A journey through Malabar
A journey through Malabar
World Cup football banners: A visual treat! Part VI
This one for the Holland fans!
Found this banner near Nainamvalappu football fans association building in Calicut.You can see some of the fans also, wearing Holland jersey and one guy riding a horse!
A journey through Malabar
The story of FIFA World cup trophy and it’s replica
Italian artist Silvio Gazzaniga designed the FIFA World cup trophy. The trophy stands 36.5 centimetres tall and is made of 5 kg of 18 carat gold Produced by Bertoni, Milano.
It weighs 6.175 kg in total and depicts two human figures holding up the Earth. That’s about the original FIFA World cup trophy now,through out my travel in Malabar I happened to see so many replicas of the FIFA World cup trophy!
World cup trophy at Aricode, Malappuram!
This one made by a person named Sukumaran in cement.
It took two days for him to make this. One day for molding and another for painting. He says he has made this World cup for Brazil to win.
This cup was given to the winning team, Brazil in the match organized at a place named Makkarapparamba, near Malappuram and again in Aricode match. There both Brazil and Argentina were declared joint winners.
I also had the rare privilege (as far as an Indian is concerned)to hold the FIFA World cup trophy, I mean at least the replica.
World cup trophy at Nainamvalappu!
There is a purpose for this replica of World cup trophy kept in Nainamvalappu, (considered as the football capital of Calicut) football fans association. This trophy is made in wood. During the final of the World cup when the winner lifts the original FIFA World cup trophy, this replica at Nainamvalappu will be handed over to the respective fan club members!
The person who made this replica!
Myself with the FIFA World cup trophy (replica)! holding the cup for the second time in a week.wasn’t that great?
Even my uncle who arranged all the meetings in Calicut was so happy to hold the World Cup!
World cup trophy at Puthanathani!
This is the biggest replica of FIFA World Cup trophy I saw, stands almost 4 ft, made in Gypsum! in front of the Nice Coffee Day!
A journey through Malabar
Day 4: Puthanathani, Malappuram district
Nice Coffee Day: 2 Argentina, 1 Brazil and 1 Germany please!
Through one of Malayalam dailies, I came to know about this wonderful Coffee shop in Puthanathani, a small town in Malappuram district.
So what’s the specialty of this Coffee shop? and how is it related to the football World cup?
This is one sure sign of soccer mania!almost 4 ft replica of FIFA World Cup made in Gypsum! in front of the Nice Coffee Day!
Set of Brazilian and Argentinian juice glasses! Then I met Mr. Khalid who runs the shop, along with Mr. Abdul Karim. So if you ask for juice you are most likely get a menu like this “Brazil, Argentina, England, Italy, France and Germany”.
“We wanted to do something very different this World cup , and we came out this concept of naming various juices as leading football playing nations”, says Khalid who himself is a juice maker.
And the name is not only in the juice, so you have various tables branded as different nations like
Germany table
Italy, all you have to do is come and sit in your favourite nation’s table, the particular juice, named after that nation we come to you!
The Samba table, for the fans of Brazil!So there are like friends, who will come as a gang and once they enter they split and sit in their respective team’s table.
You have England table also. He is planning to show the semis and final live adjacent to the shop itself so that people can see the matches while sipping the juice.
So I went and sat in Argetina table and ordered, 1 Argentina please!
And enjoyed my Argentina shake, it was complimentary from the owner!
Later in Chennai at Cafe Coffee Day I found this, but according to me Nice Coffee Day is more connected to World Cup Soccer brand and represents the true spirit of people of Malabar towards Football!
To be continued…
A journey through Malabar
United flags of soccer World!
Every where you see only one thing, Flags in different shapes and colour. During the World cup season entire Malabar area will be wrapped by flags of different football playing nations. Argentina and Brazil lead the list but you will see flags of European nations also.
United flags in front of a Club in Perinthalmanna!
A Ladies store in Malappuram town
Argentina flag with bulbs!
This Argentina, I would say wooden flag was unique!
The scene at Nainamvalappu, the football capital of Calicut.
To be continued…
A journey through Malabar
Day 2,3: Malappuram and Calicut
Offers offers every where
I happened to see this banner when I was crossing the Perinthalmanna town. There was this huge banner placed in front of the home appliances store named Janatha Arcade. The banner said World cup 2010 mega sale. 
I got curious to know more about the offers. Lijo, the person in charge of the store said most of the TV brands like LG, Samsung, Godrej and Onida have come up with World Cup offers. Then there was scratch card where one gift was assured. Other offers being Sony is giving a Jubilani, the official football of the 2010 World cup with every purchase of LCD TVs. Then there is cash discount of up to Rs.1000 
Mainly clubs purchase TV in this season. On an average 10 pieces are sold in a day. One of the emerging trends in this World Cup season was the group purchase. 6-10 people, mainly youngsters will pool money and buy TV just to see the World Cup.
