







A remarkable debut campaign for Bengaluru FC came to a fitting end on Tuesday, one day after their final game of the I-League season. It may have been a weekday afternoon in the peak of summer but that did not dissuade the loyal BFC supporters from serenading their heroes one last time this season. A crowd of several hundred accompanied the players at the Bengaluru FC parade as the bus moved through the streets of Bangalore before making their way to the stadium. Captain Sunil Chhetri has led from the front on the pitch ending the season as joint top scorer of the I-League and once again came to the forefront, this time in leading the celebrations. Flags, jerseys and even cellphones were autographed and numerous ‘selfies’ were clicked as the party atmosphere was accentuated by popular tracks blaring out from the bus and chanting from the fans. Once at the stadium, the likes of Ashley Westwood, Sunil Chhetri, Parth Jindal and Mustapha Ghouse addressed the crowd before the team lifted the trophy much to the delight of the onlooking fans.

It’s been a fairy tale journey for everyone associated with the club and the parade was an apt finale to a season that has brought so many accolades off the pitch and ultimately glory on it to the fledgling club. There was no tinge of sadness at the end of Bengaluru FC’s inaugural season, instead joy and excitement were the overriding emotions. A fairly young demographic thronged the streets matching their words with actions as the Blues went marching in.