Peter Katholos was one of the great talents who emerged from the late 1970’s when Rudi Gutendorf engineered a strong youth policy in Australian football.

He stood alongside Alan Davidson, Eddie Krncevic, David Mitchell, Jim Patikas, Marshall Soper, Rod Brown, Graham Jennings and Frank Farina as stars of the game.

When Tommy Docherty, the former Chelsea and Manchester United manager, coached Sydney Olympic in the NSL during 1981 he rated Katholos as the best young player he’d ever coached.

In a Possibles v Probables match in that same year, Katholos produced a masterful performance to gain selection in the 1981 World Cup qualifying squad at the tender age of nineteen.  Surprisingly, he didn’t see game time in the vital matches against New Zealand which sealed Australia’s elimination from the next stage.

When Frank Arok became the Socceroo coach in 1984, he didn’t understand the creativity and individual brilliance which Katholos offered, preferring the physical prowess of his” Mad Dogs”.

Nevertheless, he had a distinguished career in the NSL and won many honours.

Katholos is most notably part of a generation which isn’t recognised by the current administration and as a self made business success, they ignore him at their peril.

His passion for football has never been stronger and only wants to see the game advance to finally realise its true potential.

In this interview with Roger Sleeman, Peter Katholos talks all things football.

 

ROGER SLEEMAN

At this moment in time, how do you describe the state of Australian football?

PETER KATHOLOS

The game has come a long way in terms of increased attendances, media coverage and general public perception.

However, the quality of the football isn’t where it should be, considering the excellent playing surfaces.

With the increased media hype, the clubs and players should be more aware that this is the entertainment business.

Clearly, we have grown to accept that players aren’t as technical as previously and play like New Age machines or robots.

There are only a few individuals who stand out.

R.S.

What is your opinion of the A-League and its capacity to compete with other sports?

P.K.

There have been some good contests this season like the recent 2-1 win for Victory over Sydney F.C. and individual standout performances from Petratos and Antonis.

However, only with better players can the support and fan base grow to compete with other sports in the market place.

We need local stars and marquee players like Toivenen, De Laet and Le Fondre to draw bigger crowds. Promotion and relegation would also help so you don’t replicate the situation where the bottom teams who don’t make the top six playoffs can just rest on their laurels and play out the season.

The recent increase of two teams is welcome but I think the League should have sixteen.

R.S.

What is your opinion of the Socceroo’s showing at the Asian Cup?

P.K.

In the Uzbekistan match, I predicted early on in the game that it would go to penalties.

Their team which is well below Australia in the world rankings, displayed far better technique and combination.

We’re not producing players of the same quality we used to and the best players aren’t being selected which would make the squad stronger.

For example, Thomas Deng is a better choice than Rhyan Grant because he offers more in defence and has a real engine.

Graham Arnold didn’t deserve to be national coach and I believe we need an overseas coach who is a fox and can instruct players where to run as we don’t see any one-two’s or third man running.

Simply, our players can’t penetrate defences and they’re too predictable.

Modern football doesn’t allow time on the ball so a player has to think more quickly and be a step ahead of their opponent before they receive the ball.

Consequently, it was no surprise when we were beaten by U.A.E.

R.S.

What is your opinion of the running of the game, especially in light of the sacking of Alen Stajcic?

P.K.

How can a coach who gives 100% be sacked when the Matildas were ranked 6^th in the world.

It appears they found ways to get rid of him through the use of reports and surveys.

What it tells me is, they used this method as an excuse to sack a coach.

Therefore, it doesn’t go well looking forward for all coaches, especially in the women’s game, as they will have to be so wary of the changing landscape.

For example, if a coach yells at somebody or doesn’t talk in the right manner, he or she could be terminated which opens a can of worms.

R.S.

The new FFA Board has little football expertise, so how can they run the game with authority?

P.K.

When the selection of the new Board took place, there should have been a strong presence of people with a football background and business skills.

This is certainly not the case.

R.S.

Your view on Danny Moulis’s failure to be relected on the FFA Board in view of the fact he was the only football person apart from Steven Lowy on the old Board.

P.K.

I was very disappointed with that situation as he was a former team-mate and has a successful legal career.

He has great football passion and when he was on the Board, he would often seek my opinion on ways of making the game better.

The question to be asked is; are the new Board members politically driven or do they have the interest of the game at heart?

They shouldn’t pretend to be interested, and I repeat, the game needs to be represented by people with passion, drive, experience and expertise.

Unfortunately, it hasn’t happened.

R.S.

How do you view the PFA, and why do they largely ignore former players?

P.K.

I’ve attended a few PFA functions in the last few years, including one, two years ago, where the state of the game was discussed.

After the event, there were supposed to be subcommittees formed but it never happened.

Once again it was a matter of all talk, no action, from the PFA.

Obviously, their main role is the welfare of current players but this doesn’t extend to former players.

They do special things for special players and I’m led to believe from newspaper reports that Kate Jewel who was dropped from the Matildas’s squad by Alan Stajcic, provided input  in creating a survey to see how Stajcic could be removed.

Certainly, it doesn’t look good for the PFA when employees have personal agendas.

R.S.

What is your opinion of the standard of NPL football, and why isn’t it promoted more when you consider the resources FNSW has at its disposal?

P.K.

I think there are too many divisions and teams.

Furthermore, what is the incentive to win an NPL 1 grand-final when the prize money is only $20,000?

Obviously, if there was promotion and relegation to the A-League, more interest would be created.

Is the NPL just a breeding ground for developing players, because if it is, I can’t see many young players graduating into the A-League as we continue to bring substandard imported players into the country?

Steve Corica is one coach who is giving youth a chance because he was brought up in a youth system which gave him his chance to play senior football at a young age.

I got my chance at sixteen years and nine months in State League playing for Canterbury who was coached by the immortal Walter Tamandl.

Playing against Sydney Croatia, I was given the task of marking Socceroo great, Atti Abonyi.

R.S.

You are a natural to be a regular on television.

Why aren’t you being considered?

P.K.

Perhaps, it’s because I won’t sit on the fence but call the game as I see it.

Nevertheless, I did enjoy my limited experiences on SBS television in past years and always believed that telling the truth is most important and hopefully people will respect you for that.

At the moment it seems the Golden Generation are dominating television coverage with their very strong clique.

I suppose if I started drinking with them, I might get a gig.

R.S.

I’ve done a rough calculation and estimate that from the total A-League roster, only 10% of players are confident on both feet.

Included in the majority are the sons of your former Socceroo team-mates, Alan Davidson and Rod Brown who were wonderful on both sides.

How can you explain that Corey Brown and Jason Davidson are so left side dependent?

P.K.

That’s a hard one to answer so you’d have to ask Alan and Rod but maybe they didn’t spend enough time with their sons.

Critically, if young players develop both sides, coaches are able to play them anywhere on the park like Terry Antonis does and I also did in my career.

R.S.

Your Socceroo career was cut short by Frank Arok who also allegedly shortened the international appearances of Robbie Slater, Mark Jankovics, Paul Carter and Jean Paul de Marigny because they weren’t playing at St. George.

Your comment?

P.K.

The facts overwhelmingly support this theory.

Also, I wasn’t Arok’s type of player because he preferred hard workers in midfield, rather than the skill and football intelligence I offered.