P Poulose, a member of the Kerala football team that lifted the Santosh Trophy for the first time in 1973, passed away on Monday. He was 76 and was suffering from heart-related ailments for some time, his close friends told TNIE.
A native of Aluva, Poulose was the youngest member of the title-winning 26-man squad. They beat Railways 3-2 in the final held at the Maharaja’s College grounds in Kochi on December 27, 1973.
“It was a star-studded squad,” recalled Ravi Menon, a veteran sports journalist. “But Poulose, already an accomplished player by then, had a place in it despite being the youngest.”
Poulose’s football journey began at St Mary’s High School, Aluva, where his early promise earned him a place in the Kerala junior team. “He was an excellent defender,” said M M Jacob, fellow state footballer and close friend.
“Later, he represented Calicut University, playing a key role in its first national inter-university championship triumph in the 1971-72 season,” Jacob added.
A left-wing-back player, Poulose went on to represent Kerala in the Santosh Trophy for eight years and captained the side in 1979. At the club level, he played for Kerala Premier Tyres.
Even after hanging up his boots, Poulose remained deeply involved with the game.
“He served in an administrative capacity for nearly four decades,” said Shaji C Kurien, general secretary of the Kerala Football Association (KFA).
Poulouse was the secretary of the Ernakulam District Football Association for 12 years and, later, senior vice-president of KFA.
“Being a former player, Poulose understood the game and what it took to succeed. So in a way, he was able to bring a certain nuance to the sport’s administration in Kerala,” Ravi observed.
Rufus D’Souza, a former professional player who spearheaded the attacking lineup of both the erstwhile Thiru-Kochi and the Kerala teams, concurs. “Poulose was a gentleman. He treated everyone equally. His prowess on the field was matched equally with his generosity off it,” he said.
Indeed, his impact was felt more profoundly in 1993, when Poulose returned to the Santosh Trophy arena as assistant manager of the Kerala side. This campaign once again ended with the trophy coming home.
“Poulose was one of the mainstay selectors of Kerala’s Santosh Trophy campaigns,” Shaji added.
Even until recently, despite ill health, Poulouse took an active interest in football, especially at the grassroots level. “He was the all-in-all of Amateur Sports Club in Aluva. The club lifted the Don Bosco Trophy on Sunday,” Jacob said.
Poulose is the 13th member of the TKS Mani-led 1973 title-winning squad to pass away. “With this, another link to Kerala’s football golden chapter is lost,” Ravi remarked.