Cooperage Ground problems continue

One of Mumbai's biggest problems is the lack of grounds at all levels of football - professional, amateur, youth - but there is huge interest in the beautiful game in the financial capital of India as I myself saw a few weeks ago.

And the problem at the top level is just unacceptable then professional football cannot grow in Mumbai, forgot sustaining itself. Now over the years this has lead to the historic Rovers Cup being stopped, while successful Mahindra United closed down at the end of last season. One of the reasons given by Anand Mahindra was the lack of fans.

The Cooperage Ground is finally getting a FIFA sponsored artificial turf, but the grounds only stand is a total disgrace. Actually it is a risk for life to try to get onto the stand to watch a match, but the Western Indian Football Association nor the Mumbai District Football Association are able to develop the venue due to a PIL (public interest litigation) case.

Even the AIFF president Praful Patel in his old function as WIFA president couldn't do anything about the redevelopment of the ground due the PIL though the former
Maharashtra chief minister Sushilkumar Shinde allowed WIFA in 2003 to construct a full-fledged football stadium along with facilities like club house, restaurant, hotel and other commercial structures.

But in 2006 a PIL was filed by former IAS officer and former Mumbai municipal commissioner Jamshed Kanga along with members of the Oval Cooperage Residents Association against the development of the Cooperage Ground, which has not allowed even basic renovation work to happen.

Now there could be light at the end of the tunnel as a final date for the PIL's hearing has been fixed for April 20. Maybe thereafter the ground can finally be redeveloped to a basic standard to host I-League matches next season.

Also there has been talk of the redevelopment of the Cooperage ground by Reliance Industries under the partnership between the AIFF and IMG-Reliance. If the legal hurdles are sorted out it would be a welcome sign and only a first step, then Mumbai needs at least a second national standard ground for football to be played all year through.

If not football will suffer even more and then only a Anna Hazare like campaign could safe Mumbai football...


This is a blog entry I had written on the weekend of the 2010 FIFA World Cup last July on the same topic: The Cooperage tragedy continues .