Goa veterans Football Clubs blogsite is about former footballers who have contributed much to Goan football and made it a Numero Uno State’ of Indian football. But the footballers in turn would not have achieved anything, had it not been for two very famous coaches, both non –Goans, who by their experience and devotion to the game, made it possible. Fierce club rivalry in the eighties between Dempo SC and Salgaocar SC was instrumental in motivating footballers and durimg their tenure several outstation trophies were won and the state of Goa also won the Santosh Trophy for the very first time in the history of Indian football. The two men at the helm of affairs were Shri T Shanmugham- the coach of Salgaocar SC and Robert Alison Bootland- the coach of Dempo SC. Of the two, Shri T Shanmugham takes the cake for being the best technical brain in the game of football and achieving what no other coach could achieve for Goan football.
GVFC salutes him and remembers him very fondly for his immense contribution to Goan Football.
Playing career
T. Shanmugham (born 19 June 1920) in Bangalore, played for Mysore State for most of his career despite offers to play for teams from Kolkata. He was a gold medalist at the first Asian Games in 1951 and played the 1952 Olympic Games.
Coaching career:
After retiring from his playing career, Shanmugham became a coach and joined Salgaocar SC in 1979 and with his guidance they became the champion club of India by winning the Federation Cup twice in 1988 and 1989.He was the coach of the Goa State Team that won the Santosh Trophy twice ie first as joint winners with W.Bengal in 1983, Kolkata and then the outright victory at Madras in 1984. He was also the technical director of the Indian football team in 1989.
