P Poulose, member of Keralas historic 1973 Santosh Trophy side, no more
KOCHI: 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. 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 Maharajas College grounds in Kochi on December 27, 1973. Pouloses football journey began at St Marys High School, Aluva, where his early promise earned him a place in the Kerala junior team. Later, he represented Calicut University, playing a key role in its national inter-university championship triumph in the 1971-72 season. 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 as secretary of the Ernakulam District Football Association for 12 years and, later, as senior vice-president of the Kerala Football Association. In 1993, he returned to the Santosh Trophy arena as assistant manager of the Kerala team. This campaign once again ended with the trophy coming home. Poulose is the 13th member of the TKS Mani-led 1973 title-winning squad to pass away. With this, another link to Kerala football's golden chapter is lost.
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