Tom DEEN Cricket’s loss was SOCCER’S gain | Daily News

Tom DEEN Cricket’s loss was SOCCER’S gain

The soccerite schoolboy who spared no window pane

From small acorns do big oaks grow, it is said and similarly from small beginnings sprouted top class local soccerites who could have held their own against the best that the world game could offer.

Among those top class players a beacon shone in the game named TAJ OMAR MARIKAR DEEN from the hill capital school – St.Anthony’s College, Kandy – who took the Colombo soccer scene by storm with his daring, dazzling and dashing play as a centre forward who is now called a striker in the soccer world. He deservedly enters our ‘Sports Legends’ Hall of Fame this week.

Football in the country has always been a sport indulged in by all youngsters whatever their standing and played in whatever space available – in lanes, roads and where ever there was a playing field.

Youngsters who did not have the luxury of kicking a football, initiated their careers kicking a mango seed, a ball made out of newspapers or made out of rags or a tennis ball. Such was the craze for the game that gave them great enjoyment.

The youngsters who played in the streets or where ever space permitted, had natural talent in them as they showed when dribbling a mango seed, suffering but showing no pain in their feet, because the craze for the game made them suffer pain gladly.

Craze for football

Once they advanced in age and entered school, their craze for the game grew as most schools had football as part of their curriculum. Those who failed to find a slot in the school team would play in Municipal Community Parks and yet others would join leading clubs who had football nurseries.

From small beginnings sprouted top class local soccerites who could have held their own against the best that the world game could offer. Lack of resources that other professional soccer playing countries could offer their players was what the local talent sadly missed.

In the 1960s and 1970s saw a plethora of highly talented players emerge whose names are too numerous to mention. There were those Giants such as M.Hashim Deen who was classed the best between the posts in Asia, Azeez the penalty kick specialist who carried dynamite in his penalty kicking foot, Mahinda Aluvihare who was like the will ‘o the wisp here, there and everywhere on the field and P.D.Sirisena a striker of international class.

Excellent goal keeping

Then there was a goal keeper in Piyadasa Perera who excelled and saved a near dozen goals thwarting the English Club Southampton. There were many others whose names would need reams of newspaper to mention.

DEEN not only took the Colombo soccer scene by storm he was an great example of competence, composure and calculation. He had a strategic and tactical sense that made him such a fine soccerite, sought after by many.

In the good old days while there were many clubs that played the game and contested it in the best of spirits, although it was not uncommon to see fights breaking out among respective supporters.

Trophies on offer

Clubs that contested the many trophies on offer were Saunders who earned the tag ‘glamour boys’, Sunrise SC, Ratnam FC, Eleven Lions, Kotahena Rangers, Small Pass, Victory SC, Old Bens, Old Joes to mention a few leading clubs, it was Saunders that all promising players yearned to join.

When TOM DEEN was the dazzler the President of Saunders was a former St.Benedict’s College soccerite J.J.Sarangapany who was also a talent spotter who in seeing the talent that was oozing in DEEN invited him to join the Hultsdorf Club from where DEEN rocketed to fame but not fortune. Those were the days when players received no remuneration, but played the game for the love of it.

DEEN was a striker feared by all opponents. He could make the ball talk as it were when it was at his feet. And he began his forays with the ball at his feet, he was like a jet, gathering speed, dribbling past the defenders and there was no stopping him as he skillfully hit the net to give his side goals. And scoring goals is what football is all about.

Many Cup triumphs

After showcasing his prowess for his club Saunders who he also led to many FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION CUP final triumphs, the national jersey was not long in coming. His brilliance as a striker was such that he sported the national colours for over a decade touring India, Burma, Pakistan, China, Singapore, Hong Kong, North Korea and Russia. Spectators and players of those countries who watched DEEN at play were all admiration for his dexterity.

During his playing days although ‘Mudalalis’ ran soccer clubs, stalwarts such as V.A.Sugathadasa, Ranasinghe Premadasa, J.J. Sarangapany, A.W.Musafer, Ivor Van Twest, M.H. Yusuf and Sam Vargheese were involved in the controlling bodies and did a job pleasing to all.

In addition to his soccer prowess Tom Deen was also an excellent all round cricketer at SACK. Opening the bowling he had speed and well controlled swing and would give his side the all-important early wicket or two.

Jessopian like hitting

But DEEN is best remembered for his Jessopian like hitting. In an inter-school match against St. Joseph’s at Darley Road, it is said he sprayed sixes out of the ground with balls landing at the Home for the Aged. He was also a safe fielder and a exemplary team man.

And in his younger days he smashed many a window as at St. Anthony’s as he tried to aim his kick at goal that would go exactly through a given glass pane! Many a time he pleaded it was an accident until the Fr. Rector invoked the rule ‘Thou shalt not lie’!

DEEN was a member of that record-breaking 1954 Antonian cricket team led by the famous Abdul C.M. Lafir. That was the game when openers Lafir and Ronnie Stevens put up a record opening stand of 276 runs with both openers scoring centuries –Lafir 176 - in the big match against Trinity College, which opening stand still stands as a record.

According to Lafir, DEEN and Saliya Dorenagama used the new ball. Had he concentrated on cricket he could have gone places, according to his skipper Lafir. But apparently DEEN’S first love was football and he unpadded to sport football boots that booted him as the best soccerite to come out of SACK.

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