Atletico de Kolkata and Kerala Blaster FC Footballers vie for the ball during ISL Match in Kolkata on Tuesday evening. (Photo: PTI)

Kochi: Last Sunday, in the first half of a highly significant Indian Super League match when Kerala Blasters were dabbling with NorthEast United’s aggressive game plan, by playing rather casually, their fans themselves were flirting with danger, both inside and outside the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here.

Even as the stadium was packed to rafters and seemingly ready to explode, there were “thousands” of fans, majority of them holding valid tickets, waiting outside because they were denied entry that according to authorities was “completely full.”

“Many fans were agitated and some of them vent their ire on the barricades at a few gates,” said Abhijith Muraleedharan, a dejected fan who had to return unhappy after collecting refund from the box office later in the evening. “Gate 8 was broken … there was a stampede like situation and the police had to swing their lathis,” he added.

Deputy commissioner of police, Arul R.B. Krishna said that at least 5,000 fans were outside during the time while the Blasters’ management informed that at least 1,500 ticket-holders received refund that evening while a bigger number had complimentary passes that couldn’t be reimbursed.

According to ISL statistics, the attendance during the NorthEast game was 53,767. Sources say not more than 30,000 tickets were actually sold while about 17,000 tickets were given as complimentary. The figures don’t tally, do they?

M.C. Joseph, secretary of the Greater Cochin Development Authority that owns the stadium says the capacity for ISL matches is fixed at 55,000. It is also learned that tickets no more than the capacity is printed.

With Kochi set to host a semifinal and the final this month, the authorities have said “Gates will open at 3.30 pm, close at 6.15 pm. The box offices will stop selling tickets at 5.30 pm.”

But there are questions that baffle and angry fans like Abhijith. If all tickets are accounted for, if thousands of fans, with tickets, are denied entry, who is filling up the stadium?