Paris has a reason to celebrate in the coming season. For the first time since 1990, there will be a Parisian derby in Ligue 1.

Paris FC will be back in action in the French top flight following an absence of 46 years after they secured promotion to Ligue 1 on Friday following a 1-1 draw at Martigues. This would also give Parisian fans a much-needed local city rivalry.

Backed by the family of French billionaire Bernard Arnault, Paris FC will move their home ground from Charlety stadium to Stade Jean-Bouin, which sits just across the street from PSG’s Parc des Princes.

The distance is just around 194 metres, and this, according to many, will be the closest derby in the world.

Here in Calcutta, however, football fans enjoyed derby matches between two clubs separated by a mere 150 metres, if you take the shortest route.

East Bengal and Mohun Bagan, India’s two most popular football clubs, played each other in the Maidan even as late as the early 1990s and their rivalry is part of Bengal’s folklore.

The Parisian derby may become a battle of unequals given the money Qatari-owned PSG have at their disposal. But East Bengal and Mohun Bagan were always competing with each other for top honours.

Now the derby matches are played at the Salt Lake Stadium, but when the two fierce rivals had a face-off in the Maidan, it had a different feel altogether. Bagan boy Chuni Goswami was lauded by the rival fans after he starred in Bagan’s 3-1 win over East Bengal at the latter’s ground in the 1964 CFL match.

East Bengal fans celebrated with their favourite hilsa at the rival’s ground after PK Banerjee’s men routed Bagan 5-0 in the IFA Shield final on September 30, 1975.

“The fans carried us from the ground to the East Bengal tent. It was raining and they did not allow us to take the car,” Shyam Thapa, who scored two goals, fondly remembered.

The last Maidan derby was in December 1993, when East Bengal defeated Mohun Bagan in an IFA Shield match at the Bagan ground.

A young Sanjay Majhi, in his first season at the club, scored the all-important goal that capsized the Bagan boat.

How long did it take for Majhi to cover those 150 metres from the Bagan ground to the red and gold tent? More than an hour.

“Best memory of my life. The supporters carried me to the tent, chanting my name,” Majhi said.

“Many superstars like IM Vijayan, Bhaichung Bhutia and Chima Okorie have played derbies, scored goals... But none of them experienced something like that. I still get excited,” Majhi, who attained instant stardom after the match, added.

True. Those were the days when Maidan had its own charm and Indian football was still followed passionately.