South Coast Troopers have quickly built a reputation as one of the most passionate fan groups in the entire Super League Kerala. They aren’t loud because they want attention. They’re loud because the club means something to them. What started as scattered excitement has now grown into a community that stands out in the league. They are colourful, vocal, and absolutely relentless in their support for Thiruvananthapuram Kombans FC.
The first season of SLK was originally planned across three venues, and Thiruvananthapuram wasn’t even guaranteed home matches. But the TKFC management pushed hard, took a bold step, and renovated the Chandrasekharan Nair Stadium to make it match-ready. The decision changed everything. The league suddenly had a brand-new fan culture blooming in a city that many had written off as “not football crazy enough.” That move didn’t just give TKFC a home; it sparked a fresh fan movement, and South Coast Troopers were one of the loudest outcomes of that shift.
Surya begins their story in the most straightforward way. The rumors of a league in the name of Kerala Super League had been floating around since 2022, and by May 2024, Super League Kerala finally took shape along with Thiruvananthapuram Kombans FC. “I started a fan account in Insta as Komban Army,” he says. “I had no idea how to run a fan group.” But the momentum didn’t wait for him to figure things out. Followers started messaging him, including Thiruvananthapuram people living in Europe and Malta. The TKFC media team eventually connected him with another account called Thiruvananthapuram Ultras. “We merged together and became the founding 14 members. We wanted a good name, and we wanted to stand out. We’re representing Kottayam to Thiruvananthapuram. And we also want to represent the coastal regions of this area, which is a football hotbed.” And that’s how South Coast Troopers came into existence.
Surya’s pride grows when he talks about what they aim to do. “Our stadium is fantastic. You can see a church, a mosque, and a temple just adjacent to it. No other stadium has that.” People used to say the city didn’t have a sports culture, but the support in the stands proved otherwise. “We had no idea of fan activities in the first season, so we focused on stadium-related activities. In the second season, we registered under the Kerala government and did some welfare activities. We provided a match-day experience for almost 60 kids from a children’s home. We are planning blood donation camps. We will soon form a general body and plan a yearlong program. Just by waving some flags, a fan club won’t form. We need to represent the community.”
When the conversation turns to relationships with other fan clubs, Surya lights up. “We have a good rapport with other fan clubs. Calicut FC fans received us with Kozhikodan halwa during our away match. We served them boli and palpayasam when they came to our home. We have a very good bond with Ultras Malappuram.” He makes it clear that this exchange of food and hospitality isn’t funding. It’s culture, respect, and friendship within the league.
As for actual funding, things remain grounded. “We had good support from the club management. They arranged our transport to the Calicut FC away match. For the rest of the matches, we travelled on our own expenses. We don’t have any sponsorships. Since we expanded our activities, the expenses have increased. One of the managing directors of the club, Mr. Terrence Alex, runs a company called Wattsun Energy, and we collaborated with them this season for activities.”
Surya also takes pride in how inclusive the Troopers have become. “We have almost 20 lady members and a ladies’ wing. Four of our core committee members are ladies. We have an overseas wing too. We have members from European nations, and we are planning to expand to GCC countries.”
He adds that their off-season activities begin in April, almost as if the club never truly goes quiet.
Listening to Surya talk, it becomes obvious why South Coast Troopers have grown the way they have. There’s heart, there’s intent, and there’s a long coastline worth of passion behind them. Nothing about their journey is manufactured. It’s built from instinct and community energy.
