Piyadasa Perera – a top class goal keeper of Sri Lanka
Two penalty shoot-outs brilliantly saved by that versatile goal keeper Gunaratnage Piyadasa Perera at the semi-final encounter helped Colpetty United S.C to win that Gold Cup title.
One of the semis of the prestigious Gold Cup Tournament conducted by the Colombo Foot ball league was between Saunders team, the title defender. Colpetty United skipper Piyadasa Perera popularly known as Piya was at his best and went on to save two penalties in grand style thus forcing the opponents to a 2 all draw.
Then in the replay it was a grand victory for Piyadasa Perera’s team who ultimately became the champs at this history making tournament.
His acrobatic type of keeping not only won the admiration at many football fans also helped Colpetty United S.C to become champions in the first ever Gold Cup Soccer tournament. It was held at the Oval grounds (now Saravanamuttu stadium) for the first time under flood-lights. For Colpetty United beating the crack old Joes team captained by that famous National Skipper Peter Ranasinghe and 
included well known players like Durand Perera, M.B Saldin, Lloyd Fernando, Anton Mariyadasan, Tony Direcksz and Sam Lovell. The players who played besides Piyadasa Perera for Colpetty United at this cup final were Bertipala Perera, Ranjith de Silva, Reginald Perera, Wimalasena Perera, Piyasena Fernando, John Edmand, Buhary, and J Upali.
Piyadasa like many great footballers in this country started his career in Colombo’s Municipal Park and the Muttaiah playground which is situated very close to his residence in Colpetty. From his very early days Piya had a liking for goal keeping and he displayed a remarkable inherent skill and daring in the position which he mentioned that he learned them from his seniors in the calibre Sheriff, Wilson and Hassimdeen, who were great goalkeepers at that time
When Piyadasa kept goals for St Micheal College Colpetty at an Inter School Foot ball Tournament conducted by the Ceylon Football Association in 1957, one of the English dailies predicted that-“ if this lad who was just 16 plus ,if properly trained and coached will be another Hassimdeen”- who was then the best goalkeeper in the country Piya fulfilled this predication to be true when he showed his prowess when keeping goals at the Aga Khan Gold Cup Tournament held in East Pakistan(Bangladesh) in 1968.
Spotting his talents shown as a school boy the Country’s leading Club Colpetty United immediately drafted him into there ranks. Piya joined the Colombo Municipal Council in 1961 as a Playground Instructor and served 35 years of service. He represented Municipal Sports Club for a long period and helped to a host of major tournaments conducted around the island and the team was a hit among soccer fans in the nineteen sixties and seventies.
During his time as goal keeper, Municipal Sports Club won the F.A cup, which was the local soccer plum for three successive years from 1971 to 1973. The others played alongside him are several stars in the calibre of Joseph Fernando. Bertipala Perera, P.H.S Albert ,Denzil Wallas, Anton Nicholes, M.A Ameer, Dinapala, P Ananda, P Dayarathna to name a few.
In 1969 Municipal S.C won the F.A cup for the first time and Piya was adjudged as the best player of the tournament for his brilliant goal keeping.
He was considered one of the finest foot ball goalkeepers in the country during the period 1959 to 1970. Piya came in to the local soccer scene in the era where giants like Peter Ranasinghe, K.A Premadasa, Basheer Ahamed, Andrew Fernando, and M.M Hassimdeen were forces to be reckoned within local football.
I had the privilege of playing with Piyadasa in local club and leagues tournaments also in international competitions here and aboard. My first appearance in international football with him was against the national team of Burma in 1966 played at the Sugathadasa Stadium. My first tour with him was to East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) to participate at the Aga Khan Gold Cup Tournament held in 1968, where both played for the first time in the prestige Cup final in a foreign soil.
Piya’s baptism in the national side came in 1969 when he represented Ceylon against the Russians team Zenith, followed by Czech Team – Spartak Prague, Swiss Champion team Young Boys Berne, Swedish Team Gothenburg. His first tour aboard was in 1961 to Bangalore – India to participate in the first Southern Football Pentangular Tournament under the Captainship of C.S Fernando. The others who were in the team – M.M Hassimdeen, M.A Ameer, A.H.A Hussain, P.H.S Albert, Edward Wickramasooriya, Mahinda Aluvihare, Ratnapala Aluvihare, P.D Sirisena, T.N Hajireen, T.B Sourjah, S. Ignatius, A Vandergert, S.M Noor and W.S Botheju.
Piya not only excelled in local football tournaments, in the foreign soil as well. In the Southern Pentangular in India, GANEFO Games in Indonesia and at the Aga Khan Gold Cup Tournament in East Pakistan. He won the admiration of the fan of those countries for his brilliant goalkeeping and was highly commended in the press.
His anticipation and execution were amazing and it was a treat to watch him between the wood works. Medium built athletically lithe and strong, blessed with sharp reflexes quick hands and a technique almost flawless, he was one of the great goalkeeper that our country had. Whether it was an international, club or friendly match he gave of his best.
A picture of Physical fitness and technical perfection, Piyadasa was a glut for exercises and heavy training the like of which cannot be witnessed today.
Even at the age of 72, he seems to be quite fit and active in the football field, now training an Army Regiment team.
Piya as he is affectionately called is a familiar sight at Jansz playground Colpetty. He is ever ready and willing to train any young goalkeepers who seek his advice and assistance.
Piyadasa is blessed two sons and a daughter. His son Dinesh who followed his father footstep kept goal for Colpetty United. Thushara who represented Mahanama Collage in rugger is now in U.K. His daughter Achala played netball for the Colpetty playgrounds. His wife Kusum has always been a tower of strength encourages them besides being a good housewife admitted Piya.
At the Aga Khan Gold Cup tournament held in Dacca in 1968, he was picked as the Best Goal Keeper in the journey. He stood between the wood works in the tournament like the rock of Gibraltar thereby helped us to enter the cup final for the first time.
Having held that strong outfit Mohammedan Sporting F.C to a one all draw in the quarter-Final match, met them once again in the Cup Final.
The fury of the semi-final clash just two days before the cup final had a heavy foil on our players. Amidon has his leg sutured; Mahinda Aluvihare and I were treated for a deep cut and ankle injury. While Vincent Fernando could not move his right leg properly due to a heavy swollen glad, Piyadasa Perera had run a temperature.
Some how a team had to be fielded and the match to be played as no postponement were allowed. The final was the next day and Coach Neville Abeygunawardena was helpless to raise a team worthy of our earlier performance. We lost the final with a narrow margin, playing minus four regulars. However we proudly brought home the elegant Runner up Trophy.
When I asked Piya what was to make a good goalkeeper? The soft spoken Piyadasa simply answered; firstly he must be dedicated and ready to hard train. Spend lot of time in the field with the ball. Before the training session starts he should go through his exercise etc. He must develop a good eye and improve his anticipation above all to be a good goal – keep one must have dare – devil attributes when on the field.
Having served the country with a zealous dedication, Piyadasa says that he is disappointed with the standard of our football which has sunk so law. He is especially worried about the below par standards of the goalkeeper in today’s game. The reason for this drop of standards is the lack of qualified coaches, he emphasized. -The writer is a Former National Football Captain and National Coach.
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