Sheilas, Wogs and PooftersA Fascinating account of a great sporting life and an insider's look at the byzantine world of soccer politics. The essential Australian story of the World Game - Bob Carr Johnny Warren received an MBE (1973), ASM (2000) Centenary Medal (2001), OAM (2003) and the FIFA Order of Merit (2004) Johnny Warren is a credit to Australia and the game that he loves. His is a great story which I heartily recommend to all sports fans - Martin Tyler From a nine-year-old who was initially rejected by his local under-12's team because he was "too small and needed to go home and eat more porridge" to leading the Socceroos from 1964 to 1974 through three World Cup campaigns as captain and vice-captain, Johnny Warren witnessed every stage of Australia's soccer journey for over fifty years. From the days you were called a "sheila", "wog" or "poofter" if you played soccer to today when players such as Harry Kewell are celebrated as our brightest sporting stars and prized by overseas clubs; from the curse placed on the Socceroos in 1969 by an African witch doctor through to more than thirty agonising years of trying to qualify for soccer's Holy Grail, the World Cup, Johnny Warren revealed the highs and lows of Australian soccer's past and present, and how its future success can be achieved. Including all the action from the 2002 World Cup - the Cup that caught the hearts and imaginations of Australians everywhere. In February 2003, then-NSW Premier Bob Carr set up a $1.5 million soccer training academy named the "Johnny Warren Soccer Academy" to develop players and increase Australia's chances of securing the 2014 World Cup. |
Contents
Canterbury Babes | |
The Big Move | |
Our First World Cup Attempt | |
My Coming of | |
The Dark Days | |
The 1974 World | |
A Dream Finish | |
The First Sport to Go National | |
The New York Cosmos | |
My Latin Love Affair | |
The Olympics | |
The Mourning After | |
The Vietnam | |
The Mighty Saints | |
The Curse on Australian Football | |
Our Revenge | |
Epilogue | |
Acknowledgments | |
About the Authors | |
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1974 World Cup Adrian Alston amazing Apia Arok Aussie Australian football Australian soccer Australian team ball became boys Brazil Brazilian Canberra City Canterbury captain career champions championship club coach competition cricket crowd decided didn’t event fans FIFA Frank Frank Arok Frank Farina futsal goal goalkeeper going grand final guys Hakoah Havelange huge Iran Israel Jamie John Watkiss Johnny Warren kids knew Korea Manfred Schaefer match midfield migrants national team never Oceania Olympics organisation Pelé performance play soccer professional Rale Ray Baartz realised remember result rugby league scored season simply Soccer Australia soccer in Australia Socceroos South Korea South Wales sport squad St George St George Budapest stadium stage Sydney talent team’s television things told tour tournament Vietnam wanted watch wogs World Cup qualifiers World Youth Cup young