Kandy enjoyed the glory of the best sport played by the British in Ceylon football during the past. Now, this sport is on the decline and one wonders whether Kandy’s football will ever regain its former glory.
Going down memory lane and recalling Kandy’s football reveals that it had its origins in the mid 1930’s during the World War when the British units were stationed in Kandy, when the one-time Commander in Chief of Allied Forces in South East Asia, Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten had his headquarters in the hill capital, and he gave a fillip the game. Today, all the facilities for the game are there, but the sport is virtually dead, especially in Kandy. No inter-club domestic football is played.
This applies to the schools as well. Presidents and officials come and go, but the game is at a standstill. Before AGM’s there is the talk of building modern stadiums, etc., but thereafter it is forgotten. At Dangolla a few years back a foundation stone was laid for a modern stadium funded by FIFA. But only the foundation stone laying board is there. Who is fooling whom?
In the 1930s when football was given priority, some first class British footballers displayed their versatility, representing the Kingstown and Queenstown regiments, the Royal Artillery and also the East African Rifles, who had quite a few stars in the side. So, the game increased in popularity day by day, because it was played with great interest and enthusiasm. Some of the clubs which took to the game in the 1930s were, Old Antonians SC, Old Kingswoodians SC, Police SC, Kandy YMCA, Greenfield SC, Kandy Sports Club, Phoenix SC, St. Michael’s SC, Gampola Chums, Rovers SC, Kandy YMMA and Red Stars SC Kandy. It was at that time the Kandy District Amateur Football League was formed. It subsequently changed its name to Kandy Association Football League and served football in Matale, Gampola, Nawalapitiya, Kurunegala and Kegalle, and as the years passed by, these towns formed their leagues.
When football in Colombo and elsewhere received a setback as far as Ceylonese exponents of the game were concerned, the game was more or less confined to the local population as well as to the Services. Early in 1942, however, there appeared to be a lack of interest in the game, and the efforts made by S.C. Traill, the then secretary to call a meeting of the leagues having failed, he was compelled to return the trophies to the donors.
At that time the game seemed to be seriously affected. But fortunately G.H. Robins, T.P.C. Roberts who were then stationed in Kandy and M.S. Jainudeen was mainly responsible in resuscitating the game.
A tournament for the Main Shield was inaugurated with the participation of the Services footballers in Kandy and football began to thrive again. At that time Bogambara was the location of high activity.
Football as a national sport has had wide acceptance among our people - particularly the common masses and the middle class. From its humble beginning almost over a hundred years ago, it has come to stay as the most popular mass sport. As years rolled by football flourished in Kandy, and several schools in an around Kandy took up the game. It was St. Anthony’s College, who first played football.
Kandy is a founder member of the football’s controlling body. In the good old days, the league, knockout and sevens tournaments were conducted with over 250 matches, with only one ground available, that is Bogambara.
From the early years of barefoot competitions to the present day age of modern football, Kandy played a vital role in its growth. Of late, football has surprisingly taken a back seat in Kandy. Previously the game was promoted to great heights and also produced a President and Secretary from Kandy.
The first president from Kandy at FFSL was DIG Bodi Liyanage and the first secretary was H Marikar. Some of the people who gave a big hand for football in the early days were late Col. V. H. L. Anthonis, A. C. L. Ratwatte E.L. Senanayake, M.S. Jainudeen and Dr. C.D.L. Fernando.
In the early days, football flourished in Kandy, and schools were the nursery of the clubs where St. Anthony’s, Kingswood, Dharmaraja, Sri Rahula, St. Paul’s (now known as Sri Sumangala), Berravettes, Vidyaratha and St. Sylvester’s excelled. In 1963 the Kandy Schools Football Association was formed and it did an excellent job to promote the game. Zahira Gampola, Nugawela Central, Gampola Vidyalaya, Wickramabahu, Kathirasen from Nawalapitiya, Highlands from Hatton and Zahira Matale played under the Kandy Schools Association.
In 2010 the president of the controlling body, in a surprise move dissolved the hard working committee and appointed a new committee. It resulted in a complete breakdown in the tournament structure.
Today football is a forgotten game in Kandy at club level. An English football coach who visits every year to watch the Kandy Perahera, said, “I visit, as usual, the grounds in Kandy are without football goal posts, what has happened to the game?” In the1990s and early 2000, he had met Kandy AFL football officials and also witnessed club matches. He asked what has happened to the popular sport.
Today football has hit rock bottom. When will Kandy football reach its past glory?
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