Photos (Top to Bottom): Southern Tasmanian squad of the time: Back row (L-R): Eddie Kent, Steve Kannegiesser, Nick Di Martino, John Charlton, Peter Huigsloot, Phil Kannegiesser, Steve Craven, John Broadhouse, John Fletcher, David Crosson, Bob Adams; Front row (L-R): Ibro Cahut, Tim Robins, Ronnie De Felice, Ian Parker, Nick Cook, Perry Forster, Chester Willcock, Chris Hey; Rothmans Gold medal gathering (L-R): Eamonn Kelly, Eugene Mycak, Michael Southworth, Eric Young (ex-Manchester United), Peter Brine (ex-Middlesbrough)
With 2010 fast approaching, I thought a touch of nostalgia for seasons past may be in order.
Here are some line-ups from games in 1982.
Some of these players still attend games today, while others have drifted away or moved interstate and overseas.
Memories of their contribution to the local game through their standard of play live on.
On 28 August 1982, Rapid and Olympia drew 2-2, and here are the line-ups:
Rapid: Steve Craven, John Fletcher, Larry Nunn, David Crosson, Chester Willcock, Harry Stewart, John Charlton, Mick Southworth, Mark Nikolai, Mark Oakes, Dale Blake, (Res: Steve Kannegiesser, Cliff Morgan)
Olympia: Robert Harrison, Peter Vafakos, John Paplos, Peter Linnell, Michael Edwards, Roger Munro, Marco Genaris, Perry Forster, Craig Nichols, Peter Sherman, Ronnie Bolton
Mick Southworth gave Rapid a 1-0 lead at the break, although it was a handball and off-side (things haven’t changed much, have they?), while Perry Forster equalised in the 54th minute after Peter Sherman flicked on a Craig Nichols pass.
Sherman put Olympia ahead in the 74th minute from a dubious penalty, while Southworth netted his second goal of the match five minutes from the end, heading home the loose ball after Robert Harrison could only palm a shot out.
On 5 September 1982, Rapid beat Juventus 3-0 before a crowd of 800.
The squads were:
Juventus: Craig Jones, Harrison, Peter Brine, Alastair Cochrane, Collins, Nick Lapolla, Eric Young, Darren Bacon, Leon Darko, Bruce Ward, Nick Di Martino, Robbie Kent, Frank Genovesi, Steve Maccalini
Rapid: Steve Craven, John Fletcher, John Charlton, David Crosson, Chester Willcock, Steve Kannegiesser, Harry Stewart, Mark Nikolai, Larry Nunn, Michael Southworth, David Smith, Mark Oakes, Dale Blake, Cliff Morgan
This was an eventful match.
Bruce Ward, who cracked a marvellous shot against the post, was sent off in the first half for serious foul play.
David Smith opened the scoring with a neat finish in the 63rd minute after David Crosson’s free-kick, while Dale Blake scored his first goal of the season in the 64th minute to make it 2-0.
John Charlton beat several defenders on his way to scoring Rapid’s third in the 82nd minute, while three minutes later, Smith hit the crossbar from 7 metres when faced with an open goal, having preferred power over accuracy.
Ah, memories!
40 comments:
The Team official ,was his name Adams , I know he lived in South Hobart but was associated with Olympia.
Ah the days we dressed for dinner ,
Truly prestige functions.
Thanks, Brian. You are right. It is Bob Adams. I think the other official was Eddie Kent. I stand to be corrected.
I remember Eddie Kent. I great trainer ... he could make a dead man better and they would play after half time. A true gentleman... Sadly no longer with us. Walter was that around the time of the old state league or a bit to early for that? I remember that Croatia played a few youngsters.. Grundy, Johnston, Peters etc. Also do you know what happened to David Clarkson or Ibro Cahut? PS: keep up the great job you, as i now live in NSW and am always looking at your blogs to bring back good memories
Anonymous, glad you enjoy the blog and that it brings back good memories.
The State League ended the year before, that is, in 1981.
David Clarkson was involved as a coach with South Melbourne and then with the Victorian Federation and, as far as I know, is still in Melbourne.
Ibro Cahut went to Queensland where he played in the NSL for one of the Brisbane sides. He was also a Queensland State representative. His parents still live in Hobart.
I would have liked to see crosson playing then. His overall play seemed to be so simple and effective when I witnessed him play in his forties. It must have been a better standard compared to when I played Walter, with the likes of cahut and a younger parker playing.
