Kolkata Derby Explained

Kolkata Derby
Other Names:Boro Match (Big Match)
First Contested:
Teams Involved:
Mostrecent:Mohun Bagan 1–2 East Bengal
2024 Calcutta Premier Division (13 July 2024)
Total:

398
: 373[3]

Series:Total:
East Bengal: 142
Mohun Bagan: 129
Drawn: 127
Competitive:
East Bengal: 137
Mohun Bagan: 119
Drawn: 117
Top Scorer:Bhaichung Bhutia (19)
Largestvictory: 5–0
30 September 1975
[4]
Broadcasters:Sports18 (Indian Super League)
Map Location:India Kolkata
Map Mark1:Red pog.svg
Coordinates1:22.5597°N 88.3434°W
Map Label1 Position:right
Map Mark2:Green pog.svg
Coordinates2:22.5621°N 88.3397°W
Map Label2 Position:left
Map Mark3:blue pog.svg
Coordinates3:22.569°N 88.409°W
Map Label3 Position:top

The Kolkata Derby (locally known as "Boro Match") is the football match in Kolkata, between East Bengal and Mohun Bagan.[5] The rivalry between these two teams is over 100 years old, and the matches witnessed large audience attendance and rivalry between patrons. It is considered to be one of the biggest Asian footballing rivalry. The first match was played on 8 August 1921 in Cooch Behar Cup and latest match of this historical derby was played on 10 March 2024 in Indian Super League. The Kolkata Derby is considered to be greatest derby in Asian Football and also one of the biggest derbies in the world.[6]

The two clubs meet at least 3 times a year, twice in the Indian Super League and once in the Calcutta Football League. Often these two clubs met in other competitions like the Durand Cup, IFA Shield, Super Cup etc.

Both clubs have large and dedicated fan bases around the world, and represent a specific class of Bengali people, Mohun Bagan represents people existing in the western part of Bengal (known as Ghotis), while East Bengal is primarily supported by people hailing from the eastern part of pre-independence Bengal (known as Bangals). Culturally, this derby is very similar to the Scottish Professional Football League's Old Firm derby, since a majority of the Mohun Bagan supporters represent the 'nativist' population (similar to Rangers) and a majority of the East Bengal fans represent the 'immigrant' population (similar to Celtic).[7] [8] The celebrations of a derby win is traditionally marked with dishes prepared from either ilish or golda chingri, depending on which team wins.[9] The East Bengal supporters celebrate their win with ilish courses, being associated to the eastern region of Bengal (now Bangladesh), where as the Mohun Bagan fans celebrate with courses of golda chingri.[10] [11] [12]

Origins

Mohun Bagan is one of the oldest existing club of India having been established in 1889 in the city, then known under its anglicized name, Calcutta and till date one of the two most successful clubs in India, the other being East Bengal. The significant British influence in what was, until 1911, the nation's capital, ensured the game flourished, drawing players from other regions, and it is against this backdrop in which today's rivalry took root.[13]

In 1920, the Jora Bagan club took field against Mohun Bagan who chose play without their star halfback Sailesh Bose, much to the chagrin of club vice-president Suresh Chandra Chaudhuri.[14] Such was the industrialist's displeasure, he decided to form a new club and East Bengal was born. As Chaudhuri and his co-founders hailed from eastern part of Bengal, essentially now modern-day Bangladesh, the club became an identity for the people who migrated from that region during the partition of Bengal. This resulted in the clubs being backed by two different socioeconomic groups, although this has largely changed over period of time. The first ever clash happened on 8 August 1921 in Cooch Behar Cup semifinal which ended in a goalless draw. Mohun Bagan would win the following replayed match on 10 August 1921 by defeating East Bengal 3–0, courtesy to the goals from Rabi Ganguly, Paltu Dasgupta and Abhilash Ghosh. But due to tournaments like this not regarded as official events and Calcutta Football League being the only official competition, the first official meeting is considered to be the CFL match-up held on 28 May 1925 at the Calcutta Football Ground (now Mohun Bagan Ground) where East Bengal won 1–0 with the help of a solitary goal from Nepal Chakraborty.[15] [16] [17] [18]

Due to a lack of proper maintenance and restoration of data, after many pieces of research, the overall matches including competitive, walkovers and friendly matches data have been retrieved as far as possible. Though the data is just an approximation, as of 13 July 2024, it is believed that the tally of overall meetings stands at 398 matches up till now, where East Bengal have been triumphant 142 times while Mohun Bagan 129 times, which also includes walkover wins.[3]

