As fourth anniversary of the death of Johnny Warren passes by, it’s clear that although we know so much of him as an ambassador of the game and as a media personality, we know so little about him as a distinguished Socceroo.
That’s why I believe there should be a movie about the 1974 Soccerroos.
It’s a story rarely celebrated, and rarely known, yet it is a great story. It’s a story of courage and sacrifice, and a story of a side of amateurs qualifying for the World Cup against the odds.
It should start off in Phnom Penh in 1965.
The players walk into the dressing room dejected and demoralised after a 9-2 aggregate defeat to North Korea. The camera zooms in on John Warren, a bench player who witness the massacre, our sporting version of Gallipoli, and you see him mouth with steely determination “never again.”
Fade to the next scene, back in Australia, with defender Manfred Shaefer delivering milk every morning. You see, the Soccerroos in the past weren’t millionaires playing in the richest leagues in Europe. They were amateurs and they had day jobs outside of playing for their clubs.
The occupations ranged from miners, to salesman and tradesman. These players played for the love of the game. When they were selected to play for Australia, they had to take unpaid leave from their job to travel across the world to represent our country.
Some of them understandably declined as they didn’t want to risk their employment. Other players lost their job, their livelihood, and sometimes even their family because they wanted to represent Australia in a game they love.
The movie should focus on three main characters.
The first character would be Johnny Warren. It would document him captaining the side to Vietnam in 1967 in the middle of the Vietnam War. The Australian team was used as a propaganda tool to help win the “hearts and minds” of the Vietnamese people. They stayed in hotels that could be described as a “hole.”
Artillery fire could be heard during the match. During the training when the ball was kicked out of the ground. A player tried to run and get the ball, but was stopped by military as there was a minefield out there.
Australia won their first international tournament with a 3-2 victory over South Korea. For their reward for this they were allowed by the ASA to keep their tracksuits. A journalist reporting on the performance of Australia in this tournament coined the name Soccerroos and a legend was born.
Later on, John Warren got a shocking injury that at the time seemed like a career ending injury. The movie should show the steely determination of Warren to recover from injury and help Australia qualify for the World Cup.
The second character would be Ray Baartz.
He was an Australian star – the best player at the time, and quite possibly the best player Australia has ever produced. He was as skilful as Mark Viduka, strong as an ox, could kick with both feet, and had one of the powerful shots in the game.
The movie would document his contributions in all World Cup Qualifiers. It should then show the fateful Uruguay warm up match where he was karate chopped in the neck. He later won the match for Australia with a goal and an assist, but a day later his carotid artery closed up and he suffered a stroke.
He was sent to the hospital and was battling for his life. He was in a coma for two days, and although he recovered, he would never play professional football again and he missed out on the World Cup that he helped to qualify.
It was the birth of the rivalry with Uruguay.
The last main character would be Peter Wilson, the forgotten Captain Soccerroos. He may not be the greatest ambassador of the game, as Johnny Warren was, but he was influential, inspirational and a popular captain of the team (he was voted 20-1 to remain captain of Australia after Johnny Warren returned from injury).
He was a tough tackling defender and led Australia with distinction in the 1974 World Cup.
Then there was the World Cup in Germany.
They were treated as professionals for the first time in their life, and given access to training facilities that they could only dream about in Australia. The team had no reputation and were initially mocked by the German Press when they were arrived.
However, after the three matches, especially the fighting 2-0 lost to East Germany where they gallantly held off the team for most of the match, they won the respect of the German media with one newspaper writing an apology and saying that Australia won their respect and showed a lot of heart in their performance.
When the Soccerroos returned home, several players received offers to play in Europe. It was an opportunity for them to become professional football players.
They all said no because they felt they would be homesick playing in Europe and they loved this country too much for them to leave.
The movie should end on that note, showing that it was certainly a different era.
pat
Guest
G'day Guys, Interesting bit of info here. If you would like to contact me at -- patrickjbourke@hotmail.com --- I can supply a team photo, with the South Vietnamese team, just before the kick-off the game in Saigon, late 1967, Cong Hao Stadium. cheers, Pat
Andre Krueger
Guest
Hi Keiren, please have a look at www.ak-tsc.de, you will find my email address. so get in contact. on my page you will find a lot of stuff about the old guys. Andre
Keiren Lewin
Guest
I was googling my dad, Alan Ainslie and came across these comments. I have forever been interested in writing/co-authoring a tribute to these heroes of yesteryear who did it for the love of the game. I grew up around soccer in the 70's and have a lot of knowledge. Anyone interested in collaborating?
