Salt Lake Stadium Races Against Clock for ISL Return
Kolkata's iconic Salt Lake Stadium bears clear scars from December's violent chaos. Yet a determined restoration effort now pushes forward against a pressing deadline. Groundsmen have moved in with urgency, replanting grass and reviving the vast concrete Astroturf that encircles the pitch. Their mission is straightforward: reclaim Indian football's most storied arena before the Indian Super League kicks off in less than one month.
Visible Damage and Ongoing Repairs
A recent visit to the stadium reveals the scale of the challenge. Workers carefully place and replace fresh grass patches on the playing surface. They repair torn sections of the synthetic track that rings the field. In one corner of the stand, broken bucket chairs remain stacked like storm debris. The fibre roof covering the players' tunnel lies shattered, still awaiting repair. On the southern side, a goalpost stands bare without its net.
"Our immediate priority is the grass and the track," explained a stadium official. "Once we stabilize those elements, we will address the galleries and other damaged infrastructure. The goal is to make this venue match-ready as quickly as possible."
The Cost of December's Fury
The damage traces back to December 13th. Following Lionel Messi's controversial and abrupt exit from a commercial event, fans ran amok through the stadium. The Public Works Department conducted a preliminary assessment the next day. They estimated losses running into several crores of rupees.
- Natural grass was violently uprooted across sections of the pitch.
- Large portions of the Astroturf running track were torn apart.
- Goalposts were dislodged and their nets cut away.
- The players' tunnel roof suffered severe vandalism.
- Gallery grilles were ripped from their mountings.
Hundreds of plastic water and cold drink bottles littered the pitch and track. Torn posters, bearing clear marks of mob fury, still cling to sections of the galleries. Stadium sources maintain the pitch itself avoided major structural harm. However, the repair timeline remains extremely tight.
A Tight Timeline and Possible Solutions
Everyone involved in the restoration work acknowledges the race against the calendar. The Indian Super League season starts soon. One potential solution under discussion involves hosting initial matches at Salt Lake Stadium with a restricted crowd capacity. This would allow repairs to continue in other sections while football returns to the historic ground.
All India Football Federation president Kalyan Chaubey confirmed a Governing Council Board will form. This panel will oversee both the ISL and I-League, making final decisions on venues and fixtures.
"The idea of shifting the Kolkata derby away from Salt Lake Stadium is simply unimaginable," stated Debabrata Sarkar, a senior East Bengal official. His words underscore the deep emotional and traditional ties binding the city's fiercest football rivalry to this specific arena.
The stadium serves as the shared home for Mohun Bagan and East Bengal. It has long been the traditional stage for Kolkata's most passionate football clashes. Now, as grass takes root and repairs progress, the entire football community watches and waits. The hope is to see the beautiful game return to its iconic home without further delay.
