Indian football loyalists, there are very few with a cult status like Subrata Bhattacharya..Subrata Bhattacharya was born on 03-03-1953 in Shyamnagar, North 24 Parganas in the state of West Bengal, India…
Subrata Bhattacharya famously known as ” Bablu ” is an Indian former footballer who played as a defender for the Indian national team and spent 17 years with Mohun Bagan as a footballer..He was the stopper back for Mohun Bagan..
He moved to Mohun Bagan in 1974 from BNR. The inclusion of Subrata Bhattacharya bolstered Mohun Bagan defence and gritty display by him throughout his career helped Mohun Bagan to win many silverware. 41 goals he scored for Mohun Bagan in crucial matches added a new dimension to his playing style. The stoic personality of this lanky defender made him the crowd puller during his playing days….
Subrata Bhattacharya played for 17 years in Mohun Bagan (1974–1990)..
He became the Captain of Mohun Bagan against famous Cosmos team in 1977, He led the side against a star-studded Cosmos team which had living legend Pele; both the teams shared honours as the match ended 2–2….
Mohun Bagan won the ‘Triple crown’ (Durand, Rovers & Shield) that season and became the first club to do so in Indian football history….
The duel between him and Chima Okorie of East Bengal was a high point of Calcutta Football League in 80s, though he believes Majid Bishkar was the greatest foreigner to have played in Kolkata..
He was a pivotal part of the state team against PSV Eindhoven and Mohun Bagan in Mohun Bagan’s centenary celebration against a team led by Roger Milla….
He played a pivotal role in national colours, playing 41 matches and was part of the 1984 Asian Cup team. He got the “Arjuna award” in 1989….
After his retirement he started his coaching life and won plenty of accolades for Mohun Bagan. He won Indian National Football League for two times as a coach of Mohun Bagan in seasons 1999-00 and 2001-02..
During his coaching career, he managed all three Kolkata-giants and also managed Tollygunge Agragami in 2003….
Interestingly, he is also the father-in-law of India’s favourite footballer Sunil Chhetri..
Affectionately called the ‘Ghorer Chhele,’ Subrata Bhattacharya is synonymous to Mohun Bagan and he has received the prestigious Mohun Bagan Ratna in 2017….
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