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Manjappada (; ) is an organised supporters' group of the
Kochi Kochi ( , ), List of renamed Indian cities and states#Kerala, formerly known as Cochin ( ), is a major port city along the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea. It is part of the Ernakulam district, district of Ernakulam in the ...
-based professional
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
club
Kerala Blasters FC Kerala Blasters Football Club (), commonly referred to simply as Blasters, is an Indian association football, professional football club based in Kochi, Kerala, that competes in the Indian Super League (ISL), the top tier of football in Indi ...
, which competes in the
Indian Super League The Indian Super League (ISL) is a professional association football league in India and the highest level of the Indian football league system. Administered by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and its commercial partner Football Sport ...
, the top-tier league of Indian football. One of the largest and most active sports fan groups in the country, Manjappada received the Indian Sports Honours Fan Club of the Year award three times, in 2017, 2019 and 2024. Founded in 2014 as a
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page, Manjappada later expanded and have branches in each of
Kerala Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...
's 14 districts and in 17 other
Indian states India is a federal union comprising 28 states and 8 union territories, for a total of 36 subnational entities. The states and union territories are further subdivided into 800 districts and smaller administrative divisions by the respe ...
; Keralites in 71 other countries are also part of the group. Manjappada is also known for having one of the largest groups of travelling fans in the country, and their presence in the stadium is often called a yellow sea as they wear as much yellow as possible during the matches of the Blasters. In the
2022–23 Indian Super League The 2022–23 Indian Super League was the ninth season of the Indian Super League, the first season as the only top division, and the 27th season of top-tier Indian football league system, Indian football. It commenced on 7 October 2022 and conc ...
season, they displayed a 11752 sq ft
tifo ''Tifo'' () is the phenomenon whereby ''tifosi'' of a sports team make a visual display of any choreographed flag, sign or banner in the stands of a stadium, mostly as part of an association football match. ''Tifo'' are most commonly seen in ...
, which is now far the second largest tifo displayed during a football match in Asia. The group has also been supporting the
India national football team The India national football team represents India in men's international Association football, football and is governed by the All India Football Federation, the governing body for Football in India, football in India. It is a member of FIFA, ...
in matches at home and abroad. They were recognised by the
Asian Football Confederation The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) is the governing body of association football, beach soccer, and futsal in most countries and territories in Asia. The AFC was formed in 1954. It has 47 members. The Asian Ladies Football Confederation ( ...
for their support of the Indian team at the
2019 AFC Asian Cup The 2019 AFC Asian Cup (or commonly called the Asian Cup 2019) was the 17th edition of the men's AFC Asian Cup, the quadrennial international association football, football championship of Asia organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) ...
in the
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. Manjappada is also known for their engagement in activities other than supporting the Blasters. Since 2022, the group have developed a rivalry with the supporters group of Bengaluru FC, West Block Blues.