Hi Walter it's Peter Brine here nice to see you are still heavily involved in football. The pictures you posted brought back some very fond memories of my time in Hobart.
I am now in Townsville, home of "GOD" (Fowler). He has been in my restaurant a few times and he is a really nice guy.
Hi Peter
It's great to hear from you. I'm thrilled, in fact.
Those years in the early 1980s were truly wonderful for football in Tasmania. I'll always remember the first game you and Eric Young played in Tasmania. It was a Wednesday night at KGV and you two were playing for Juventus. Neither of you were beaten in the air in the entire game!
I recall posting a colour action photo of you playing for Middlesbrough on the door of one of the dressing rooms, just to remind people of who they were watching.
Nice to hear about Fowler. He's doing well for the Fury and he made the most of his career. They tell me he owns half of Liverpool!
What's the name of your restaurant? I was in Cairns not so long ago but haven't been to Townsville, but you never know.
Great to learn that you still keep an eye on Tassie football.
All the best for the New Year!
Cheers!
Walter
Peter,
Did you ever play with Bobby Murdoch. Great player.
Couple of things - my understanding is David Clarkson is/was involved with Australian representative youth teams in recent years.
Secondly, I thought I had arranged for Briney to be extradited back to the UK and never to be returned all those yeard ago???.
PB make sure you place your Restaurant name and location on the Blog, coming up that way Aug/Sep 2010 with the family.
The photos of old are a fantastic look back on the good old days of football in this state, a standard of football, where if you as a player did not turn up to a training session during the week, you did not play, it was that simple.
It is difficult when you are still involved in the sport, not to look back to those 78-81 days, when we had the huge influx of British players to our local game, which lifted the standard of football across the state to such a high level.
The likes of Peter Brine, Eric Young, Ian Parker, Ken Morton, Bruce Ward, Graeme Scatchell, Kevin Swinscoe, Peter Sawden, Pete Saville, Charlton, Crosso, Nick Cook, who I bumped into recently at Bunnings & who is living out Bagdad way, plus many others, where fantastic for the sport in this state.
I recall with the Calies days in 81, Perry Forster, Martin Burden, Robert Harrison and myself were from memory, the only local players in a strong squad of 18-20 players, and training was like playing a game, it was that intense amongst the playing group for positions within the starting 11.
It was a huge privelage for me as a locally born player to have played against & alongside the names I have mentioned above and many others. I never had the right to do so and I had to work my butt off the secure a position in Tasmanian Football History.
Currently coaching at Senior level again, it is difficult to try and explain to todays players, what it was like back then (competition for positions within a team) and what can be achieved if you put a little effort in.
I have said for many years, that the reason I coach is in hope that I may be able to contribute in some small way to return the standard of football locally to the level at which I was so privelaged to have been a part of.
I hope some of the Olympia lads who have not been at training as yet read this and have some understanding, turn up, put an effort in & be part of lifting the standard of the game, rather than accept the current league as a social event. That goes for all players.
Please refrain too much from the old fart, over the hill comments.
so why were tere so many english imports?
Hi Walter, the name of my restaurant ia "A Touch of Salt". It is a play on my name "Brine" and my youngest son Michael's wife Melissa Touch. Michael is the chef and my oldest son Mark is the restaurant manager, they let me select and drink the wines and pay the bills, they are very thoughtful boys. Chris, my wife, assists me in drinking the wines.
I remember you were an excellent supporter of Youngy and myself and in fact the whole football scene. There were some good players involved in the league in the early 80's. I just wish my knee was not as bad, I would have loved to have contributed more. Actually, I had a total knee replacement 9 months ago, I should have had it done 9 years ago.
Yes, Robbie does own a fair bit of property in Liverpool. I think it is 85 houses.
I did play with bobby murdoch, quite a bit actually. We signed Bobby in 1973 and he was a fantastic player. I was Bobby's understudy in the 74/75 season and used to alternate with him in the 75/76 season. Jack Charlton preferred Bobby at home and myself away. Only because i had a better work rate, it certainly wasn't on ability. I took over from Bobby in 76/77 season. We had a great midfield in those days, Bobby Murdoch, David Armstrong and Graeme Souness. It was no wonder I had to wait for one to retire.
Unfortunately, Bobby passed away quite afew years ago now.
Chris, obviously the authorities had the sense not to listen to you.
As posted to Walter my restaurant name is "A Touch of Salt".
