NZ's greatest club footballer

BY SAM BUCKLE

Greatness is subjective, Ill concede that. Wynton Rufer was probably a great player, Ryan Nelsen might be.

But, if greatness has anything to do with commitment and contribution to the game at the grassroots level, loyalty, on-field attitude and, in particular, resilience and staying power, then Paul Muollo is my nomination as New Zealand's greatest club footballer.

Left back and skipper of Island Bay AFC's premier football side (not to forget club President), Paul is less than two seasons from an astonishing milestone - 450 competitive first team games appearances for his club. That is legendary.

Let's be clear. We are not counting friendlies or pre-season matches. We are just talking about league and Chatham Cup fixtures. Again, legendary. Right now, his official tally stands at 414 - 375 league and 39 cup matches.

If you unpick those numbers they are even more remarkable. Assuming Island Bay's premier side plays roughly 20-22 league and cup matches every year (I think they played 20 this year), then to reach 414, Paul, who is 39, has had to play virtually every game for 20 years - without serious injury, without ever changing club, without heading overseas, without getting dropped, without losing interest or running out of time. That simply DOES NOT HAPPEN these days.

If you're familiar with Island Bay's home ground, Wakefield Park, you'll understand that 414 matches is even more heroic (not to mention about 800 cold and miserable trainings on Wakefield No 4). Let's say its not always conducive to the most glorious football - and just damn nasty in a southerly. I recommend - as an act of mercy - everybody gets behind Island Bay AFC's campaign to have the park redeveloped.

Now a quick football bio ...

Paul made his senior debut for "the Sharks" in a glamour fixture away to Moturoa in New Plymouth (the club's website is under construction but it does have a Facebook page - of course). He is still grateful to Kev Romijn, Tony Volcipelli and John Barton for taking him out drinking the night before the game.

Amongst career highlights Paul lists winning Central League Division 1 in 1997 (a season he landed 11 goals) and beating Western Suburbs by golden goal (remember those) to reach the Chatham Cup quarter finals in 2003 (I remember they lost the quarter final at home to Central United in one of Wakefield's most dreadful southerlies because - tragically - I was there).

Paul is pictured below (on the left) holding the Aldo Cuccurollo Memorial Trophy. Like a number of Wellington football clubs, Island Bay AFC has strong contintental European heritage, in the Sharks' case, Italian. The club still has an Italian flavour and Muollo is just one example.

Paul is also one of the good guys. There are a lot of head cases and egos running around football pitches. Not Paul. No bulls**t, no attitude. He just gets on with it. We need more of that.

Testimony to his great approach to the game is the incredible fact that, depsite playing most of his career at the back, he has picked up only a couple of yellow card (one of them a travesty of justice he tells me) and NOT A SINGLE RED CARD in 414 matches. Not one red card ... ever!

Ill confidently state there is nobody of Paul's generation anywhere in New Zealand, let alone Wellington, that has played as many first team matches for a single club.I want to know if I'm wrong. In fact, it's possible nobody of any generation can better his mark.

And 414 is a moving target. Paul assures me he will be at the Sharks pre-season training come January and looking to lock down that starting left back spot for the 21st season in a row.

Finally, staying loosely on the subject of local football, the New Zealand Football Championship (NZFC) kicks off this weekend. You can catch some of Wellington's most talented club footballers, a couple of All Whites (Andy Barron and James Bannatyne) plus a host of others with junior and senior international credentials take the park for Team Wellington against Manawatu 2pm this Sunday at Newtown Park.

Sam Buckle is a New Zealand football fan, pundit and founding member of www.yellowfever.co.nz