As the English Premier League (EPL) giants Manchester United and Manchester City lock horns in yet another Manchester Derby, one of the most anticipated fixtures in the football world, at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, fans of the clubs in faraway Kerala will cheer for them at screenings to be organised across multiple centres.
While the Manchester United Supporters Club Kerala (MUSCK) is planning to host screenings for their fans in Thrissur, Kozhikode, Kochi, Kasaragod and Kottayam districts, Cityzens Kerala, an official supporters’ club of Manchester City, will stage screenings for both sets of fans in Kozhikode, Malappuram and Kochi.
“Since COVID-19, this is the first derby to generate so much excitement as reflected in the increased demand for screenings,” says Akash Kesavan, chairman, MUSCK.
Cityzens Kerala is set to create a ‘stadium-like atmosphere’ at their screening centres with rival fans clad in team jerseys whooping it up. “We have never faced problems in combined screenings, notwithstanding passions running high as we are friends beyond the football rivalry,” says Goutham Bimal, treasurer, Cityzens Kerala.
In fact, the upsurge in the demand for screenings this season goes beyond the Manchester Derby as fans of even relatively low-profile teams are regularly organising screenings.
“After being restricted to watching games alone over the last couple of seasons owing to the pandemic, football fans seem insistent on making up the lost time by enjoying games as a community. We are also getting inquiries about screening the away games of Kerala Blasters during the upcoming Indian Super League (ISL) season,” says K.K. Shajeendran, a football analyst who is planning to organise screenings of upcoming FIFA World Cup matches.
Though Manjapada, or Yellow Army, the fan base of Kerala Blasters FC (KBFC), largely promotes the idea of travelling with the team to cheer them in away matches, it has not ruled out the possibility of high demand for screenings, considering there were 70-80 screening centres across the State last season.
“Screenings seem to have captured the imagination of fans big time. We have regular screenings abroad and that number also seems likely to increase,” says Somu Joseph who is closely associated with Manjapada.
Screening centres, mostly cafes and eateries, also seem to benefit from the excitement. “The passion seems to be spreading and fans of more teams are now looking for screenings. We offer our party hall for even late-night matches subjected to a minimum number of people with a minimum cover charge,” says Arun Damodaran Nambiar, a managing partner of a popular café in Kochi.