Andre Krueger
Guest
Lads, Pete don’t like to talk to much about the past, YES its a shame. I am 2 persons - Wilsons friend on one site, and the Wilson collector. So its difficult for me too. Sometimes he send me some old soccer stuff, shirts, badges and photos, so I went crazy. Last time we get together, he came with flowers for my wife – she was with me – and not photos ….. on one meeting I took photos of him, the other time he don’t want it. But its great to talk with him. He has other hobby’s, for example he has 8 cars and 2 Harley Davidson’s. He never ever said a bad word about another person. But I know that Warren hit him with some very bad things, but that’s the past, Wilson said … no one wants to hear it (I can say he is so wrong ) He was me hero when I was a kid, now he is my friend, that’s a brilliant story how things can go. I am sure he will miss some of his old mates, and also parts of his soccer days. He had more problems with APIA and ASF. They are the reasons why he left the fields ….. Andre
Midfielder
Guest
Andre Better late than never ... in your talks to Peter please tell him it would be wonderful even if he did not want to front the media to get in a writer to write his story . I would dearly love to get his view of the 1974 world ... the lost years ... and from 2005 when Frank took over... Hope you continue to join us on the Roar...
dasilva
Roar Guru
It's better late then never. Nice to have you commenting here. Andre It's a shame that Peter Wilson went into media hiding after his retirement. Nowadays the general public believes that Johnny Warren was the captain of the 74 socceroos (no doubt help by the "Captain Socceroos" nickname of Johnny Warren).There's rumours that the whole captaincy battle has created a rift between Johnny Warren and Peter Wilson.Any truth in that? Anything you can reveal without breaking any trust with him? Update on the movie According to a football journalist Jesse Fink. Apparently someone is writing a screenplay about the early socceroos. Let hope that rumour is true as it is fantastic story.
Andre Krueger
Guest
Oh what a great discussion, and I am to late ...... I am still in contact with Peter Wilson, we have telephon calls weekly, and I spend some time with him when I am down under He is a top bloke and a great mate, as he was as a player To th 20-1 vote for the Captain armband, as I remember it was 20-2, because of 22 players on the way to the Cup. Two votes for Johnny Warren are from Peter Wilson and.. Warren vote himself. The "normal" vice captain was Ray Baartz ... Krueger
Joe FC
Guest
dasilva a fit & confident Viduka would be a wonderful asset for Sth Africa 2010 & any qualification/friendlies he might be available for. Here's hoping his recovery is trouble free.
dasilva
Guest
Another great news The Dukes is back in town He is now training again with Newcastle. Hopefully he will be available by the japan match next year. Although he has nothing to prove for me and many viduka fans. I feel his legacy for the Socceroos will always be a question mark next to him and the question of his value to Australia will divide fans. 442 magazine didn't believe he was the top 25 player of all time and many people believing we should give him a shaft from the national side and should pick Mcdonald and Djite over him. I do hope he comes out of this and end any debate and cement himself unanimously as a great socceroos and he has the next two years to do that.
True Tah
Guest
No worries Dasilva.
dasilva
Guest
True Tah To be honest - the first indigenous Australian to represent a national team of any sport was my intentions as it was something I googled up a while ago. If you say there was an indigenous wallaby player beforehand then i concede that I made a mistake.
True Tah
Guest
Dasilva, was just looking at one of your earliest posts - you said Harry Williams was the first indigeonus Australian to represent a national team - was this a futbol team or team in any sport? He first played futbol for Australia in 1970. I knoe Lloyd McDermott was the first indigeonus Wallaby in 1962, but Im sure there would be plenty of indigeonous Australians to have played rugby league for Australia before him.
Norm
Guest
KB reconditioned Toyota Coaster on the road & heading to Manama. Scheduled to meet jimbo & team at the Far Kin El coffee & belly dancing club in downtown Manama. Will report further at next toilet stop.
