Mohun Bagan, East Bengal U-19 final abandoned after crowd unrest

The home fans, furious at the referee’s decision to award Mohun Bagan a penalty, became violent and couldn't be controlled, forcing the referee and the match commissioner to abandon the game.

Mohun Bagan was leading East Bengal 2-1 when the match was abandoned.

The Under-19 Football League final between Mohun Bagan and East Bengal here Sunday was abandoned due to crowd unrest, which saw spectators hurling bottles.

All hell broke loose after Mohun Bagan’s Koushik Santra converted from the spot to help his side come back from behind and gain a 2-1 lead in the 52nd minute of the match.

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The home fans were furious at the referee’s decision of awarding a penalty after East Bengal goalkeeper Ayon Roy committed a foul on Deep Saha inside the box.

Many spectators were seen abusing and then threw bottles into the ground, targeting the match officials, as the situation went out of control.

Despite repeated efforts to calm the situation down, the crowd remained violent, forcing the referee and the match commissioner to abandon the game.

A final decision on the match will be taken by a committee comprising representatives from IFA and promoters Zee TV, an official of the organising committee said.

Terming it unfortunate, IFA secretary Utpal Ganguli said: “I feel that more security should have been provided. I had told the organisers to conduct the final at a neutral venue but they chose to go ahead with the East Bengal ground.”

Sixteen teams from various districts clubbed with the Big Four Kolkata clubs — Mohun Bagan, East Bengal, Mohammedan Sporting and Aryan Club — competed in the inaugural edition of the tournament.