MUMBAI: Your move East Bengal “old guard”. Close on the heels of Saikat Ganguly, football secretary of the once hallowed Kolkata club issuing a statement that the entire executive committee had “in unison” decided NOT to sign the final binding agreement with its new investors, Shree Cement East Bengal management has communicated via their social media platforms that they have decided to suspend all social media activities “until further notice”.
SC East Bengal posted the following notice on the club’s official Twitter handle: “@sc_eastbengal·
Jun 1
⚠️ NOTICE⚠️
All social media activities are hereby suspended until further notice. Thank you #Torchbearers for all your love and support. #WeAreOne ??”
It bears noting that the SC East Bengal management has already made clear that there will be zero further investment into the club until a final binding agreement is in place.
The ball is now back in the court of the East Bengal “old guard”. It’s high time these worthies put their money where their collective mouths are.
After all, there is no small matter of having to address the fact that nine SC East Bengal players have moved the player status committee (PSC) of the All India Football Federation (AIFF), complaining of non-payment of salary for the last few months, as reported by Telegraph India.
Most of the players’ contracts ended on Monday, except that of Balwant Singh, who had signed a two-year deal.
If the players win their case, then liabilities will keep piling for the club irrespective of whether investor Shree Cement stays on board or not. The club already has to shell out tens of millions after Indian players of Quess East Bengal approached the PSC regarding payment irregularities and got a verdict in their favour. A transfer ban was imposed but later revoked following an appeal by SC East Bengal. The two-window transfer ban came for non-payment of salaries to footballers like Pintu Mahata, Gurwinder Singh, Abhas Thapa and Rakshit Dagar.
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