#TFGfanatic: Why the Mariners are waiting eagerly in the YBK to chant "S-O-N-Y S-O-N-Y"

FEBRUARY 2013. A chilly evening at Yuva Bharati Krirangan, Kolkata. The IFA shield match between Mohun Bagan and Sikkim United had just concluded, and next up was another Kolkata giant, Mohammedan Sporting, against Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi FC of Bangladesh. Many of the Mohun Bagan fans stayed back to watch that match as well, making an evening out of the back-to-back football fixtures.

Suddenly, a short, well-built No 10 of SK Jamal wearing the yellow jersey grabbed the attention of almost everybody watching that match. The guy was dazzling with his skills. Sprinting, shooting, passing, dribbling, everything was mesmerising and
before anybody could grasp what was happening, SK Jamal was 1-0 up; thanks to that No 10 who made a mind-boggling run on the left flank, cut inside, dribbled past 2 defenders, and took a pile driver just from the top of the box that found the back of the net in a whisker. Poor MDS goalie did not even see the ball. That was the beginning of a love affair, of falling in love with that No 10, a player whose name would soon come to evoke fierce love and pride within few months. It was none other than Sony Norde, Haitian international.

SK Jamal made an unbeaten run till the final of the tournament before going down to same MDS. But by then, Sony Norde had become a household name in Kolkata as SK Jamal overpowered Mohun Bagan in the group stage and almost demolished East Bengal in the semis, thanks to him only. 

Back then Mohun Bagan was passing through a dark, gloomy phase of five barren years without any trophy and fans felt that this footballer had the potential to become its saviour. It was a universal demand to recruit Sony Norde at any cost, and it was fulfilled. Giving due recognition to the urge of the fans, Mohun Bagan officials roped in Sony after lot of drama, and the hype and hysteria associated with the signing was unmatched in recent years. And the Man has ably carried the huge expectations from him on his broad shoulders, and justified the trust his fans have on his abilities by becoming the best foreign player in I-League 2014-15. He was at the forefront of the campaign that won the league title for the Green & Maroon brigade after a gap of 13 years with 9 goals and more than a dozen assists to his credit.

The love towards that man, which was in the infatuation stage during IFA shield 2013-14, grew stronger with every passing day of the last I-League season. Mesmerising is an understatement if we talk about his brace against Bengaluru FC, goals against Royal Wahingdon FC (both home & away), Sporting Club de Goa (home), and many more. Mohun Bagan supporters forget all the pain and sorrow of life when Sony makes those runs up the flank, delivers lethal crosses, or creates chaos in the opponents' box with his curvy corner kicks. One such corner found Bello Razaq in the 87th min of the match against Bengaluru FC on 31st May, 2015 and Sony Norde stamped his name in the history of the club for ever that very moment. 

You have to be in YBK to understand the emotion and love of the Mariners towards this man. And Sony has always reciprocated that love. You open his Facebook page, and invariably you will find some of his relatives donning the Mohun Bagan jersey and smiling. You dig out any of his interviews and you can feel the warmth when he talks about Mohun Bagan. In one such interview in a local Kolkata daily on 1st June, 2015, the day after the Mariners won the I-League, he clearly said that he was grateful to the fans for the love being showered on him and given what the scenario is, it’s not possible for him to join their arch-rivals East Bengal in the recent future because he cares for that sentiment. In another, he said that he would play in ISL for the money, but stay in Mohun Bagan for the love. 

After a memorable spell at the ISL, where he was one of the main reasons Mumbai City saw some good games come their way,  he wasted no time to announce that he was coming back to Mohun Bagan.

 It's not only his football skills -- you talk to anyone in the Mohun Bagan tent and they will tell you how great a human being he is. Sony has earned the love and respect of his fellow team mates, coach, officials, ground staff thanks to his down-to-earth personality, perfect team man like approach and big heart. We all know how big a financial problem Mohun Bagan faced last season due to the ongoing sponsorship crisis. Many a times players were not paid on time, and even if the big names got paid with substantial delay, the juniors weren’t. To keep the team spirit intact through that debacle and get crowned as the Champion was not easy, and Sony Norde played a pivotal role in doing that. 

When Souvik Ghosh sustained that career-threatening injury, Sony was the first man along with some other players to visit his residence to boost his morale. 

Sony is special to Mohun Bagan club and its millions of supporters worldwide for possessing these soft human qualities that most professional footballers learn to bury deep inside in order to survive in that world of breakneck competition. He is a Champion in the true sense.

Given his dazzling skills and brilliance, Mohun Bagan club may not be able to hold him back in India for long, and considering the opportunities he may find somewhere overseas they shouldn’t do that either. But, it will be a nightmare for us when that day actually arrives. However, till that time, Mohun Bagan fans want to treasure Sony Norde as much as possible. Mariners are waiting for the commencement of I-League again to unleash Super Sony one more time. Air of Y-B-K is waiting to be
filled up with the “S-O-N-Y S-O-N-Y” chant once again. Bring it on!