I know you said to refrain from the "old fart" and "over the hill" comments but you are actually talking about 30 years ago, we certainly aint spring chickens!
There were some good players playing in the league in those days and they were not all imported.
Coxy, there were not that many imports. In the Rapid versus Juventus game, for which the team lists are provided, each side had only three imports and 11 locally produced players. Not all the locally produced player were born here, but most grew up here and learned their football here.
The quality of the imports was exceptional and that was the key factor. It meant that the local players learned from them. That's what is missing today. It's incorrect to think that most of the teams were made up of imports.
Thanks for replying, Peter. Prepare for an influx of Tassie 'tourists' to your restaurant!
It's certainly a clever name for your restaurant. I recall that your nickname when you were playing here was 'Salty'.
And, I recall that bandaged knee. It hardly restricted you. We used to tremble at the thought of you playing against us with both knees in perfect condition!
I will post some more photos shortly of your time in Tasmania.
Thanks for the reply Walter. Did the Tasmanian imports compare to the marquee players of the current A-League?
Hi Coxy
Some of the imports ended up playing in the old NSL. Eric Young went to Morwell Falcons and Peter Willis went from Rapid to Wollongong. Lachie Vagianos went from Olympia to Adelaide Hellas. They may not have had the status of the current marquee players, but they were good.
Some of our own players did well, too, often inspired by the imports. Ibro Cahut, Luciano and Romeo Fabrizio, Kurt Reynolds, Domenic Longo, Corey Baldock, Angelo and Carlo Ambrosino, Anthony Breaden, Jonathon Carter and David Clarkson were just some (forgive me if I've missed some) who played in the NSL. Corey Baldock even played in the top flight in Bolivia. Goalkeeper Simon Miotto played professionally in Scotland and remains our only player to have made an English Premier League squad (West Bromwich Albion).
Again, whether the imports were the equal of the current marquee players is debatable. Some, I think, were.
Peter Savill had been with Leeds United, David Crosson with Newcastle United, Peter Brine with Middlesbrough, Ken Morton and Eric Young with Manchester United. Then there was Ian Parker, Liam Monagle, Joe McGrory, Peter Sawdon, Ken Worden (who went on to coach Malaysia and Melbourne Knights), Nick Cook, Steve Darby (who is current assistant coach of Thailand but was assistant coach of Bahrain when he first came here), Alan Tait, Tony Dickenson, Colin Guest, Kevin Swinscoe, Skatchell et al. I think these guys would have held their own in current company. They came here to play and weren't migrants, although some stayed.
From New Zealand we had Brian and Peter Davidson to name just two.
I think one has to remember that Tasmania once provided Australian international players. That doesn't happen now.
Don't know if coaches can raise standards, run of the mill coaches anyway. You need some imports to raise the level of football, it would be rather egocentric of the coach to think otherwise. I think Brett Pullen deserves mention in that 'Illustrious list' given his achievements.As far as standards are concerned, if John Paplos (no disrespect John) could get a game (circa 82), I don't think I would feel too embarassed to pull a`shirt on.
love your info Walter always a pleasure to here from you as i have talked to some of the juve players about the old state league and the players they were with and up against. If only it was here now so that the current TIS, young state members and other young players have something to strive toward
Brett Pullen deffinately deserves a mention and others like Frediani, Di Martino, De Felice, Mainella and Sergio Pace are some I have been lucky to play alongside.
Coxy, definitely Brett Pullen, who played NSL for Adelaide. Forgive me, Brett. That's the trouble with these damned lists...one always leaves someone important out! My excuse is that Brett was from a different era as this article all began with the early 1980s!
The positive thing is, it gets people commenting and other famous names are put forward, even if they may be from a slightly different era, as was Brett, Romeo Frediani and Frank Mainella. Nick Di Martino, Ron De Felice and Sergio Pace, of course, were all up there and played in the early 1980s with some of these imports.
I also missed out John Charlton, son of the famous Jack Charlton, who was here during the 1980s, and Bruce Ward. Charlton, who wore the first-ever Barcelona shirt to games here (his father gave it to him and it was the genuine article, not a replica like nowadays) later managed Blythe Spartans in English non-league football.
I'll never forget the day I described Charlton as a 'Colossus striding around KGV" in The Mercury because he totally dominated a particular match. I know that's a bit of a cliche, but that's what I did. The next time Juventus played at KGV, Nick Cook showed up to watch and he stood in the stand and, every time Charlton touched the ball, Cookie yelled out at the top of his voice: "Where is this Colossus?" 'Charlo' was unfazed and just played on.
