New Delhi: Roughly 130 kilometres from the students‘ protest site at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium in Ranchi, another agitation over identity is unfolding in Jamshedpur. There are slogans, chants and placards there too, but with a different twist. “Save Jamshedpur FC, save Indian football,” said the placards as protesters gheraoed Tata Steel Corporate Communications in Sakchi.
Football fans in the Steel City have been hitting the streets to demand that Tata Steel reverse its decision to withdraw Jamshedpur FC from the Indian Super League (ISL), the country’s top-tier football league.
“Jamshedpur has always been known as a football-loving city, and we believed the club would continue to grow. We never imagined that one day we would have to come onto the streets to ask for our club to be saved,” 27-year-old Raja Hansdah, admin of The Tribes Army, the tribal fan club of Jamshedpur FC, told ThePrint. “The club has given me friendships, memories, a sense of community and a reason to come together with people from completely different backgrounds.”
More than a football club at stake. For many, supporting Jamshedpur FC is a way to belong.
“The club represents Jamshedpur’s identity, its people, and our collective passion. For many of us, the club is a connection between the city, its football culture, and the next generation,” he added.
Fans fear that Jamshedpur FC’s exit from the ISL will weaken the pathway for Jharkhand’s young players to the professional Indian football team. With the All India Football Federation (AIFF) giving the club a deadline of 12 August to reconsider the decision, supporters are hoping their protests can persuade Tata Steel to keep the senior team alive.
The announcement came as a shock to Sheikh Imran (31), one of the founding members of Jamshedpur FC fan club, The Red Miners. When the club’s statement appeared on social media, he said, fans were “shocked, disappointed, and angry”.
They began speaking to other fan groups and decided to protest outside the Tata Steel Corporate Communications office. Apart from the club, the anger stems from losing the state’s identity.
“For me, Jamshedpur FC represents our city’s identity, pride, and dreams,” Imran said.
He still remembers 1 December 2017, when he went to the Furnace—JRD Tata Sports Complex—for the first time to watch Jamshedpur FC play defending champions Atletico de Kolkata. It was also his first experience of watching a football match inside a stadium.
“We started planning to prepare banners, chants, and posters for our first match with our fellow Red Miners. And seeing a jam-packed Furnace, I was overwhelmed with the response of Jamshedpur and nearby people. It was the experience I will cherish forever,” he said.
Nine years later, the club has become an integral part of the city’s football culture, Imran said. For him, one of the biggest changes has been visible among children.
“Earlier, kids used to wear Brazil or Manchester United jerseys. Today, many proudly wear Jamshedpur FC jerseys. They dream of playing for their own city. That’s the biggest change this club has brought,” he said.
That sense of belonging is also what makes the decision painful for fans.
“We grew up seeing Tata build this city. Jamshedpur FC felt like another gift to the people. So when that gift is taken away, it feels personal. It feels like we’re losing a part of what makes this city special,” Imran said.
‘Kids dream of joining this club’
On 31 July, Jamshedpur FC announced its withdrawal from the ISL starting from the 2026-27 season, citing a shift in focus toward grassroots development rather than running a senior top-flight team.
“We will continue to promote and develop the game of football, including at the grassroots level. We will continue to identify young football talent across India to create a strong pathway for young players from grassroots to national and international football,” reads the statement from Jamshedpur FC.
For the players, the club’s withdrawal threatens a pathway that has connected local footballers to the professional game.
Pronay Halder, a veteran midfielder who has spent his 16-year professional career with Mohun Bagan and Jamshedpur FC, came up through the Tata Football Academy (TFA). He said the news came suddenly, with players receiving no indication that the senior team was going to be withdrawn from the ISL.
“We were practising when we got the news. No hints were given,” Halder said.
For years, he said, Jamshedpur FC has provided a platform for young players, particularly those from Jharkhand. Without a senior team, many could once again be forced to leave the state in search of opportunities.
“Many junior players from Jharkhand have been playing professionally in Indian football. Most under-16, under-14 players are from Jharkhand. It was a huge platform for them. They will again have to migrate to other states like West Bengal to try their luck,” he said.
Nikhil Barla, a versatile defender, moved directly from TFA to the senior side and said playing for his home club was a dream come true.
“From TFA to JFC, it was my dream to play for the senior team. It was a dream come true for me. It feels really bad that my home club is shutting down,” Barla said.
The players also described how the club affected the city’s football atmosphere. Barla recalled packed stadiums and the support from fans, saying the atmosphere at the Furnace motivated the team.
“TFA kids dream of joining this club,” he said.
Goalkeeper Amrit Gope, who has been associated with Jamshedpur FC since 2017-18, said much of his career had been built around the club.
“What will the youth see and come to play if there is no senior team? Why will other clubs from another state rope them in?” he asked.
Halder called the decision “bad news for Indian football”, pointing to how Jamshedpur FC was fighting for the championship in recent years rather than struggling at the bottom of the table. In the 2021-22 season, the club won the ISL League Winners’ Shield. Under head coach Owen Coyle, they achieved a record-breaking haul of 43 points.
“It was a huge platform,” Halder said, adding that two or three clubs have already approached him, but that the squad remains hopeful that management would still reverse the decision.
“We are still positive even if there is a 1 per cent chance of the reversal,” he said.
Jamshedpur FC CEO Mukul Choudhari has declined to comment on the matter.
Also read: Why the Toyota Hilux is the ultimate remedy for boring SUVs
‘I cried’
The hope of the club reversing the decision has brought fans onto the streets. For players who came up through the club, it is about losing a professional pathway. And for the youngest supporters, the uncertainty reaches dreams that are only beginning to take shape.
Imran said he had never previously been someone who attended protests. But the decision to withdraw the club changed that.
“I’m not someone who comes out on the streets to protest. But this club means so much to me that I couldn’t just sit at home and watch it disappear,” he said.
He still hopes Tata Steel will reconsider.
“Please listen to us before it’s too late. We aren’t asking for anything unreasonable. We’re just asking you to save something that has brought happiness, hope, and pride to thousands of families,” he said.
And if the decision is not reversed?
“We won’t stop. We’ll continue raising our voices to save our beloved club. As long as there’s hope of saving this club, we’ll keep trying,” Imran said.
For 12-year-old Sharik Akhter, the club’s future is tied to his own goal of becoming a professional footballer. A centre-back who also plays in the left-back position, Sharik represents Jamshedpur FC Under-14 academy.
He watched his first Jamshedpur FC match against NorthEast United in the 2025 season. He remembers being thrilled when some of the players noticed him during the game. Since then, he has watched Jamshedpur FC play Mohun Bagan and Bengaluru, and was also an escort kid when the club played FC Goa.
His favourite memory came against Mohun Bagan, when Ritwik Das scored an equaliser.
“I feel very sad. When I heard that Jamshedpur FC is withdrawing from ISL, I cried. I was worried about my dream and my friends’ dreams,” Sharik said.
The club has shaped his ambition. Watching Jamshedpur FC has made him believe that one day he could walk out at the Furnace as a professional player.
“I want to play professionally. Jamshedpur FC is our way to play in India, make our parents proud, and represent our city,” he said.
He said he would miss the atmosphere at the Furnace and the club’s supporters if the senior team disappears.
“If Jamshedpur FC stays, I want to see it play against Mohun Bagan. The rivalry itself is history,” he said.
(Edited by Prasanna Bachchhav)