Subhash Bhowmick was a retired Indian football player and manager..During his playing career, he represented the “Big Two” of Kolkata football Mohun Bagan and East Bengal…He was born on October 2 ,1950 in Katihar,Bihar….
A muscular right winger, he shook the opponent’s defence with his powerful dribbling skills as he ruled the Maidan for almost a decade after making his debut at the tender age of 19 years from the Rajasthan Club..He wasn’t a conventional striker but with his brute force would take down the biggest of defenders in his stride sprinting through the right flank and then cutting inside to either take a crack at goal or set up the likes of Mohammed Akbar for the final strike….
After playing one season for East Bengal, Bhowmick joined the club Mohun Bagan where he played there for three years and returned to the red-and-gold brigade & again he joined Mohun Bagan for three years..
He played for Mohun Bagan in 1970, 1971, 1972, 1976, 1977, 1978 and finished with 84 goals. He helped Mohun Bagan to win the Calcutta Football League in 1976, 1978; IFA Shield in 1976 (joint-winners), 1977, 1978 (joint-winners); the Federation Cup in 1978 (joint-winners); the Rovers Cup in 1970, 1971, 1972 (joint-winners), 1977; the Durand Cup in 1977; the Nehru Trophy in 1970; the Bordoloi Trophy in 1976, 1977; the Darjeeling Gold Cup in 1976 (joint-winners); and the Sait Nagjee Trophy in 1978….
He had scored 84 goals for the green and maroon as Kolkata football’s popularity was at its peak during that era & Subhash won a total of 18 trophies in his club career in Mohun Bagan itself…..
He also had some great games for Mohun Bagan including one against Pele’s New York Cosmos in 1977 and also in 1977, he singlehandedly won the Durand Cup for Mohun Bagan after a massive fall-out with coach PK Banerjee, whom he considered as his ‘Guru’….
Subhas Bhowmick made his International debut for India on July 30, 1970 in the Merdeka Cup against Farmosa. He represented India in 24 International matches and scored nine goals in the process – including a hat-trick against Philippines in the Merdeka Cup in 1971 – a match in which India won 5-1..
For India, he was part of the Asian Games-bronze medal winning squad in 1970 as he also represented the country in the next edition in 1974….
Besides winning the bronze medal at the 1970 Asian Games in Bangkok, Bhowmick was also a triumphant member of the Indian National team which finished joint winners at Pesta Sukan Cup against South Vietnam in Singapore (1971).. He was also a member of the Indian team which toured the USSR in 1971….
At the domestic level, Bhowmick represented Bengal in the Santosh Trophy in 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973 (captain), and in 1975, winning it four times (in 1969,1971,1972,1975), scoring 24 goals….
His first major appointment was in 1991, when Mohun Bagan brought in Bhowmick as their coach. An unsuccessful stint followed that season for the club, who only won the Sikkim Governor’s Gold Cup..
He became the coach of Mohun Bagan in 2010-11.. He was appointed as the Technical Director of Mohun Bagan in 2010/11, but the club hardly saw any success. In 2013, he was brought back as the Technical Director of Mohun Bagan and built a side that went on to lift the I-League after 13 years in 2014/15 under Sanjoy Sen….
A fearless competitor who used brain and brawn in equal measure, Subhas Bhowmick was one of the most fascinating characters in Indian football..He was also known as ‘Bhombal da’, and ruled the Maidan for more than a decade….
Subhash Bhowmick has passed away on Saturday, January 22,2022..According to reports, Bhowmick, who was Suffering from diabetes and kidney disease since a long time, Bhowmik’s health started deteriorating on Saturday..He was 72 at the time of death….
” May his soul rest in peace “