Once again, I find myself writing an obituary for one of the great players in the history of Maltese football.

This time, unfortunately, it is the turn of the ex-Floriana FC and Malta centre-forward, Tony Cauchi.

Tony has left this vale of tears last weekend at the ripe old age of 84.

I met Tony after he retired from football on a number of occasions and I was always impressed by his knowledge of the game and the passion he had for his favourite past-time.

Tony Cauchi was a one-club man.

Born in Floriana on May 2, 1935 he never abandoned his hometown team.

Cauchi’s football cradle was the Floriana Parade Ground, where he used to play as a goalkeeper.

It is surprising perhaps, that as that other great centre-forward, Tony Nicholl, he started his career stopping goals instead of scoring them.

In 1950-51 Cauchi was converted from a goalkeeper to a centre forward. This experiment was a huge success. He acquitted himself so well in his new position that from then on, he never looked back.

Although still a minor player, his talent was immediately recognised by the MFA and in 1952-53 he was selected to play in a trial match for the MFA Amateur XI.

Rather tall for his age and of a good stamina, he already boasted a powerful shot in both feet. 

His quickness off the mark coupled with his keen sense of goal created a constant anxiety to all opposing defenders. It was obvious, that the lad had all the necessary requisites to make the top grade.

Cauchi certainly did not disappoint his supporters. He gave his club sterling service in a career which spanned over 15 glorious seasons.

After serving as an apprentice in the Minors, Second and Third Division teams, he made his league debut on November 30, 1952 against Birkirkara. 

That season he made only two first-team appearances but they were enough to give him his first of four championship medals. 

Cauchi was a born striker. Tough and deadly, he had only one thing in mind, planting the ball into the back of his opponents’ net.

Having seen in action some of the best goal-scorers of all time, including Tony Nicholl, Sammy Nicholl, Joe Cini, Ronnie Cocks, Freddie Church, Stefan Sultana, Joe Zarb and Nardu Farrugia, I would not hesitate to nominate Cauchi as my candidate for the ‘greatest goalscorer of all time’ award.

His fantastic record of 125 league goals from 159 matches corroborates my statement. 

Tony was a goalkeeper’s nightmare. 

However, despite his knack of scoring goals, he could also save them.

In 1960-61, Floriana were in a dilemma.

On the eve of the Cassar Cup final they found themselves without a goalkeeper. 

Tony volunteered for the post and did such a good job of it, that Floriana beat Sliema Wanderers 6-0.

This was not the only time that Tony played as a goalkeeper.

In 1966 he guarded Floriana’s posts in the FA Trophy quarter-final against Rabat… a match, which Floriana won 5-0.

Another time was the opening match of the 1964-65 campaign against Hibernians.

An automatic choice for the national team, Cauchi was capped nine times, a meagre reward for such a great scorer.

Those who, like me, were lucky to live through the glorious Fifties and Sixties will always remember Tony’s goal-scoring feats. 

Strong, elegant and a fine header of the ball, he scored goals with both feet from any possible position and angle.

His goal-scoring feats stand out more when one considers that in his time, defences were already tightening up and modern defensive tactics were creeping into the game. 

Modern football badly needs men like Tony Cauchi.

Tony’s honours list is second to none’s. He won the championship four times, the FA Trophy on six occasions, the Cassar Cup three times, the Scicluna Cup twice and the Independence Cup once.

Cauchi was also the league’s top scorer twice. His greatest moment in the game, however, came in 1957 in Malta’s first-ever international.

Austria were leading 2-0 when in an attempt to prevent the visitors from making further damage, Joe Griffiths switched Ninu Calleja with the more defensive George Jones, of Ħamrun Spartans.

This move, however, did not prevent the Austrians from increasing their lead.

When Haumer headed in the third goal it seemed to be all over for Malta.

Malta fightback

The drama, however, was about to start. Malta kept fighting back but the minutes also kept ticking away.

Only three minutes were left on the clock and some of the spectators were already leaving the ground when Sammy Nicholl wriggled his way past Stotz and Englemein before passing to Tony Cauchi who shot into the rigging to become the first player to score for Malta.

A mighty roar rose majestically from the packed stadium, but it was nothing compared with that which drowned Gżira a few seconds later.

Joe Cini slipped the ball to Nicholl who cheekily beat Stotz before he planted the ball into the net.

That was the end of Malta’s first adventure on the international field.

After the game, Malta was showered with praise by the foreign journalists who were following the event.

Sig. Orlandini, the Austrian captain Wagner, centre-half Stotz and Sir Robert Laycock were all lavish in their praise for the National XI.

Apart from football, Cauchi also played cricket for the Floriana Cricket Club and for the Fsobians.

After his retirement from the playing side of football, he had a long and successful career as a coach in all divisions of the local game.