Koala Bear
Guest
Norm, mighty glad you have checked in lad... I was starting to worry about the progress of he 1858 books of 1858,000 raffle tickets .. I must confess I started to doubt your commitment because of incorrectly parking the bus in front of the Adelaide goal mouth .. :D I hope next time we will undoubtedly have all of those bus windows closed for the world cup qualifier next Wednesday .. I must say I am a tad disappointed with Jimbo's commitment; not keeping us up to date with the prawn night at the CRSL that, he was suppose to organise... Tho the Marn Grook lads have been at us with this nonsense about "NO Fed funding to their game"... And the "ground covered 19klms per 20 min quarters" .. My God MC even labeled me with the name Jethro or something of sort.. Fancy that a Melbourne Farm Boy calling me Jethro... Anyways, keep up the lamington and scones drive .. Give Doris a big kiss for me after she has reassembled the gear box in the bus... :D Damn hard to get that sort of good old fashion commitment these days... :D ~~~~~~~ KB
Koala Bear
Guest
Das, Re: the Hall of Fame .. thanks for the update and I shall go back and explore it later today .. On the now full cooperation of the other codes .. I can only say thankfully we don't have the posters of the other codes on the Roar in charge of their respective football codes especially MC.. :D This is how it should always be when it comes to Australia performing on the biggest stage (any code) and we should all leave behind our petty jealousies and do what is in the best interests for Australia, at the very top of the tree of football ... I think you will now get an extra 500 posts to your article after that statement of mine .. :D Rale Rasic, was a great strategist in football tactics and did an excellent job when in charge .. But my favourite was "Mad Dog" (what a character) and Thompson team :D They certainly worked well together (outside of Guus of course) After Rale was sacked we had a number of uninspiring managers and disastrous results that went with it ... But soon as Mad Dog arrived on the picture things started to change and he soon appointed ET as his right arm man .. The two eventually fell out.. However, while they were a team they produced some very exciting times for the Socceroos .. Especially the win over the reigning world champions in "the Gold Cup in Australia 1988" at the SFS I was there on that evening and saw Yankos's thunderbolt free kick, we won 4-1 (?) .. Apparently when the news reverberated around the world the overseas news departments continually sent messages to have the result reconfirmed on more than once or even three times... :D It was a remarkable performance .. Mad Dog's greatest strength was he was a good motivator over flowing with confidence and once said about himself he is an extreme optimist and that flowed down into his squads .. Something Vidmar should work on a bit more ie after the first 3-0 leg defeat and after in the interview he seemed a bit resigned to the fact that the second leg was not winnable .. Mad Dog would not have surrendered that easily... ~~~~~~~~~ KB
Norm
Guest
KB Doris had already told me the good news re support from other codes. She & the girls are now full steam ahead cooking up a feast of pumpkin scones & other enticing delicies. Only $58M to go! :)
dasilva
Guest
KB Excellent use about the support from other codes. Still a long way to go though
dasilva
Guest
actually I should apologise for the error just ignore my previous comment Ray Baartz is in Medal of Excellence - which is second tier Rale Rasic - Role of Honours - which is top tier Les Murray - Role of honour (distinguish) - second tier. (quite confusinng) Don't like getting facts wrong It's a massive list with probaly 60+ people in the hall of fame.
dasilva
Guest
KB Baartzy is there - just at the lowest tier hall of fame. Search in the medal of excellence for baartz and you'll find him a long with other 74 socceroos like harry williams, doug utjensenovic and manfred shaefer. Oscar Crino is there as well What I found interesting as well. is that there is a hall of fame for non-players including historians, journalist, media personalities, coaches and referees. Another glaring misrepresentation is that Rale Rasic is in the lowest tier in this category Guys like andre krugre, les murray, eric worthington, frank arok, charles perkins, ron smith were rank more significant contribution of the game then Rale Rasic. AS much as I like Les Murray and his important role in the media and amused by the passion and dedication of ze Crazy German Andre Krugre, to say they contributed more to the game then Rale Rasic is a joke.
Koala Bear
Guest
Lads, I came across this interesting piece of news; of vital importance; for Australian's 2018 World Cup bid -- all the pieces of the bid are falling into place. Now with the backing of the other 3 codes of football ... We are getting closer to staging a successful WC bid.. ;) ~~~~~~~~ KB THE NRL will allow soccer first access to its venues in a bid to help the rival code win the 2018 FIFA World Cup for Australia. Officials from rugby league, union and the AFL have offered their support as a friendly gesture to soccer to help the nation snare what many regard to be the biggest sporting event on earth. The World Cup finals are traditionally held from June to July - right in the middle of the NRL and AFL seasons. But what was set to be one of the major sticking points to Australia's ability to properly host the tournament - access to multi-purpose venues used for the country's two most popular winter sports - looks to have been removed. It is understood the NRL, AFL and rugby union have given their support to schedule around the 10 venues soccer would need to host the showpiece. ANZ Stadium, the SFS and Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium would be certain starters to host matches. The home grounds of the Newcastle Knights and the Gold Coast Titans are also being considered as possible match hosts. The spirit of camaraderie from other football codes would also satisfy another important requirement from soccer's world governing body - that the tournament is seen to have complete national support. FFA chief executive Ben Buckley was tight-lipped on the specifics of the bid and any meetings with other codes. But he said the FFA was very happy with how the bid was progressing and had been working hard to have as much in place as possible by the time FIFA unveiled the bidding process next month. "We've put a fairly substantial submission forward to the Federal Government," Buckley said. "There's work going on behind the scenes in terms of organisational planning, tactical planning, technical planning, so we've very happy."