3 weeks ago
Bombay HC Seeks BMC Response on Bandra Football Ground Conversion
In Mumbai, India, there is a special football ground called the Neville D'Souza Football Ground.
Many children and grown-ups love to play football there.
Some city leaders have a plan to turn this ground into a big building for shows and meetings.
This made the football people very sad and upset.
They said, 'Nobody asked us before making this plan.'
The football association has taken care of this ground for more than 15 years.
More than 10,000 players use this ground, and it hosts over 900 matches every year.
The people in charge went to the big court in Bombay to ask for help.
The court said the city must explain its side by August 20, and everyone will meet again on August 24.
Now everyone is waiting to see if the football ground will stay.
The Bombay High Court directed the BMC to respond to the Mumbai Football Association's plea against converting Bandra's Neville D'Souza Football Ground into an exhibition and convention centre.
The MFA argued the proposal was pursued without giving it an opportunity to be heard, despite managing the ground for over 15 years.
The court ordered BMC to file its affidavit by August 20 and posted the next hearing for August 24 at 3 pm; MHADA was allowed to file its reply.
The proposal would change the reservation of the 8,450-square-metre ground from playground and open space to a convention or exhibition centre under Section 37(1) of the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning Act.
The MFA says the ground has FIFA-standard artificial turf, seats about 5,000 spectators, hosts over 900 matches per season and is used by nearly 400 youth clubs, 300 senior teams and over 10,000 players; MHADA says the land was originally earmarked for a convention complex whose revenue would support affordable housing.
- Who
- Bombay High Court bench of Acting Chief Justice Ravindra Ghuge and Justice Gautam Ankhad, the Mumbai Football Association (MFA), the BMC and MHADA.
- What
- The court directed the BMC to respond to the MFA's plea challenging the proposed conversion of Bandra's Neville D'Souza Football Ground into an exhibition and convention centre.
- Where
- Mumbai, involving Bandra's Neville D'Souza Football Ground and the Bombay High Court.
- When
- Monday, August 10, 2026; the BMC must file its affidavit by August 20 and the next hearing is scheduled for August 24 at 3 pm.
- Why
- The MFA says the conversion proposal was pursued without hearing the association and without sports impact studies, while MHADA says the land was originally earmarked for a convention complex whose revenue would support affordable housing.
Save the Football Ground
Convert to Convention Centre
Right to be heard
Save the Football Ground
The MFA, which has managed the ground for over 15 years, should have been heard before any decision; proceeding without it violates the principles of natural justice.
Convert to Convention Centre
MHADA maintains the land was originally earmarked for a convention complex, so altering its reservation follows the land's original purpose.
Need for another convention facility
Save the Football Ground
A new convention facility is unnecessary because venues such as the Jio World Convention Centre, St Andrew's Auditorium and MMRDA Exhibition Grounds already exist nearby.
Convert to Convention Centre
Revenue from the proposed convention project would support affordable housing initiatives.
Value of the land
Save the Football Ground
The ground is an existing, functioning and intensively used public sporting amenity that is a key part of Mumbai's football ecosystem.
Convert to Convention Centre
Converting the land into a convention or exhibition centre would generate revenue supporting affordable housing, a public need the ground does not address.
Key facts
- Court
- Bombay High Court
- Petitioners
- Mumbai Football Association
- Ground
- Neville D'Souza Football Ground, Bandra
- Ground area
- 8,450 square metres
- Facility features
- FIFA-standard artificial turf; seating for about 5,000 spectators
- Ground usage
- 900+ official matches per season; ~400 youth clubs, 300 senior teams, 10,000+ players
- BMC affidavit deadline
- August 20
- Next hearing
- August 24, 2026, 3 pm
Quotes
Mumbai Football Association spokesperson
Representative of the umbrella body for football clubs in Mumbai
“The ground is an existing, functioning, and intensively used public sporting amenity.”
freepressjournal.in
Sources
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