Kolkata Derby: the many stakes, controversies, and power struggles at work behind this marquee fixture

THE TOWN OF SILIGURI has two major railway stations nearby: Siliguri and New Jalpaiguri. Being a major business and transit town, the inflow of travelers into the town through these stations are high throughout the year. 

But for the last two days, the locals are witnessing a strange phenomenon. With every train chugging in from the Southern part of the state, there are certain people - distinguishable from others by their clothing colours - are slowly streaming in. In ones and twos at first, then in bigger groups. Some of them wear red and yellow, others are draped in green and maroon. Despite just having made a long journey they look excited. They chatter, shout, and sometimes break into chants or songs.

It's not that Siliguri is stranger to the Kolkata Derby any more. The Kanchenjungha Stadium has hosted two I-League Derbies over the last one year. Both times they have seen thousands of fans travel from various districts of the state to witness the encounter between arch rivals East Bengal and Mohun Bagan. But this time, it seems, the numbers are higher than ever. The organizers acknowledged that the number of tickets sold in Kolkata for this match are higher than the previous two Derbies held here, and the influx of traveling fans will continue till Sunday afternoon. Those who are traveling by buses will start reaching Sunday morning. If the signs are anything to go by, this match may see one of the highest number of traveling fans in Indian football history.

There are reasons why the interest is so high around this Derby. Both Mohun Bagan and East Bengal are neck deep in a three-way title race that Aizawl FC are leading. And to catch up to the league leaders both the Kolkata giants need a win. For East Bengal, especially, anything short of a win is akin to a displacement from the title run. Mohun Bagan head coach Sanjoy Sen, too, said that the team was treating the remaining games as knockout matches.

Mohun Bagan are desperate to get their 5th league title and East Bengal, who won the league thrice during the NFL days, have not won the top division since it was renamed I-League. With the merger set to happen and ISL becoming the new top division from next season, this is the Red and Gold brigade's last chance to reach for the I-League trophy.

With stakes that high, off-the-field mental games have begun as well. Mohun Bagan, being the home team, asked the ground officials to cut the grass on the Kanchenjunga Stadium's pitch short; a preference that would help their creative attackers like Sony Norde and Katsumi Yusa. But it turns out that most of the ground officials are East Bengal fans. So when they were marking the ground for sidelines they made the pitch's width shorter than usual by a meter; soething that's likely to leave less space for Mohun Bagan's wingers to operate. The matter did not go down well with the "home team" at all. So when East Bengal started practicing on the ground a few minutes earlier than their allotted window, Mohun Bagan officials lodged a complaint with the AIFF.

Even on the pitch, the heat is high. On the eve of the match the players were reserved, quickly retiring to their rooms after practice. Head coach Sanjoy Sen, who is missing the services of key players like Pronay Halder and Subhashish Bose, has hinted at a new formation; although none of that was seen in the practice session. East Bengal, meanwhile, have different kinds of issues to deal with. For example, Trevor Morgan has decided not to bring along veteran defender Arnab Mondal who is a national team regular. He has joined another Indian international Jackichand Singh who is being seen unfavourably by Morgan when it comes to team selection. It has drawn ire from club secretary Kalyan Majumdar who has repeatedly criticised his own coach. If Trevor Morgan wins this Derby it will be a fitting response for all his critics. But if he fails to get 3 points from this match, the voices against him will become several times louder.

To add to all this, both East Bengal and Mohun Bagan may hold club elections later this year. Right now the ruling groups at both clubs look set to win uncontested. But whichever team loses the Derby - and by extension the league - may suddenly see dissatisfaction rise among members and oppositions crop up. And neither of the ruling groups want that kind of threat to their power in the middle of negotiations with IMG-Reliance about playing in the new top divsion (ISL) after the merger.

So it's not just the usual bragging rights that's on the line in this Derby. There's the I-League title race, the officials' seats of power in the club... the final score of this game can potentially alter the course of these century-old clubs' history. Which makes this Derby one of the most high-stake games these clubs have played in their 96 year rivalry. 

Whatever the outcome, it will be impossible to look away as these arch rivals go at it yet again Sunday night at Kanchenjunga Stadium.