Here also the main teams have to reach at least in the quarters in order for the TV sales to pick up.
To be continued….
A journey through Malabar
World Cup football banners: A visual treat! Part V
One more for the Brazil fans!
Lots of action in the Banner. 
On one side Maradonna kissing the hand of Ronaldinho and saying “Oh God, Now even if I die its ok!”. Next to that one Argentina player begging to one Brazil guy, “Please don’t thrash us any more” and another guy telling “Guys, lets go, its Brazil”.
In the middle there is this 6 pointers on why they like Brazil, all statistics on how many times Brazil defeated Argentina!
To be continued..
A journey through Malabar
Day 2,3: Malappuram, Aricode and Calicut
Die hard football fans of Malabar! Part II
Argentina Brand ambassadors for Malappuram district!
Shafiq and Nithumon, the self proclaimed Brand ambassadors of Argentina team. 
They visit all the near by fan clubs, get a warm welcome, especially from Argentina fans clubs.
Purchased this scooter only for the World cup 2010. spent around Rs.1000 for stickering.
Argentina cars!
Shiju, a business man wanted to do something different in this World cup. So decided to sticker his two cars. He attended all the road shows related to World cup
He spent around Rs 3000 per car for stickering work.
The official means of transportation for Argentina
Portugal and Italy fan clubs!The banner has the complete World cup fixture also.
I saw this person in Brazil Vs Argentina match organised at Aricode. Notice the strange percussion instrument.
Cheer leader for Argentina team in a match against Brazil at Aricode.
Meet Sukumaran, a die hard Brazil fan. He made this World cup replica in cement. It took two days for him to make the World cup. One day for molding and another for painting. He says he has made this World cup for Brazil to win. This cup was given to the winning team, Brazil in the match organized at a place named Makkarapparamba, near Malappuram and again in Aricode match, where both Brazil and Argentina were declared joint winners!
A journey through Malabar
Day 2,3: Malappuram, Aricode and Calicut
Die hard football fans of Malabar! Part I
Throughout my trip in Malabar, I met some real die hard fans of football. They are ready to go to any extent to enjoy the World cup football season. I heard of some people coming from gulf, resigning their jobs, reason? they did not get leave. Lets meet some interesting football fans from Malabar!
Subi from Calicut.who rents out tarpaulin and chairs. 
Came up with this interesting concept, he covered his roof top with tarpaulin and made it an indoor stadium!
With two TVs inside, one cable connection and the other DTH. There is a generator also. No way you can miss a match! 
The Brazil van at Aricode!, covered with Brazil flags!
The youngest (and cutest) Brazilian fan, met this little fellow at Aricode.
The Argentina Car!
Jabbar with his Argentina Bike, a regular fan in all World cup special road shows, met him at Aricode.
Met this hard core Brazil fan at Puthiyathani, a place near Kotakkal in Malappuram dist. He has spent almost Rs. 900 for stickering his bike.
To be continued…..
A journey through Malabar
World Cup football banners: A visual treat! Part IV
We cheer for India!
It’s not that only Brazil, Argentina and other leading Football playing nations have banners and fan clubs. India also has some supporters. During my trip I saw two interesting banners supporting India. They sincerely hope that one day Indian football will make it to FIFA World Cup.
I saw this poster inside a store at Malappuram town.
The wording are funny, ” We want to play!we also have boots and jerseys!”
. The tag line says ” World cup committee is waiting for them” day dreaming?
This banner at Nainamvalappu, the football capital of Calicut!
The headline says ” One day India will also play in the World Cup.” ending with a JAI HO!
Now lets wait for that the day when India will play in FIFA World Cup, JAI HO!
A journey through Malabar
Day 1: Perinthalmanna, Malappuram District
Crown fashion enterprises- The shawl distributors of Malappuram!
I met Manoj and Anil, two youngsters, in front of the Garima stores. They were about to leave with a bag full of shawls they had picked up from Garima. Manoj works for Kerala State Road Transport Corporation. 
Their company, Crown fashion enterprises mainly distributes sports related stuffs through out Malappuram district. During World Cup season they take only football related merchandising.“Football is in our blood” says Manoj, who is a hard core Brazil fan, seen in the pic wearing Brazil jersey. I requested for some pic and within no time Manoj and Anil drapped their car with various nations’ shawls. 
Messi’s jersey has the highest demand and Manoj has taken around 1000 pieces. Other items include Wrist bands, flags, football itself and shorts.
To be continued….