History

Manjappada, which means ''Yellow Army'', was founded on 27 May 2014 with a
Facebook Facebook is a social media and social networking service owned by the American technology conglomerate Meta Platforms, Meta. Created in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with four other Harvard College students and roommates, Eduardo Saverin, Andre ...
page created by three fans. Kerala Blasters had an average attendance of 49,000 during the inaugural season of the Indian Super League. By 2015, Manjappada began to co-ordinate more fans. The group played an important role, supporting Kerala Blasters during the 2015 Indian Super League season despite the club's poor performance. During that season, the Blasters recorded an average attendance of 52,000: the highest in
Indian Super League The Indian Super League (ISL) is a professional association football league in India and the highest level of the Indian football league system. Administered by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and its commercial partner Football Sport ...
(ISL) history. Most of their games had an attendance of over 60,000. By 2016, Manjappada became better organised; they expanded through a
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group which initially consisted of 50 members. Fans throughout
Kerala Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...
were connected with WhatsApp and branches were established in all the 14
districts of Kerala The Indian state of Kerala is divided into 14 districts. Districts are the major administrative units of a state which are further sub-divided into revenue divisions and taluks. Idukki district is the largest district in Kerala with a total l ...
by 2020. Later the group started expanding outside of Kerala which led to the founding of 17
states State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...
chapters across India. Keralites in 64 other countries also became active in the fan club's international groups. Manjappada also have one of India's largest travelling fan bases. Manjappada have a women's group, with members of various ages. The idea originated in early 2016, with the intention of developing football culture in the women in Kerala and eventually, the first WhatsApp group was formed in 2018. Around the same time, Manjappada had evolved into an
ultras Ultras are a type of association football fans who are known for their fanatical support. The term originated in Italy, but is used worldwide to describe predominantly organised fans of association football teams. The behavioural tendency ...
group and began using flares and smoke during matches. In October 2019, Manjappada coordinated and brought forty-one busloads of their fans across Kerala to the venue of 2019–20 season opener match. In 2020, It was announced that the 2020–21 ISL season would be played at three empty stadiums in
Goa Goa (; ; ) is a state on the southwestern coast of India within the Konkan region, geographically separated from the Deccan highlands by the Western Ghats. It is bound by the Indian states of Maharashtra to the north, and Karnataka to the ...
due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
. To maintain enthusiasm, Manjappada distributed about 2,500 yellow flags to members and hung about 600 banners throughout Kerala before the season began. In December 2020, Manjappada released a musical album called 'Padayani' to motivate Kerala Blasters. The album picturises the empty stands of Jawaharlal Nehru stadium during the COVID-19 pandemic and the pain that has caused the fans. In May 2022, Manjappada was featured in a forty-minute documentary titled "Maitanam" (Ground), released on FIFA+, which showcases Kerala's passion for football.


Culture

From the third season onwards, the East Gallery of the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium came to be known as the "Manjappada stand", because the Manjappada members occupy it during the club's home games. The group wear as much yellow as possible during all the games which includes
scarves A scarf (: scarves or scarfs) is a long piece of fabric that is worn on or around the neck, shoulders, or head. A scarf is used for warmth, sun protection, cleanliness, fashion, religious reasons, or to show support for a sports club or team. ...
and flags. Members begin their preparations almost a month before the season starts, with branches meeting to plan the group's major activities. Activities begin with welcoming the team at the airport. The group often conduct roadshows during important away matches. Before each match, members arrive at the stadium early and set up
tifo ''Tifo'' () is the phenomenon whereby ''tifosi'' of a sports team make a visual display of any choreographed flag, sign or banner in the stands of a stadium, mostly as part of an association football match. ''Tifo'' are most commonly seen in ...
s, banners, and balloons. Manjappada have members who coordinate the group's
waves United States Naval Reserve (Women's Reserve), better known as the WAVES (for Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service), was the women's branch of the United States Naval Reserve during World War II. It was established on July 21, 1942, ...
, flashlights and Viking claps. In 2017, the group cleaned the stadium after a match and started a campaign in 2018 to clean the stadium after each game. They released their theme song around that time, written by Manu Manjith and composed by Manjappada member Nikhil Thomas. The song was performed by Shabareesh Varma. Thanks to the
Kerala Gulf diaspora The Kerala Gulf diaspora refers to the people of Kerala living in the West Asian Arab states of the Persian Gulf. A report presented in 2014, estimates that 90 percent of Kerala's 2.36 million-strong diaspora resides in the Middle East. Nearly 80 ...
, Manjappada members are present wherever the Blasters play; in September 2019, when the Blasters played a pre-season friendly against Dibba FC in
Dubai Dubai (Help:IPA/English, /duːˈbaɪ/ Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''doo-BYE''; Modern Standard Arabic, Modern Standard Arabic: ; Emirati Arabic, Emirati Arabic: , Romanization of Arabic, romanized: Help:IPA/English, /diˈbej/) is the Lis ...
, a large number of Manjappada members supported the team. Players and coaches, acknowledging their support, refer to them as "The 12th Man".


