Cooperage's much overdue renovation to bring in better seating and spiffy dressing rooms but changes are temporary
Cooperage's much overdue renovation to bring in better seating and spiffy dressing rooms but changes are temporary
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Cooperage football stadium in South Mumbai must be the only place in the world where spectators are more at risk of injury than the footballers. 
Menezes points to the surface as the standsu00a0 are seen in the background
Broken stands have long been the bane of a dwindling spectator base, but, today, work is on to bring respectability and posteriors back to the stands.
Iconic
The iconic 120-year-old football ground, is undergoing what Western India Football Association (WIFA) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Henry Menezes claims, "Is a renovation, I would not go so far as to term it as a revamp."
A full-fledged revamp say officials would come at a later stage. Right now, temporary measures are on to spruce up the stadium.
There was a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed earlier by the Oval Cooperage Residents' Association (OCRA), challenging the ground's renovation, proposed by the WIFA.
It said the right to public open spaces and access to recreational grounds was an integral part of the right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution.
The Bombay High Court, though, has paved the way for the renovation.u00a0 Menezes says the proposed construction of a clubhouse on the grounds, a permanent structure will, "be done only after three years."
Seat
Right now, says Menezes, "We are replacing the current surface by an artificial turf, of international standard." That is the most vital part of football's world body, the Federation International de Football Association (FIFA) two million dollar makeover, as it would affect the players directly.
Menezes said a FIFA approved local contractor has been given the contract. It is an all-weather surface and similar to, Menezes explains, "Fr Agnel's football ground in Vashi, though that is not primarily football but a multi-sports facility.
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Yet, to bring in people to watch the sport, it is other facilities that are paramount. The old stands are going, to be replaced by bucket seats. The project is with Shashi Prabhu & Associates."
Incidentally, architects Shashi Prabhu also redesigned the new look Wankhede Stadium. Says Amol Prabhu, partner, of the firm, "I do not know whether we have zeroed in on bucket seats per se, as plans have gone to the FIFA for approval.
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The football world body has stringent guidelines but I can assure people that the seating would be comfortable. It would not be in concrete."u00a0
Rickety
Says Sanjiv Saran Mehra, CEO, Saran Sports and football promoter, "The stands are rickety and dangerous, this is a big deterrent for people who want to watch the sport.
The players changing rooms need a paint job. They need fans and shower facilities, which are very poor as of now.
The toilets need a revamp; currently they are like public toilets. The players need a dressing room that is conducive to getting ready for top class play." Saran also said the ground needs an in-house cafeteria, and, "a comfortable press enclosure".
Moving
Says Menezes, "Bucket seats would mean that capacity to accommodate spectators would be reduced. Earlier, we had 12,000 people who could push their way on to the seats.
Now, we would have approximately 5,500. We are also refurbishing the dressing rooms and making toilets for the spectators. Food kiosks inside are on the anvil." 
The rickety, dilapidated stands
Menezes says, "These are temporary renovations, till a full-fledged change comes about in three years.
The seating is 'de-mountable', which means the stands would be dismantled and re-located, once permanent seating is made in three years along with the clubhouse.
The dressing rooms too would be dismantled and shifted to another location, once permanent structures are in, in about three years."
Menezes did not specify the, "other location" that this temporary infrastructure would move to, simply saying, "that is undecided as yet, maybe to another district that has a playing field but needs amenities like these."
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Prabhu adds, "The de-mountable seating would be in steel. This is slightly more expensive to make but it can be dismantled and moved."u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
Weddings
The four floodlights that were there earlier at the stadium had also been taken down, "as they had become unsafe, now they are going to be replaced by new floodlights," says Menezes.
The lights one hopes would bring Mumbai football's dark days both metaphorically and literally to an end.
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"We want people to flock to Cooperage," says WIFA, "We want to bring back top class football into Mumbai, especially I-League matches."
Meanwhile, Menezes emphasized that even with the renovation, "Cooperage would continue to host weddings, as that is an income generator for us."
The marriage between better facilities and higher standards of play would serve as a magnet for followers of the game, believe Menezes and his ilk.
It's a marriage that is likely to happen in the near future, the wedding preparations have already begun.u00a0
Highlights
120-year-old football facility undergoes renovation
Weddings will continue to be held at the venueu00a0
Bucket seats to replace stands, reduce capacity
Club house after three years
Toilets, cafeteria on anvil
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