C K Baburaj

Veteran footballer  Late CK Baburaj,  former goalkeeper of  the  Kerala team in the Santosh Trophy (in the Guwahati in 1988-89 ),was a member of the Calicut University football team while he was a student in Payyannur College and went on to play Indian Universities team.Later he played for many teams including Keltron and KSEB.

TKS Mani - The god of Kerala football.

TKS Mani; the god of Kerala football.

Evening was only hours away from setting over Maharajas Ground on an eventful day in 1973 December. Kerala was taking Railways in the 33rd finals of Santhosh Trophy.

The match was only some whistle away to conclude with both team drawing with two goals each. A man named T KS Mani, who would later become Football Mani alias Captain Mani, the then captain of the state, came dashing down from the middle of the ground scoring an eventful third, to take Kerala lift the prestigious trophy for the first time.

At a time when the world cup fervor has gone up to a mercurial high in the state, many had forgotten Mani and the historic final in 1973 December 23. But to Mani, that moment was still a cherishing, ever etched memory in his heart. The match was eventful and epochal in many ways for Mani.

It was 33rd Santhosh Trophy with Mani in his 33rd year scoring three goals against Railway’s.

Courtsey :  : http://mathrubhuminews.in/ee/Programs/Episode/8083/tks-mani-the-god-of-kerala-football-ee-vazhitharayil-episode-75/E

K.V.DHANESH

K.V.Dhanesh, Former Indian captain , A product of the famous Football Friend Free Coaching Centre in Kannur, A tough-tackling central defender and a regular in the national team in the 1990s.is also a contemporary of I M Vijayan and Jo Paul Anchery.

Nakkadi Jayaraman

N T Karunakaran

Late Shri. N T Karunakaran  was  former Kolkata Mohammedans Sporting Football player   He was also the founder member and Convener of the Football Friend Coaching Centre (FFCC) in Kannur.

Karunakaran, an ex-service man, had played for Army team also and served the Army during second world war at Bangalore. 

Karunakaran was an unmarried man. He settled in Kannur in 1946 after his retirement from the Service. He had worked devotedly at the grass-root level for the development of football in North Malabar.

Karunakaran was also publisher of a Magazine of FFCC. He was founder member of Kannur spirited youth and had played for a club at Rajasthan and Army as a central mid-field player.


Courtsey : http://metrovaartha.com/en/2014/09/23/former-football-player-n-t-karunakaran-passes-away/

K Kunhiraman... the co-founder of the Football Friend Coaching Centre

K Kunhiraman... the co-founder of the Football Friend Coaching Centre ...a great soul who also contributed to keep football alive in the district of kannur..

K.HASHIM

Hashim had been playing football since his high school days at the Kannur Municipal High School. He had begun playing football for the Gymkhana Club here in 1966, joined Mahindra & Mahindra as storekeeper in 1969, and played for its football team till a year before his retirement in 1982. 

Hashim had represented Kerala in the 1967-68 junior national championship held in Assam and played in the 1970-71 junior international championship in Tokyo, and the 1971-72 junior international in Bangkok.

He had represented Maharashtra in the Santhosh Trophy championship in 1971-72, 1972-73, and 1973-74. He played for India in the qualifying round of the pre-Olympics championship in Rangoon (re-christened Yangon) in 1972-73.

After his retirement as football player, he had settled in Kozhikode for several years till he shifted to his hometown here following his illness.

Veteran footballer K. Hashim died at his residence here on Tuesday  October 15, 2013.    He was 63. He is survived by wife and two children.

COURTSY : http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/footballer-k-hashim-dead/article5237203.ece

V.P.SATHYAN