Kerala Blasters fans have reported suffering injuries from missiles thrown by the supporters of Mohammedan Sporting during Sunday's Indian Super League match in Kolkata that ended in a 2-1 away win.
"Most of us were lucky to be not injured. But one youngster bled from his nose after being hit by a stick, and another felt briefly unwell from a bottle that hit his chest," said Somu P Joseph, who was among the 100-odd Blasters fans in attendance at Kishore Bharati Krirangan Sunday evening.
Somu, a member of Manjappada, the Blasters' largest fan group, frequently travels for away games. He was also in the stands during the Blasters' first away match of the season against NorthEast United at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati and the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar for their second away game against Odisha, both of which ended in draws.
"In all away games, travelling fans sit in segregated areas for safety reasons. It is normal to have some banter between rival fans; we have experienced that everywhere. But in the first two away matches, nothing of this sort happened. Here (against Mohammedan), it was hooliganism," Somu said.
"Normally, the league and the home team stations bouncers and policemen for the safety of the away fans. But here, there was nothing like that. The policemen at the stadium just stood and watched as the Mohammedan fans threw bottles filled with water, sticks and chappals," he said.
The Blasters fans complained that paper cups with chewed pan and spit were also flung across into the away fans' end. "How can travelling fans feel safe in such an environment? Unacceptable," Somu said before flying home.
The Kerala Blasters issued a statement condemning the behaviour of the Mohammedan supporters. "Kerala Blasters FC is deeply concerned about reports of aggression faced by our fans during our recent game in Kolkata. We take the well-being and comfort of our supporters very seriously, as they are an integral and key part of the club, both home and away," the Blasters statement read.
