Mumbai football community protests BMC plan to convert Neville D’Souza ground into convention centre

Members of the Mumbai Football Association and football lovers of all ages stage a protest at the Neville D’Souza ground in Bandra West on Sunday. PICS/ATUL KAMBLE

Mumbai's football fraternity came together as one strong team on Sunday to protest the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) decision to turn the Neville D'Souza ground in Bandra West into a convention centre. The Mumbai Football Association (MFA) organises tournaments where thousands of city footballers across age groups and from 300 clubs play the beautiful game at this ground year-round. However, its lease expired a few months ago, and the government wants to step in to change its purpose.

On June 24, the BMC's Improvements Committee officially approved the proposal to change the land-use reservation of the ground. This essentially means that BMC has approved the redesignation of the 8450-sq-m plot from a "Sports Ground and Playground" to an "Exhibition Centre". The proposal will next be sent to the General Body of the BMC for final approval.

Ex-India internationals, including Mohammed Yusuf Ansari, Godfrey Pereira, Santosh Kashyap, Steven Dias, and Aqeel Ansari, who are currently guiding footballers through their coaching, raised their voices along with several footballers and their parents on Sunday. Member of Parliament Varsha Gaikwad, too, was present during the protest.

Bandra residents say…

£ Alan Abraham, an architect and urban planner, said an open space is not a luxury or a visual amenity, but a basic urban infrastructure - like water or transport. "The issue in H West ward is not just land availability, but access, management, and equity. Open spaces, sports, and clean air are highly overrated in our country. The assault on, and sale of, our public spaces is appalling. Redevelopment cannot simply add buildings; it must also deliver a proportionate increase in public spaces, civic amenities, and social infrastructure," he said.

£Naazish Shah, a resident of Carter Road, said, "We realise there is a lack of open space in our vicinity, and in Mumbai overall. Now, the only existing playground in Bandra will have construction on top of it. How is this even logical?"

‘Please renew our lease'

MFA Secretary Sudhakar Rane told mid-day, "Our 300 senior and 300 junior teams have been playing at this ground for the last 11 years. Our lease for this ground was till October 2023. And we are trying to have a new lease. We have only one ground; they [government] have to renew our lease, otherwise where will we go? Football will suffer hugely."

Former footballers' pleas to authorities

Godfrey Pereira
‘You have plenty of places where you can make a convention centre, so why do they want this ground? I request that the government let football grow. We always ask why India is not in the Football World Cup. This is the reason. We have no infrastructure'

Mohammed Yusuf Ansari
‘It's very sad to see that we need to save our ground. I think there is a pure political reason behind it because it's a prime place in Bandra. I would like to request our Chief Minister [Devendra Fadnavis] and Prime Minister Narendra Modi saheb to help us save our ground'

Santosh Kashyap
‘This ground is in the heart of the city and very convenient to all players. Actually, they should convert this ground into a good stadium with every facility. We hardly have football grounds in Mumbai. I request the government to help us save this ground and make us a strong football nation'

Steven Dias
‘As a player, I started playing matches at Cooperage ground, but I started my coaching at this very ground. More than 12,000 kids play at this ground. If the football ground is not there, what will they do? Maybe they will go down the wrong path'