Shilton Paul, Gouramangi Singh fondly remember their ‘elder brother’ and ‘mentor’ Carlton Chapman

It was not the best of Mondays for Indian football fans as they woke up to the sad news of Carlton Chapman’s untimely demise. The former India international passed away at the age of 49 in Bengaluru, reportedly due to a cardiac arrest. 

Chapman, who had an illustrious career as a player, was a successful coach in the youth circuit. After retirement, Chapman had joined Tata Football Academy (TFA) as a coach and served them for six years.

During his tenure as coach at the TFA, Chapman was part of the coaching team that produced some of the finest Indian talents under his watchful eyes. Two of his most famous pupils are former Mohun Bagan goalkeeper Shilton Paul and former India international defender Gouramangi Singh.

Paul, who had graduated from TFA in 2006, recalled fond memories of the late Carlton Chapman.

“I spent quite a lot of time with Chapman Bhai. He was more of an elder brother than a coach to us. We used to hang out a lot after practice,” Paul told Goal.

“Before I joined the India U19 camp he helped me tremendously. He always remained active on the field and he paid individual attention to every player. I used to practice my gripping from crosses and shooting for hours. It is very shocking that Chapman has passed away so early.”

The Churchill Brothers goalkeeper particularly remembered Chapman’s set-piece prowess and recalled how he used directly convert corner-kicks into a goal during the training sessions.

“He used to be a master corner-kick taker. As a goalkeeper, I used to stand a bit ahead of the line. But his curler was so effective that the ball sometimes went straight into the goal. He was fantastic from those positions.”

Gouramangi Singh, who graduated from TFA in 2004, termed Chapman as a person who taught him valuable lessons both on and off the field. He also recalled instances where Chapman’s caring nature towards his wards came to the fore often. 

“Chapman was a mentor and friend to me. He was very close to our batch. As a young cadet, you prepare yourself to join a senior team and the big clubs. And in his career, he has played for some massive clubs. So you could learn a lot from him. He shared so many stories about his time in Calcutta and the big clubs,” Gouramangi recalled.

“I have huge respect for him. Every interaction with him was so enriching. He was the perfect mentor to us. More like a big brother. You know Jamshedpur is a small city and in the weekends we used to go out. As cadets, we had INR 1000 as a stipend. That was a huge amount for us back then. 

“But as a young footballer, you always want to have Nike and Adidas shoes. But it was not possible for us to afford it. Actually, we did not even have the confidence to walk in that store to check out those shoes. Once we were crossing an outlet and I was eagerly looking inside the store. He understood and he just took me in with him. These are small things but when for a teenager who is living in a hostel far away from home, these gestures matter a lot. He is a fantastic footballer and an even better person.”