Chants and tifos


Chants

Manjappada's official anthem was released in August 2017 before the start of 2017–18 Indian Super League season. The anthem, which was released on the group's official YouTube channel had inspirational clips from the previous seasons. Apart from their official anthem, Manjappada have a chant specially dedicated to their club in the local language,
Malayalam Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian languages, Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of ...
, which goes as "Niram Manjayaane" (The colour is yellow). The group also have chants specially dedicated to the players.


Tifos

Manjappada has displayed various
tifo ''Tifo'' () is the phenomenon whereby ''tifosi'' of a sports team make a visual display of any choreographed flag, sign or banner in the stands of a stadium, mostly as part of an association football match. ''Tifo'' are most commonly seen in ...
s during the matches. One of their best-known tifo was displayed during the 2018–19 season opener against Mumbai City on 5 October 2018; reading "In Unity Lies Our Greatness", it was a tribute to fishermen who saved thousands of lives during the
2018 Kerala floods On 16 August 2018, severe floods affected the south Indian state Kerala, due to unusually heavy rainfall during the monsoon season. It was the worst flood in Kerala in nearly a century. Over 483 people died, and about one million people were e ...
. Manjappada unveiled another tifo, reading "Rise Like A Phoenix", during the Blasters' season opener against ATK on 20 October 2019. During the
Southern Derby The Southern Derby is a fan-based U.S. professional soccer cup competition between USL Championship (USLC) teams based in the South-Atlantic region of the United States (North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia). It was founded in 2000. The S ...
against Bengaluru FC on 11 December 2022, Manjappada displayed the then largest tifo in Asia and Indian football history, showing the concept that "football is for everyone". It was a 103 metre long tifo with a total area of 11752 sq ft.


Rivalry with West Block Blues

They developed a rivalry with the West Block Blues, the supporters' group of Bengaluru FC, before the Blasters and Bengaluru played against each other. The rivalry began in 2017, the first Indian football rivalry before the clubs had played against each other. Bengaluru FC joined the Indian Super League in a league expansion that year, and it was announced that C. K. Vineeth (who had played for Kerala Blasters in
2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...
on loan from Bengaluru) would sign permanently with the Blasters. Another Bengaluru loan, Rino Anto, was also signed by the Blasters as a result of the 2017–18 Indian Super League Players Draft. On 23 August 2017, Bengaluru played at home against North Korean side April 25 SC in the first leg of the Inter-zone AFC Cup. Both Vineeth and Anto were at
Sree Kanteerava Stadium Sree Kanteerava Outdoor Stadium, also known as Sampangi Outdoor Stadium, is a multi-purpose stadium in Bangalore, India. It houses a running track, a volleyball court, and two outdoor rock climbing walls. The stadium is owned by the Department ...
for the game. The West Block Blues began chanting for Vineeth and Rino Anto, acknowledging their contributions to Bengaluru. A group of West Block Blues also began an abusive chant against Kerala Blasters. "What happened has happened and I can only wish it won't happen again", Rino posted about the incident on social media, provoking Manjappada and beginning a social-media dispute between the groups. Manjappada members accused Bengaluru FC in November 2017 of blocking Kanteerava Stadium's East Upper Stand to prevent the group from supporting their team, increasing tensions and bantering between the groups. The clubs played against each other on 31 December 2017; matches since then between the Blasters and Bengaluru, in what is known as the South Indian Derby, are some of the league's most anticipated.


