Thailand's all time winningist football coach Peter Withe returns to the game after a five year absence. WHY? Read on… - www.nationalradio.com - photo

Peter Withe during his playing days with his game face on   Withe blasting the game winning goal for Aston Villa in the 1982 European Cup final - photo courtesy of Peter With   Then Thailand captain Kiatisuk Senamuang leads the team in celebration after their win over South Korea in the 1998 Asian Games   With after Thailand's 2-1 friendly win over Arsenal - www.nationalradio.com - photo

SPORTS NOTES - PETER WITHE RETURNS

James Loving/National Radio Text Service

It's a go figure world when a coach wins and moves on. Former Thailand national team coach Peter Withe is the nation's winningest coach in their entire football history but moved on and reasons why remain cloudy. Five years after his time in charge of the Indonesian national side ended Withe returns to the game he loves with a club in his home country England

Saturday June 09, 2012

WHAT'S THE REAL ANSWER TO THE MYSTERY?

The absence of former Thailand national team coach Peter Withe is one the Asia's most mysterious secrets. The former England striker who is also best known for his winning goal for Aston Villa in a 1-0 European Cup triumph (now Champions League) over Bayern Munich May 26th 1982 and they followed that up in 1983 with more success.

As defending European champions Villa were invited into the European Cup, European Super Cup and the Intercontinental Cup for the following season. Their defense of the European Cup ended in a quarter-final defeat to a Michel Platini-inspired Juventus. They beat Barcelona 3-1 on aggregate to win the Super Cup, but lost 2-0 to Uruguayan club Peñarol for the Intercontinental Cup in Tokyo, Japan.

From the start the Brit had a successful 5 year stint with Villa. After signing a then record 500,000 £ contract in 1980 Withe scored 20 times in 36 games to finish joint-top scorer in the league with Tottenham Hotspur's Steve Archibald in that first season as Aston Villa went on to win the Football League title. Over his five seasons (1980-1985) with the club Withe scored 74 goals in 182 appearances.

He knows how to win and that carried over to his assignment as a manager. With the grace of the England FA that negotiated the deal paid his salary Withe became the manager of the Thai national squad in the fall of 1998. Immediately he had success in the Asian Games and a memorable 2-1 victory in extra time over World Cup participants South Korea with only nine (9) men. Prior to his arrival in the land of smiles Thailand was the disgrace of football in trying to lose a game against Indonesia to avoid playing Vietnam in the Sea Games. It was Withe that uprighted the Thai's sinking ship as he is the winningest coach they ever had playing against top notch competition.

Following the 4th place finish in the Asian Games the Thais went on to take exciting 4-3 friendly win over top flight Arsenal. His revamped Thai side lost only 30 games during his 101 game stint. The buzz that was going around was the FAT (Football Association of Thailand) officials were unhappy with the way that he dressed on the sidelines.

When we heard about the outrageous dress code issue we took our position we asked IN PRINT what do they want him t do wear a tuxedo? Who cares what he wears as long as the team is successful and successful they were. As former Los Angeles Lakers coach Pat Riley said in his first encounter with the LA media as coach of the New York Knicks after his mysterious departure from the Lakers with his back to the dressing room wall he looked them square in the eye and told the thirsty for blood LA media, "You can't take away what I've done."

Withe can say the same thing as Pat Riley as he departed Thailand having left behind some credible achievements including 45 wins, 25 draws and 30 losses. That record was amplified with the following results:

4th Place at the 1998 Asian Games

1999 Southeast Asian Games - Winners

2000 AFC Asian Cup - Group Stage

2000 ASEAN Football Championship - Winners

2000 King's Cup - Winners

2002 ASEAN Football Championship - Winners

4th Place at the 2002 Asian Games

Withe had the team ranked in the mid 50-'s of the FIFA rankings during his tenure. In contrast they are currently ranked 136 up from 141 with no activity. Withe had his Thai sides ranked 5th and 6th in Asia but that wasn't good enough. Conspiracy? It was as if someone was out to get Withe and nothing that he did was good enough as appreciation and respect for his accomplishments were absent from the FAT.

The Thai's current dismal situation and ranking augments the FAT'S poor decision making as they have had seven coaches since his departure. During that 10 year period none have come near to have achieved Withe's success they with the side. Those that tried include former English top flight football names Bryan Robson and Peter Reid.

After taking our position in defending Withe on the dress code issue some members of the Thai press accused us of taking our stance because we were friends of Withe. Quite frankly we never heard of him prior to Thailand and in doing this article we are NOW learning who he really is as we knew very little about his past. Our opinion is based purely on an experienced professional basis and we find him to be 100% professional.

Withe then went on to become the manager of the Indonesian national team from 2004-2007. His success with the side was not as grand as his experience with Thailand. In 2005 he related how difficult it was to scout players in a country so large with so many players to see and bring together as one. After Indonesia Withe fell off the map and was reported to be playing plenty of golf in his now home of Perth, Australia. Over the past five years management offers were zero for one of the most successful coach/managers in Thailand's history.

That all chanced last month as Withe returned to England with an assignment in his return to management the following press release received in April reveals:

PETER WITHE RETURNS TO THE UK AS FIRST TEAM MANAGER

Ambitious Woodley Sports FC are pleased to announce that following extensive negotiations, former England International and Aston Villa European Cup Winner Peter Withe has been appointed on a full time basis as First Team Manager.

Peter has signed a two year contract with an option of a further two year extension. Peter's last two managerial posts were as International Manager of Thailand and latterly Indonesia.

Peter who currently resides in Perth , Australia is due to return to the UK during May to take up his new post and said upon his appointment:

"I felt that the time was right to return to the UK for a number of reasons. I still feel that I have a lot to offer in terms of my knowledge base and experience in the many roles I have enjoyed during my career in the management and coaching aspects of the game.

I have still retained the same drive and determination that I had when I was starting out in the game and I feel there is a vast knowledge in me to pass on to players of all ages at the Club. I feel with my gregarious nature and my infectious character the players will learn and be infused to become better players, productive individuals have great life values and gain a greater knowledge of our great game. The chance came to me via my good friend Ben Seddon who I played with at Southport . I got to know his son Ian Seddon on my trip to the UK last year and he has worked tirelessly to find an opportunity for me.

We were presented with a club that is in the non league but showed Ian and me that they had a great vision and drive to move forward and wanted someone to take up the reins.

They showed us an excellent business plan which included going full time having a thriving international academy and wanting to move forward in the right direction which is my forte. Woodley Sports FC is that club and it gives me great pleasure to be teaming up with them and taking them forward and upward.

As a player they said I was like a good wine I seemed to get better the older I got and this I feel is true with my Management/Coaching".

The Club said upon Peter's appointment

"We are extremely pleased and excited by the appointment of Peter Withe as our First Team Manager. The appointment of Peter is in itself testament to the Club's short and longer term ambitions. As a result of Peter's extensive experience as a successful player and international Manager this really will be a massive shot in the arm for the Club as he brings a wealth of industry knowledge with him. It was extremely important and crucial to the Club that we appointed an experienced Manager such as Peter who was able to bring stability and experience ensuring that the back office was as strong as the front".

Woodley Sports FC currently ply their trade in the Evo Stick North and narrowly missed out on the promotion play off this term.

And so it goes in the world of football. As we see it something is amiss. It's as if there was an effort to blackball Withe from football management. The scenario doesn't make sense but once you get to know how things are mostly done in the ASEAN region you get the gist of it all which equates to no sense is NONSENSE.