Mohun Bagan's abandoned Calcutta Football League match to be replayed

KOLKATA: The Indian Football Association, after a meeting of the CFL sub-committee on Wednesday, has decided that Monday's Calcutta Football League Premier Division A encounter between Mohun Bagan and Tollygunge Agragami that had to be abandoned with just over a minute of second half's added-on time left to play owing to unruly behaviour of the fans will be replayed.
However, Mohun Bagan's other demand of their matches being played sequentially has not been accepted.
"The reports of the referee and the match commissioner states that the match had to be abandoned because of law and order situation as supporters from the North and East galleries had come on to the ground. As per rules (8C of annexure K), if any match is abandoned for any reasons unless it is a case of a team not willing to play, then the whole match will be replayed. There is no other provision and thus we have decided on a replay," said IFA general secretary Utpal Ganguly.
"This match will be played after the conclusion of the matches for which fixtures have already been released. The date and venue will be announced later. Mohun Bagan, in a letter, had given a schedule but the committee is strong of the view that drawing up fixtures is IFA's purview."
If this is followed, the Kolkata Derby between Mohun Bagan and East Bengal on September 7 will not be affected. However, whether Bagan agrees to this ruling is something that remains to be seen now. Sources close to the club said that they might not be ready to play unless the sequence is not maintained.
They have called for an executive committee meeting on an emergency basis at the club tent on Thursday. "One of our demands has not been fulfilled. We will let you know our next course of action after tomorrow’s meeting," said club’s general secretary Anjan Mitra.