Follow pitch-side reporter Leeza Mangaldas as she takes you behind the scenes this Hero ISL season. New posts every Monday exclusively on indiansuperleague.com.

Match Week 7: Jamshedpur Calling

First, a very happy new year to all of you reading this. I hope this year sees us all achieve as many goals as possible—in more ways than one.

Now, last week, I made my first ever trip to Jamshedpur.

If I’m to be perfectly honest, at the beginning of the season when our schedules were being determined, I had half-hoped I would not be assigned many matches there. The process of getting to Jamshedpur, given that there is currently no functioning commercial airport there, not only entails multiple flights, but depending on whether you fly to Ranchi or Kolkata, the air travel is then followed by a long drive or train journey - and that had me less than excited. More than anything else, I dreaded the thought of not having access to a proper bathroom for all those hours. Plus “Would the hotel be clean? Would the food be okay? Would it be safe to walk around alone?”, the spoilt little city brat in me wondered.

But at the same time, I was excited about the prospect of my first ever trip to Steel City. It glimmered with the promise of a totally new team, and the excitement of discovering a place I’d never been to before, all under the aegis of one of the most loved and respected companies in the country. And the Tata Group has played a significant role in building the country’s national football infrastructure, with the Tata Football Academy (TFA) which made me look forward to learning more. I was sure that it would be an adventure to discover it all for myself.

Jamshedpur FC training at the TFA ground

While the journey is indeed long, and the travel is indeed exhausting, I had totally underestimated Jamshedpur.

It is a charming, clean, well organized little town, and Jamshedpur FC has become its pride and joy. It is truly remarkable what the club has achieved in such a short time since its inception, both in terms of creating the facilities required - from quality housing for the team to sports-specific medical and fitness facilities - as well as in terms of cultivating a highly engaged fan base.

The entry to the players’ flatlets

It was a pleasure to experience it all first hand for the first time this week. I arrived with a day to spare before the match I was covering, and decided to spend my rest day becoming better acquainted with the team and the town.

Thanks to the superb hospitality of the club, and the fact that I had two absolute gentlemen, Ishfaq Ahmed and the club’s media manager, Souptikk Daas, as my guides, I had a fantastic insider’s lens on all things Jamshedpur FC.

Inside the JFC team bus

First, they showed me around the Tata Football Academy where the team trains, and I even got to watch the players in action there.

Belfort having some fun

The TFA has produced several of the brightest stars in Indian football. In fact, almost 30% of the players in the Hero ISL 2017 Players’ Draft were TFA graduates. Subrata Paul, Rino Anto, Udanta Singh, and Robin Singh are just a few of a long list of current ISL players who are TFA alum. Virtually every team currently has at least a couple of key Indian players who have trained here! ️

The TFA trophy cabinets

Founded in 1987, it was the passion project of the late Russi Mody, a former Chairman of Tata Steel, who loved football. The Academy runs what is essentially a football scholarship with the intention of identifying and nurturing India’s most promising young players through a four-year, all expenses paid programme.

As a result, much of the ecosystem required for the creation of a new ISL team was already present in Jamshedpur. The team trains at the Academy ground, which is complete with dressing rooms, massage rooms, recovery facilities and all the rest.

Players’ dressing room at the training ground

Ice bath being prepared to aid recovery

Plus, the young TFA students get to interact with the first team players and coaching staff on a regular basis. As a result, Jamshedpur FC has become a tremendous inspiration for current and upcoming batches at the TFA.

After my tour of the academy, I headed over to the “flatlets” where the players and the club staff live, for lunch. Given what a small town Jamshedpur is and the fact that there isn’t that much to do there outside of the club’s own facilities, the team really feels like a family.

The players’ flatlets

They are an amazingly cheerful and resilient bunch, headed by the always kind Steve Coppell, and they gave me a very warm welcome indeed.

With Sameehg Doutie

Healthy and delicious, the players’ lunch included several of my favourite foods: dates, fresh coconut water, a live station grilling chicken and lamb, and a salad bar. 🥗

Jerry and Tiri at lunch

Four months away from home, that too tucked away in Jamshedpur can be hard on the players, especially the foreign players, so very far away from their homes and families. Several choose to fly their family members down to India to visit since it’s such a long league.

I even met André Bikey’s lovely wife - she and their children had just arrived in Jamshedpur to spend a month with André. And guess what, she has a beautiful Hindi tattoo on her shoulder that pays tribute to her mum! She and the adorable junior Bikeys had just arrived eager to spend some quality time with their dad.

Mrs Andre Bikey

After lunch, players unwind or nap, resting their bodies after the intensity of training. So, I headed back to my hotel for a little nap as well.

The next day was match day, and it was a full house at the JRD Tata Sports Complex. They call it “The Furnace” after the steel factory, and its imposing exterior brandishes huge red banners, creating a very impressive atmosphere.

One of the giant JFC banners about to be hung

A packed stadium, and two very determined teams meant that Jamshedpur v Chennai was a tense yet action packed match, with Jamshedpur producing arguably its most attacking display yet, particularly in the first half.

But neither team was able to score from open play. They had a penalty each however, and while Chennai converted theirs, Jamshedpur missed, which cost them the game. It ended 1-0 in favour of the visitors. But regardless of the result, the home fans were firmly behind their new team, and already looking forward to the next match.

While Jamshedpur have not yet won at home, they have had the most impressive defensive record in the league so far this season, having conceded only two goals in seven games. It couldn’t be more appropriate that they’re called the men of steel.

And since I have three more trips to Jamshedpur in my schedule, I hope I get to witness a home win soon.

As always, I’d love to hear from you if there’s something you’d like to read about here. Connect with me @leezamangaldas on Instagram or Twitter with your suggestions for future posts!