokary Liga runners-up.

The draw took place in Kuala Lumpur on 15th August, adding a poetic layer to the club’s historic foundation day and nation’s independence day.

Here are the group game fixtures of Mohun Bagan in ACL2 as per the latest updates available from AFC.

Meme courtesy: MBSG Official Media and AFC

Club celebrates 15th August

15th August is an immensely symbolic and significant date for Mohun Bagan — not just because it is Independence Day of India, but because it surprisingly coincides with the foundation day of the club in 1889, making it one of the oldest active football clubs in Asia and a cultural icon in Indian sports history.

Mohun Bagan’s inception in 1889 during the British colonial regime was seen as a patriotic act, a response to the colonial dominance in sports. Their legendary barefooted IFA Shield win in 1911 against East Yorkshire Regiment became a rallying cry for Indian nationalism and freedom movement.

Every Independence Day, the club commemorates its roots with tributes, flag hoisting, and cultural events that blend football with freedom.

This year too, the club officials hoisted the National tricolour, as well as, the Club’s green-and-maroon flag in the prestigious club lawn to commemorate 79th and 137th Anniversary of the Nation’s independence and club’s establishment respectively.