Other activities

Manjappada is also involved in a number of other activities. In July 2018, they initiated a "Save the Kochi turf" campaign to preserve the
FIFA The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (), more commonly known by its acronym FIFA ( ), is the international self-regulatory governing body of association football, beach soccer, and futsal. It was founded on 21 May 1904 to o ...
-approved football pitch at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. During the
2018 Kerala floods On 16 August 2018, severe floods affected the south Indian state Kerala, due to unusually heavy rainfall during the monsoon season. It was the worst flood in Kerala in nearly a century. Over 483 people died, and about one million people were e ...
, the group supplied relief materials to flood-affected areas. That year, they honoured the Indian Blind Football team. In 2018, Manjappada's Delhi branch organised the local Manjappada Dilli Soccer League. The following year, they began a "stop cyber abuse" campaign against the online abuse of footballers. In February 2020, Manjappada announced a partnership with the Delhi Senior Division's Delhi City FC. The club, now known as Manjappada Delhi City FC, is operated and managed by the group. In May 2020, Manjappada organised a ''
Pro Evolution Soccer ''eFootball Pro Evolution Soccer'' (''eFootball PES''), known as in Japan, is a series of association football List of association football video games, simulation video games developed by Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd. and published ...
'' tournament in return for donations to the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund or the PM Cares fund. Manjappada have a blood-donors forum in each branch which encourages
blood donation A 'blood donation'' occurs when a person voluntarily has blood drawn and used for transfusions and/or made into biopharmaceutical medications by a process called fractionation (separation of whole blood components). A donation may be of wh ...
. On 1 November 2021, ahead of the 2021–22 season, Manjappada announced that for every goal scored by the Blasters in the season, they would plant tree saplings in each of the fourteen districts of Kerala.


Support for Indian National Team

Manjappada also supports the
India national football team The India national football team represents India in men's international Association football, football and is governed by the All India Football Federation, the governing body for Football in India, football in India. It is a member of FIFA, ...
. When the Indian team plays outside India, Manjappada are often seen supporting the Indian team. In 2017, they successfully promoted their own campaign to get people to buy tickets and watch Indian under-17 team at the U-17 World Cup in Delhi. In 2019, India coach
Igor Štimac Igor Štimac (; born 6 September 1967) is a Croatian professional football manager and former player. In his playing career, Štimac had three spells with Hajduk Split and also played for Cádiz in Spain, and for Derby County and West Ham Un ...
noted about Manjappada's enthusiasm at home and abroad.


Controversy

In February 2019, Kerala Blasters player C. K. Vineeth filed a complaint against a Manjappada member for spreading false information. Vineeth said a WhatsApp voice message accused him of shouting at a ball boy during a match against Chennaiyin in Kochi: "The fans have been behaving like this way for far too long. They have been rude against all players, especially Kerala players". Responding to Vineeth's complaint, Manjappada said that the opinions expressed in the WhatsApp voice message are those of a fan and do not reflect the views of the group: "Not everyone who comes to the stadium is part of Manjappada. Not everyone's opinion is our opinion. Vineeth could have said that certain Kerala Blasters fans turned on him but he named Manjappada ... Any comments or statements made by an individual should not be considered as the voice of Manjappada. All our views and statements will only be made public through our official social media handles. Manjappada should not be held accountable for any remarks made by an individual on our platform". This sparked the group's "Stop Cyber Abuse" campaign in July of that year.


Awards and recognition

In 2017, Manjappada won the 'Fan Club of the Year' award at the inaugural Indian Sports Honours. The event was an initiative aimed at honouring sports-related persons and groups for their outstanding achievements. The group won the award for the second time in 2019. In 2019, the
Asian Football Confederation The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) is the governing body of association football, beach soccer, and futsal in most countries and territories in Asia. The AFC was formed in 1954. It has 47 members. The Asian Ladies Football Confederation ( ...
honoured Manjappada with a Recognition Award for their support of the Indian national team and the
2019 AFC Asian Cup The 2019 AFC Asian Cup (or commonly called the Asian Cup 2019) was the 17th edition of the men's AFC Asian Cup, the quadrennial international association football, football championship of Asia organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) ...
.


Honours

; Indian Sports Honours: Fan Club Of The Year (3): 2017, 2019, 2024 ;
Asian Football Confederation The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) is the governing body of association football, beach soccer, and futsal in most countries and territories in Asia. The AFC was formed in 1954. It has 47 members. The Asian Ladies Football Confederation ( ...
: Special Recognition Award:
2019 This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year. Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...


References


External links

* {{Kerala Blasters FC Indian football supporters' associations Association football supporters' associations Ultras groups Kerala Blasters FC 2014 establishments in Kerala