Kerala’s triumph at the recent Santosh Trophy saw football becoming a talking point once again.
Some 27,000 fans thronged the Malappuram District Sports Complex Stadium, at Payyanad near Manjeri, long before the kick-off of the final between Kerala and Bengal. Some of them had paid ₹800 in the black market for a ticket worth ₹200.
For those who have been to Malappuram, that would not come across as a surprise at all. The district boasts some of Kerala’s most passionate football fans, but the sport is loved in rest of the State too.
