Lionel Messi’s visit to Kolkata turned into a nightmare for thousands of football fans who had waited, with bated breath, for a couple of months to see their idol, in flesh, in their city. But the sheer mismanagement of the Kolkata leg of the G.O.A.T. Tour pushed their patience to the brink. Frustrated fans ravaged the Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Krirangan after failing to catch a glimpse of ‘La Pulga,’ for whom they spent thousands, and many travelled hundreds of kilometres.
Every year, post-Durga Puja, the Kolkata, Bidhannagar, and West Bengal Police tend to post accounts and pictures gloating about the 'immense success' of the force in managing the crowds. But every tactic of the police personnel fell blunt before the raging crowd, who went ballistic after failing to catch a glimpse of their favourite football star.
Kolkata is known for its sports culture, and no words are to be minced when it comes to cricket and football. But the Messi-mess isn’t the first time that the City of Joy has seen complete discord and mayhem for a sports event. A trip down memory lane will show how the metropolis has plunged into anarchy, time and again, for sports.
1967 India vs West Indies Test at Eden Gardens
Kolkata had earlier seen skirmishes on the cricket field. In 1934, the English bowler Maurice Nichols had bowled a close ‘Bodyline’, which had angered the crowd present at Eden. The anger was justified, as the ‘Bodyline’ couldn’t have been bowled by mistake, as Douglas Jardine was the captain of the English test team and the mastermind behind the strategy. Again, in 1945, when Syed Mushtaq Ali was dropped from the team for a match against the Australian Services, defiant crowds marched with the slogan ‘No Mushtaq, No Test.’
The first real discord came in 1967. The test match between India and the West Indies began on the last day of 1966. As cricket was not played year-round as it is today, winter cricket matches against other nations were a winter festival. Sir Gary Sobers was leading the West Indies team. Along with Sobers, Calcutta cricket aficionados were eager to witness the likes of Rohan Kanhai, Conrad Hunte, Lance Gibbs, Wes Hall and Charlie Griffith play. The impending bedlam started brewing on the first day of play itself, when more people entered and packed the stadium beyond its holding capacity. Reason - Over 20,000 counterfeit tickets were sold. Disaster struck on Day 2, on New Year’s Day. Overcrowding at Eden led some attendees to jump over the fence to stand by the boundary. Police lathi-charged the crowd and burst tear gas shells to push them back. Legend says that an elderly gentleman was struck on the head by a police officer, seriously injuring him. That was the breaking point after which the angry crowd started attacking the police with whatever they could lay their hands on. The fence was torn apart, bricks were hurled, and the canvas roof was set alight.
Sir Sobers refused to take out his team to play on the third day. Indian captain Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, then-Chief Minister of West Bengal Prafulla Chandra Sen, and BCCI VP M.A. Chidambaram urged Sobers to continue the match. The issue was finally resolved by former West Indies captain and Eden legend Frank Worrell, who convinced Sobers to continue playing. The match resumed on January 4, in which the West Indies won convincingly.
Also Read | Messi’s fitness secret: From wine to fish- here’s what he eats
1980 Mohun Bagan vs East Bengal Derby at Eden Gardens
Compton Dutta-led Mohun Bagan and Satyajit Mitra’s East Bengal came face-to-face at the Eden Gardens on August 16, 1980 at Eden Gardens. Major football matches were played at Eden back then. Supporters, unlike other times, were made to sit together. In the 11th minute, East Bengal right back Dilip Palit committed a foul on Bidesh Bose, for which he was not punished by the referee, much to the annoyance of the present. Bidesh Bose retaliated in the 57th minute, for which he was shown a card. The discrimination against Bidesh Bose infuriated the fans.
Fights soon turned into riots. Fans jumped from high stands onto concrete floors, and several tried to escape through the narrow exits. This caused a stampede, killing 16 fans. The day is observed as ‘Football Lover’s Day’ since.
1984 India vs England Test at Eden Gardens
Former Indian skipper Sunil Gavaskar faced the wrath of the crowd in 1984, when Kapil Dev was dropped from the team ahead of the third test match against England. Crowds held ‘No Kapil, No Test’ posters, and even hurled a fruit at Gavaskar’s wife in protest of the decision to drop Kapil.
Also Read | IPL auction 2026: Meet uncapped players set to be the biggest talking points
1996 India vs Sri Lanka World Cup Cricket Semi-Final at Eden Gardens
The first semi-final of the 1996 ICC World Cup was held at Eden Gardens. Sri Lanka racked up 251 at a loss of 8 wickets, with Aravinda de Silva scoring 66, and Roshan Mahanama making 58. In India’s innings, Sachin Tendulkar was dismissed for 65 by Sanath Jayasuriya when India’s score read 98. India lost 6 wickets within the next 22 runs, sending the fans into a fit of rage. The attendees started throwing bottles on the field, forcing match referee Clive Lloyd to award the match to Sri Lanka. Vinod Kambli was still not out for 10 runs, and the decision left him crying.
2007 IFA Shield Final at Salt Lake Stadium
The 107th IFA Shield final at the Yuva Bharati Krirangan had to be abandoned after players started fighting on the field, following a 1-0 lead by Palmeiras over East Bengal. Brazilian coach Humberto Ferreira refused to continue the game, just 35 minutes into the first half. The final had to be cancelled.
2008 Diego Maradona’s Kolkata visit at Salt Lake Stadium
Much before Lionel Messi, Diego Maradona had visited Kolkata back in 2008. Chaos at the stadium forced the Argentine star to leave before the scheduled time, much like Messi. The Times of India had reported that journalists were beaten up by political functionaries the following day. The media was blamed for the discord at Salt Lake Stadium, for which they were attacked by policemen and political workers near Indira Bhawan in Salt Lake. Maradona’s visit to Maheshtala went smoothly, however.
2012 Mohun Bagan vs East Bengal Derby at Salt Lake Stadium
The Kolkata Derby turned bloody in 2012 after the Harmanjot Khabra-led East Bengal scored before half-time. Soon after, Mohun Bagan star Odafa Okolie hit the referee, for which he was given marching orders. Angry Mohun Bagan supporters threw rocks and stones on the pitch, which hit Mohun Bagan player Nabi on the head. Forty attendees were left injured, and Mohun Bagan abandoned the match, fow which it was cancelled.
