Wednesday, June 30, 2010

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..

Tuesday, June 29, 2010


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!


Ananda Shankar Jayant,renowned classical Indian dancer,tells her personal story of not only facing the disease but dancing through it.
Ananda Shankar Jayant fights cancer with dance | Video on TED.com

Monday, June 28, 2010


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.....

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Image of the week

Return of the Demon King!

Found this banner of Ravanan the movie,Tamil version,in front of Kasi theatre in Ashok Nagar, Chennai!

Saturday, June 26, 2010

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!

Friday, June 25, 2010


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....

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

World Cup football banners: A visual treat! Part III


A set of banners for hard core Argentina fans.


Diego Maradonna in traditional Malayalee (Tamil also)attire!


Now here I see a clear case of inspiration from a recently released Malayalam movie, Pokkiriraja, starring Mammooty and Prithviraj

And look at Messi, also in similar traditional Malayalee clothing of Shirt and Mundu (dhothi)!

Emulating your legendary coach (Diego)in football is okay, but clothing also?


Now the connection, Mammootty is one of all time super stars of Malayalam cinema, same with Maradona, who is one of the greatest in the game of football.
Prithviraj is the young super hero of Malayalam cinema and Messi is no different, is the new super hero of Football and (2010 World Cup?)

To be continued......

Tuesday, June 22, 2010


Investor and prankster Yossi Vardi delivers a careful lecture on the dangers of blogging. Specifically, for men.

Yossi Vardi fights local warming | Video on TED.com

Day 1: Makkaraparamba, Malappuram District
Brazil beat Argentina 4-3, lifts the World Cup!


On my way to Malappuram, I saw this wonderful set of banners, ten of them in a junction. For the first time I saw such a long banner series,later heard from some kids that some where in Malappuram there is a series of 32 banners, a banner each for all World cup football finalists!

There were banners for Brazil, Argentina, Holland, Italy, North Korea, France, England, Portugal, Spain and Germany.
So as usual I started taking pictures of the banners, by the time some students of nearby high school gathered and were looking curiously. So I started my usual chat with the kids about the World Cup celebration. One guy almost screamed in excitement and said that Brazil beat Argentina 4-3. I was bit confused. Because the World Cup kick off was yet to happen and how come Brazil won against Argentina? Then the details started coming in.

The match was a locally organized one for the fans of Brazil and Argentina. These types of matches are a usual occurrence during World cup season in these parts.Players will wear various nations’ jerseys and play exhibition matches. So Sakkir, who used to play for Viva Kerala was the captain of Brazil team and Asif Zahir, ex SBT Kerala player captained Argentina. The match was very thrilling it seems. Around 300 people came for the match.

A local club, Legends Club at Makkaraparamba organized the game.

The members of the club with their favourite team's flags!

And the winner gets the World Cup, not the original one but a replica, this one made in cement by a person named Sukumaran. Later at a Aricode I met Sukumaran and had a rare opportunity, but that's a different story!

The victorious Brazilian team with the World Cup! believe me this will happen only in Kerala, that too in Malabar!

To be continued....

Monday, June 21, 2010

World Cup football banners: A visual treat! Part II!

My next pick of interesting banner is, am sure will delight Brazil fans and despond the Argentina ones.


Location: Chathamangalam, Calicut district,

Theme: Inspired from the Malayalam saying “1000 Kozhimutteykku Ara Kada”, a rough translation “half quail’s egg is equivalent to a 1000 Hen’s egg “ , the statement underlines the fact that quail’s egg is far more nutritious than a Hen’s egg. Now to the World Cup and the banner from Brazil fans.

Headline: 1000 Messikku ara Kaka, means

“Half Kaka is enough for a 1000 Messi(s)”!

Now how is that?
My article on Mylai Shri Karpakambal Mess



Published in On Sale Express

Saturday, June 19, 2010



Football World cup live shows in Malabar

Once the matches are started you can hardly see a person in the streets, what you see is a bunch of people glued to TV. Now based on the convenience and financial capability the arrangements vary.

Ride-in live show


This is the most common scene through out the region! Either you buy a TV or hire it

Shutters will come down by 5pm, the time when the first match will start. Just place the LCD and DTH set,

just drive in your bike and enjoy the matches!

Drive-in live shows!

Now little more sophistication!

For the affluent ones, come in car with food and enjoy the matches!

I happened to read from the paper that World cup matches were showing live in a theatre named Rachana in Kootnad, a town in Palakkad District. So thought will have a look at the place.


The big banner announcing the live show of matches!

Sajesh, the person who has arranged the show has taken the theatre for a month for a rent of Rs 15,000. He is planning to show 60 of 64 matches of this World cup.

During last World cup also he showed the matches in big screen, but that was in a theatre in neighbouring Thrissur District and he lost money. This time he chose a place having hard core football fans. So he thinks he will make some profit this time around. Sajesh explaining the mechanism. DTH is kept and matches are shown from it.

Charges are quite reasonable, Rs 20 for one match.He arranged a special show for me, the highlights of Brazil's first match!

Sajesh guarantees that it's a house full during Argentina and Brazil matches Complimentary pass for the show!

Roof top theatre!

Now an interesting arrangement in Calicut!

Subi is a hard core football fan. He is in to the business of renting out tarpaulin and chairs. So he came up with this interesting concept, he covered his roof top with tarpaulin and made it an indoor stadium!

There are two TVs, for safety reason. One has the normal cable connection and the other one connected to DTH. There is a generator also."I want to make sure that come what may I will not miss a match", says Subi!

Now this is free for all, and by evening around 40 people will assemble and enjoy the matches.
Gallery at puthiyapalam

But the most impressive arrangement for the live football show I saw was in a place called Puthiyapalam in Calicut District.

The banner announcing the show, reads, "watch the World cup football matches sitting inside the stadium in Puthiyapalam, not South Africa".


The football fans' of Puthiyapalam along with Mathrubhumi, one of leading Malayalam dailies have come up with this wonderful idea! The entrance to the gallery!


Probably this is the only place other than the stadium where you can sit in a gallery and see the matches!The gallery can accommodate around 500 people. The greatest highlight is that its absolutely free show!

View from the gallery!People come from far distance to see the matches. They have also arranged some contests like predict the winner. Firos Khan the president of the club says "once you come and see the matches here you will never sit in front of the TV again". Now after seeing all these arrangements I think so!There is nothing like seeing the matches with your friends

To be continued....




>