With Mahindra gone, convert Cooperage into a museum now!

GOING with the sombre mood of the football fraternity, the Cooperage football ground wore a deserted look yesterday. The Western India Football Association office was locked while David, who works as assistant, was the only Mumbai District Football Association official present.

At the ground, there were three men seated in a huddle. YS Rawat, a former club footballer from Colaba, Abid, the WIFA attendant and Mohd Shabhir Ahmed, BMFC manager.

They were all mourning the demise of the pride of Mumbai football, Mahindra United.

"Mahindra is gone and the other two I-league teams, Air India and Mumbai FC are both fighting relegation. There is a big chance that Mumbai may not have any representation in the I-league. Better convert Cooperage into a museum," said a distraught Shabhir, former assistant manager of Mohammedan Sporting.

"Mahindra symbolised Mumbai football. It was the pride of Mumbai football," said Rawat.
It's quite ironic that a multinational company worth US $ 6.3 billion has decided to wield the axe on its football team on which its annual budget totals around Rs 6 crore.