CFL: Kolkata derby called off as Mohun Bagan refuse to play

Kolkata, Sep 7: High drama unfolded at the Kalyani Stadium as the Calcutta Football League derby match got cancelled due to the absence of Mohun Bagan at the ground.

East Bengal were present on the ground, ready to fight it out on the field in this high voltage match between the two fierce rivals. [Mohun Bagan refuse to play derby, East Bengal set to get walkover]

Unfortunately opponents Mohun Bagan refused to play the game and were not present at the ground.

The referees and the match officials were present at the venue and they waited for 30 minutes for Bagan's arrival. The match was supposed to kick-off at 3:00 PM IST.

The Green and Maroon brigade stood firm and refused to budge from their stated position. The match referee confirmed that the match has been called off and they have sent their report to governing body IFA.

IFA will take the final decision on this matter. East Bengal are likely to be awarded 3 points from this match.

From the past two days, Mohun Bagan had announced that they were not ready to play the derby match on the pre scheduled date of September 7.

Goal.com had quoted Mohun Bagan secretary Anjan Mitra earlier: "We will not run away. We wanted to play. Police did not permit the match there. Why won't the IFA budge.

Club official Debashish Dutta said: "18 players among 20 did not see the Kalyani ground. We wanted 48 hours of extention to practice before the match."

IFA too stood firm in their decision of not postponing the match. They had clearly stated they will not changed match day.

This match will definitely go down in the history books. East Bengal edge closer to their 38th Calcutta Football League triumph. They have 24 points from 8 matches, while rivals Mohun Bagan have 16 points from 7 games.

OneIndia News