It was nonetheless heart-wrecking as a football fan from Kochi to hear that Kerala Blasters were likely to play a few of their next season's home matches at Kozhikode's EMS Corporation Stadium, which is currently the base of I League outfit Gokulam Kerala FC.
From the inception of ISL in 2014, the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium near Kaloor in Kochi has been Kerala Blasters' home ground, where the players enjoyed playing in front of the formidable 'Manjappada.'
Famed for passion, Manjappada is currently ISL's biggest fan base and quickly growing to be noticed on the international base.
Even as there is no doubt in the passion of the fans or the players, the management's actions in the past few years have been very much questionable. The Kerala Blasters management reportedly held discussions with representatives from the Kozhikode Municipal Corporation on Wednesday (June 3) to carry out a few structural changes required for Kozhikode's EMS Corporation Stadium so that it meets the requisite ISL norms.
The rumour stated, though the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi will continue to be the base of Kerala Blasters, the team is planning to conduct a few engagement activities and may even host a couple of pre-season friendlies at the EMS Corporation Stadium in Kozhikode as a trial run before the venue gets ready to host an ISL match.
Selling fan favourite players, quick changes in managers, and letting go of the club legend and captain Sandesh Jinghan has all been provoking actions for the fans.
The decision to organise a few friendlies in Kozhikode is indeed a good decision as the Malabar holds an everlasting love for the game. However, the same news set off some alarms in fan's minds as a favourable playing condition in Kozhikode might potentially open a door for the management to think of shifting the team's base there. It is only logical to think such as Kozhikode is clearly less expensive for the management and less of tension as it will put an end to their long time standing friction with the Greater Kochi Development Authority (GCDA).
With the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) starting to raise claims over the stadium and the not so fan-friendly mentality of the management continuing, the team's future at Kochi remains a question mark. As of now, one can only hope that the gigantic arena that left numerous players and managers speechless including the Brazilian legend Zico remains the Blasters' home for the future and grow to become known across the globe. I for one dream of a day when Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium's name would be placed alongside The Old Trafford or the Anfield.
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