1930s: The Dark Decade

Post its relegation in 1929, East Bengal’s fortunes took a downturn. Donors and supporters suddenly became scarce to find and the cash-strapped club found it difficult to make ends meet. East Bengal ended runners-up in the 1929 second division league. The club’s pitiable condition struck a chord with some of the illustrious ex-players who had defected to E B Railways. Led by Surya Chakrabarti, several of these players returned to their old club and helped its gradual revival. It was Surya Chakrabarti who led the team from the front and under his aegis, the club ended runners up on three occasions in the 1930s.

In 1930, India was swept over by Gandhi’s Satyaraha which had its effect on the football grounds as well. Indian clubs boycotted the league midway. Amidst much confusion, Royal Regiment was declared winners in the first division. However, East Bengal, in spite of being well ahead in the second division, was not allowed to be promoted to the first division. Moreover, they suspected Mohun Bagan’s hand behind the league boycott to thwart East Bengal’s promotion to the elite league. Thousands of east Bengal fans and officials decided to hold a protest march at Maidan. It was at this march that flaming torches were carried by the protestors. This gave the club officials the idea of a torch being the club emblem, which has stuck to this day.

The 1930s belonged to Mohamedan Sporting, a club set up with the backing of the Muslim League, which later played a pivotal role in carving out the separate state of Pakistan. Football fortunes in the Calcutta league mirrored the political domination in India. In the 1910s and the 1920s, the Congress Party was ruling the roost. Mohun Bagan, which enjoyed the support and patronage of senior Congress rulers, dominated in those two decades. The 30s saw the meteoric rise to prominence of the Muslim league, and with it, Mohamedan Sporting.

Mohamedan Sporting won the Calcutta league in five consecutive occasions from 1934 to 1938. East Bengal was clearly overshadowed by Mohamedan’s prowess. In 1937, in spite of being very close to winning the league, having trounced Mohamedan 4-2, East Bengal lost their next match to Mohun Bagan out of sheer complacency.

In 1939, Mohun Bagan won the Calcutta League for the first time. However, their victory was marred by the non-participation of East Bengal and Mohamedan Sporting in the league. These two clubs, along with several others, had walked out of the Calcutta League to protest against blatant refereeing prejudice towards Mohun Bagan and had briefly formed a rival association, the Bengal Football Association, or the BFA.

By 1939, East Bengal was thus the only one of the three major clubs without the Calcutta League. It would be another two seasons before the anomaly would be corrected.

Compiled by: Ranadurjay Talukdar