Santosh Trophy 1970–2025: How Indian Football Lost Its People — A Player’s Inside View on What Went Wrong and What Must Change

By Jatin Tyagi
Sports Reformer | Former Footballer | Youth & Athlete Safety Advocate

When Stadiums Reflected Society’s Love for Football

In the 1970s, Indian football stadiums were not quiet places.

They were emotional, loud, imperfect — but alive.

The historic photograph from the 1970 Santosh Trophy Final, where Mysore’s Saptakumar attempts to stop the legendary Jarnail Singh, is more than a football image. It is a cultural record. The background is filled with spectators — not invited guests, not officials — but ordinary people who belonged to the game.

Santosh Trophy was once:

• A symbol of state pride
• A scouting ground for national heroes
• A tournament families planned their lives around

Now move forward to 2025.

During the 79th Santosh Trophy Group-B matches at Sharda University Stadium, Agra, large sections of the stands were empty. Silence replaced anticipation. Empty seats replaced community.

Only one match felt different — 25 December, when Uttarakhand played host Uttar Pradesh. Supporters arrived with drums, banners, and emotion. For a few hours, the stadium echoed again.

That single match proved a crucial point:

Indian football does not have a fan problem. It has a governance and connection problem.

Why This Issue Is Personal for Me

I am not analysing Indian football from outside the system.

I have:

• Played 3–5 Santosh Trophy tournaments
• Been part of 12+ Santosh Trophy selection camps, probables, and competition environments
• Closely observed multiple state teams from inside dressing rooms and camps
• Been associated with Haryana Santosh Trophy (2022–23, Kolhapur)

Over the years, I have directly observed football administration and team processes in:

• Delhi (2018 period)
• Andaman & Nicobar Islands (2021)
• Haryana (2022)
• Chandigarh
• Rajasthan
• Lakshadweep

This article is written from lived experience, not assumptions.

And what I have seen repeatedly is this:

The decline of Indian football audiences begins long before match day — it begins at the selection table.

The Hidden Root Cause: Selection to Stadium Is One Broken Chain

Indian football discussions often start at “empty stadiums”.
But the real damage begins much earlier.

1. Selection without Transparency Kills Belief

Across multiple states and years, one pattern repeats:

• Late selection notifications
• Unclear criteria
• Preference-based inclusions
• Lack of documented performance metrics

When players feel selection is uncertain or biased:

• Motivation drops
• Ownership drops
• Pride in representing the state weakens

And when players stop believing, fans never get a reason to believe either.

2. Camps That Break Players Instead of Building Teams

Santosh Trophy camps should be:

• High-intensity
• Professionally planned
• Mentally supportive

What I observed instead in several states:

• Poor facilities
• Inconsistent training schedules
• No sports psychology support
• Lack of communication from management

In some camps (including observed environments in Delhi, Rajasthan, and island territories), players were unsure:

• Whether they were confirmed
• What role they would play
• What the long-term plan was

A confused team can never inspire a crowd.

3. Team Participation without Local Identity

In many states, Santosh Trophy teams are assembled without:

• Local club storytelling
• Player visibility
• Community integration

Fans don’t come to watch unknown names chosen at the last moment.

They come to support:

• Familiar faces
• Local heroes
• Players they have seen grow

When teams feel temporary, fans treat matches as optional.

Why Fans Stayed Away (The Stadium Reality)

1 Football Was Never Developed Like Cricket

Cricket invested in:

• Heroes
• Narratives
• Media
• Fan rituals

Football administration focused on procedures, not people.

2️ Hosting Matches in Non-Football Cities

Santosh Trophy is often hosted where:

• Football culture is weak
• Local engagement is zero
• Hosting is treated as a formality

Meanwhile, football-centric regions remain underutilised.

3️ VIP Culture over Match Experience

Long inaugural ceremonies, delayed kick-offs, and endless speeches drain energy.

Football is not a conference.
It is an emotion.

4️ No Real Fan Campaigns

No serious effort is made to:

• Market matches
• Promote players
• Create local pride

You cannot expect fans without inviting them properly.

5️ Players Are Invisible, Officials Are Visible

Across states, I observed:

• Officials front-facing communication
• Players discouraged from speaking
• Fear of posting on social media

Fans connect with players — not associations.

6️ Media Is Treated as an Accessory

Without structured media engagement:

• Matches remain invisible
• Stories go untold
• Heroes remain unknown

A silent sport cannot grow.

7️ Youth & Institutions Are Ignored

Schools, colleges, and universities are rarely mobilised.

A generation that never experiences live football will never defend it.

Data That Supports What We Feel

• Domestic football (excluding ISL) averages very low attendance compared to other Asian nations
• State tournaments in football-centric regions still draw 5,000–15,000 spectators, proving demand exists
• Santosh Trophy attendance often drops to hundreds, not because of quality, but because of disconnect

This confirms one truth:

The problem is not football. The problem is how football is run.

1970 to 2025: What Changed?

Football didn’t lose fans overnight.

It lost them gradually through:

• Non-transparent systems
• Fear-based administration
• Poor communication
• Loss of player dignity
• Absence of reform mind-set

Fans don’t abandon football.

Football abandons fans first.

My Vision for Santosh Trophy & Indian Football

Santosh Trophy must return to being:

• A festival of state identity
• A platform for genuine talent
• A tournament players dream of
• A competition fans feel proud to attend

What Must Change (Reform, Not Blame)

✔ Transparent Selection Systems

Clear criteria, timelines, and communication.

✔ Professional Camps

Facilities, planning, psychology, and respect.

✔ Player-Centric Promotion

Players must be the face of football.

✔ End VIP-First Culture

Football first. Always.

✔ Media & Digital Strategy

Visibility creates belief.

✔ Youth Integration

Students must return to stadiums.

A Quote I Stand By

“Crowds are not ordered. They are earned.
And football earns them only when it respects players, fans, and the process.”
— Jatin Tyagi

Conclusion: This Is a Call, Not a Complaint

This article is not written in anger.
It is written in responsibility.

Indian football still has:

• Talent
• Passion
• History
• Youth

What it needs is honest reform and courage to change.

The empty stadiums are not the end.
They are a warning.

And warnings should lead to action — not silence.

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