I might pick out some team lists from the past soon and publish them. That'll be a good conversation starter. And reading Chris Hudson's book, "A Century of Soccer in Tasmania (1898-1998)" is worthwhile for anyone interested in our past.
I hope readers don't think I'm fixated with the past. My excuse is that it is the off-season and nothing much is happening at the moment so it doesn't hurt to look back a little bit.
January 3, 2010 5:01 PM
January 3, 2010 5:03 PM
Always a good read mate ;)
Hi walter, i know it is hard to remember so many great players from the 80's. And i can tell you every name mentioned in all the teams you have listed, are all great players. I challenge you all to read the names out to yourself one by one, and it is just music to the ears. Fantastic days, the personalties the fun and how much we learnt from our import players. But please give creit where is is due, have we all forgotten about the best goalkepper of all time in tassie. The one and only STEVE CRAVEN.....
Anonymous, you are right. Steve Craven is indeed in the pantheon. Not a bad centre-forward either!
He is in a few of the photos, too.
He scored a goal at South Hobart once with a long clearance that bounced over his opposite number and into the net.
I should, of course, have mentioned him. That's always the danger in compiling lists. Sorry, Steve. I know Steve is a very modest guy, so I know he'll understand.
Hi Walter, you are correct he did score at south hobart, the other goal keeper was steve darby, if im correct.
Anonymous, you are correct. It was Steve Darby. I didn't want to mention that because Steve Darby reads this blog and he still has nightmares about that goal!
Max Bygraves
madmcglone, Max was a marvellous player. Wonderful to watch.
Hi walter, and so he should. it was a shocker, bounced straight over his head. you would think being a good goalkeeper he would of stayed on his line, that is what he told every other keepers. But a very good keeper also.
Walter, I never saw him play, though I was often called a poor man's max by the calies boys. I took it as a marvellous complement
Hi Briney. Nick Di Martino here.Its been a long time since I last saw you in Townsville.
Nice to see you still have an interest in what goes on down here.
You were truly one of the gentlemen ,not only in the game , but off the field also.
Keep in touch.
I was under Peter for 3 years, when did they start calling peter 'SALTY". Damed if I remember that. Mybe i wasnt as close to him as everyone else was ???
Anonymous, I did not get called Salty by a lot of people in Tas. Only the lads from the Middlesbrough area that I knew before coming to Tas, like Charlton, Parker, Morton and Dickinson would know me as Salty. Most people knew me as Briney.
What is your name?
Hi Nick
Great to hear from you. i will always have a soft spot for Hobart and especially Juventus. I had some great times with you guys.
When you talk about gentleman, you were a fantastic ambassador for the game. It's about time you either came up here again or I made a trip back down there. I don't know if it will be this year because I am opening anothet restaurant mid year. However, Chris and i will make another trip to Hobart, this thread has made me a bit sentimental to catch up with you guys.
Pete , I would love to catch up again. My sister in law that lives in Townsville is down here at present so it will be a while before I get back up there I think. You may be back down here before I come up.
I think I have your current mobile number . I will text you my mobile number so when we both have a minute we could call.
Will get back to you.
Nick.
Hi guys,
Really interesting to read all of your posts. Ibro Cahut is now living in Papua New Guinea and has been for the last 6 years. He has done some training for a png team. He still loves the game and reminises about the times the game gave him.
Wow what a blast from the past. I remeber watching most of these guys mentioned in these team lists.As a passionate supporter of Rapid State League was a great time for Tasmania Football. Ah those road trips.
Hi Walter its Eric Young realy enjoyed reading this blog and brought back some very fond memories. Nice to read comments from Briney and Nick Di Martino and co. I loved Tassie and wanted to return and settle there but such is life . Maybe I will have a vist there again soon. I play indoor footy still at Middlesbroughs training ground every Thursday with guys my age and its very competitive, I love it. Briney, if you see this mate get the pasta going in that resteraunt and get the beers on ice. Are you bald yet??
Hi Eric
Glad you like this blog. I have moved to a new and better one. Have a look. It's at:
http://www.walterpless.com.au/
Peter brine probably looks at the new one.
I do hope you come back for a visit.
Cheers!
Walter
Hello Walter, just stumbled across your website, read a few articles and how time flys when you're having fun. give my reguards to alot of the old timers down there. David Crosson.
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