Colours

Traditional

Notes and References

  1. Web site: First meeting. sportstar.thehindu.com. April 2016 . 10 August 2020. 6 August 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200806170805/https://sportstar.thehindu.com/football/the-kolkata-derby-they-met-as-early-as-in-1921/article17221788.ece. live.
  2. Web site: A trip down memory lane.
  3. Web site: Sharma. Amitabha Das. ISL 2020-21, Kolkata Derby: Stats add intrigue to East Bengal vs Mohun Bagan rivalry. 2021-11-27. Sportstar. 27 November 2020. en. 27 November 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211127163159/https://sportstar.thehindu.com/football/isl/isl-news/isl-2020-21-news-kolkata-derby-east-bengal-vs-atk-mohun-bagan-eb-vs-mb-statistics-history-rivalry-wins-losses-draws/article33183552.ece. live.
  4. Web site: Kolkata Derby’s Most Notable Encounter – East Bengal 5-0 Mohun Bagan. 16 May 2024.
  5. Web site: クリケットの街から眺めるインドサッカー界の未来. The future of Indian football seen from the city of cricket. ja. vice.com. Vice Japan. Kit. Caless. 19 February 2017. 28 February 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20220128164820/https://www.vice.com/ja/article/ywqwyj/in-search-of-indias-football-culture-with-mumbai-fcs-yellow-brigade. 28 January 2022.
  6. Web site: Adnan Bhat. The Kolkata derby: Asia's fiercest footballing rivalry. 2020-09-17. www.aljazeera.com. 26 August 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190826125159/https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/kolkata-derby-asia-fiercest-footballing-rivalry-180424202807467.html. live.
  7. Web site: 100 years of Kolkata derby. 19 February 2021 . 4 May 2021. 4 May 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210504142826/https://sportstar.thehindu.com/football/isl/kolkata-derby-100-years-of-passion-perseverance-and-emotion/article33880520.ece. live.
  8. Web site: Kolkata derby history. 4 May 2021. 4 May 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210504144330/https://www.indiansuperleague.com/features/how-kolkata-derby-came-into-being-and-what-it-means-to-the-inhabitants-of-the-city. live.
  9. Web site: Sen . Shomini . East Bengal vs Mohun Bagan: The War Between Hilsa and Prawns . News18 . 7 September 2016 . 27 March 2022 . 27 March 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220327161151/https://www.news18.com/news/buzz/east-bengal-vs-mohun-bagan-the-war-between-hilsa-and-prawns-1290199.html . live .
  10. Web site: Nag . Utathya . Mohun Bagan vs East Bengal rivalry: Divided by cultures, united by passion . Olympics . Olympics . 27 March 2022 . 27 March 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220327155600/https://olympics.com/en/featured-news/mohun-bagan-vs-east-bengal-kolkata-derby-indian-football-history-origin . live .
  11. Web site: Old Firm in Calcutta. 16 May 2024.
  12. Web site: 16th August: The day of eternal shame in Indian football. 16 May 2024.
  13. Web site: Mohun Bagan: Blaze of Glory. 16 May 2024.
  14. Web site: কলকাতা ডার্বি . September 2018 . sobbanglay.com . 7 July 2019 . 19 November 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181119132712/https://sobbanglay.com/sob/kolkata-derby/ . live .
  15. Web site: Mohun Bagan vs East Bengal rivalry beyond the football pitch. 16 May 2024.
  16. Web site: Kolkata derby: Inside the East Bengal v Mohun Bagan rivalry. 16 May 2024.
  17. Web site: The Kolkata Derby: They met as early as in 1921!. 16 May 2024.
  18. Web site: The Kolkata Derby: 100 years and more, dividing people but also bringing them together. 16 May 2024.
  19. Web site: History – 1960 – 1969. 16 May 2024.
  20. Web site: 1960 -1965: When Chuni Goswami & co propelled Mohun Bagan to the zenith of success. 16 May 2024.
  21. Web site: Indian Football: Down the memory lane - East Bengal’s ‘Golden era’ of 1970s. 16 May 2024.
  22. Web site: Mohun Bagan's ATK Merger – What Do the Fans Think?. 2020-01-21. The Quint. en. 2020-01-24. 22 January 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200122163830/https://www.thequint.com/sports/football/mohun-bagan-atk-merger-isl-fans-verdict-ileague-2020. live.
  23. Web site: The real meaning of the Kolkata Derby. 2017-02-13. Economic Times Blog. en-US. 2020-01-12. 11 December 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191211113134/https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/blogs/flavours-of-kolkata/the-real-meaning-of-the-kolkata-derby/. live.
  24. Web site: Revisiting 16th August, 1980: The darkest day in the history of Indian Football as 16 died in Eden Gardens Debacle - Goal.com. Goal.com. 2 April 2019. 1 December 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161201155047/http://www.goal.com/en-india/news/1064/i-league/2016/08/16/26560182/revisiting-16th-august-1980-the-darkest-day-in-the-history. live.
  25. Web site: The Blackest Day Of Calcutta Maidan Through My Eyes. Rana. Das. 16 August 2016. English.kolkata24x7.com. 2 April 2019. 2 April 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190402195005/https://english.kolkata24x7.com/blackest-day-calcutta-maidan.html/. live.
  26. Web site: K Bhaskaran. Counting chickens before the eggs are laid. rediff.com. 20 June 2021. 23 July 1997. 24 June 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210624221922/http://m.rediff.com/sports/jul/23b.htm. live.
  27. Web site: Bose. Saibal. Bhutia's barrage batters Bagan. The Indian Express. 5 February 2017. 14 July 1997. 31 August 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210831032543/https://indianexpress.com/article/news-archive/bhutias-barrage-batters-bagan. live.
  28. Web site: Mohun Bagan beat East Bengal 5-3. 16 May 2024.
  29. Web site: Chidi shines in Mohun Bagan's historic win. 16 May 2024.
  30. Web site: Hassan . Mohammed . 2015-12-24 . Do Dong-hyun: Birth of a new Hero in Calcutta Football League 2015 . 2024-02-12 . Indian Football Blog . en-US.
  31. Web site: Shoubhik. Mukhopadhyay. East Bengal & Calcutta Football League: A Sublime Romantic Saga - Hero I-League. 10 September 2015. 25 September 2019. i-league.org. I-League. https://web.archive.org/web/20190925033144/https://i-league.org/east-bengal-calcutta-football-league-a-sublime-romantic-saga/. 25 September 2019.
  32. Web site: Mohun Bagan Star Kiyan Nassiri Giri recalls hat-trick heroics in Kolkata Derby. 16 May 2024.
  33. Web site: TROPHY ROOM - Mohun Bagan Athletic Club . 18 September 2019 . 10 June 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190610125221/https://themohunbaganac.com/trophy-room-2/ . live .
  34. Web site: Trophy Room of Quess East Bengal FC | Official Website . 13 November 2019 . 9 June 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190609144419/https://www.eastbengalfootballclub.com/trophy-room.php . live .

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