This
is my second foray into Australian football literature, the first having been spectacularly less than impressive. The good news is that the now decade-old 'Sheilas, Wogs and Poofters', a seminal work by the late and revered Johnny Warren is
far better. The bad news is that Warren fell into the standard traps
of all passionate Australian soccer figures.
Cover image thanks to amazon.com.au
|
Given
the options available, Warren managed to forge a club and
international career that deserves celebration. Representing the St
George (Budapest) club with great distinction, Johnny Warren had to
prove himself able to transcend ethnic boundaries; this culminated in 40-odd matches for
Australia (including the 1974 World Cup) and showed bagfuls of dedication in an era where football hardly provided a glamourous lifestyle.
The
matches played by the late-60's and early-70's Socceroos
deserve legendary status, not just for the achievements of the team
but also due to the scenarios in which they played.
The Friendly Nations cup was played as an olive branch to the Vietnamese by Western anti-communist forces and is an amazing tale for the conditions (warfare) that the tournament was played within. As well, Warren eulogises some of his contemporaries who should receive more credit for their skills by those who believe that legendary status in Australian soccer began with Viduka and Kewell et al.
The Friendly Nations cup was played as an olive branch to the Vietnamese by Western anti-communist forces and is an amazing tale for the conditions (warfare) that the tournament was played within. As well, Warren eulogises some of his contemporaries who should receive more credit for their skills by those who believe that legendary status in Australian soccer began with Viduka and Kewell et al.
For
the non-devoted supporter of soccer in Australia, there are two
general criticisms that are aimed at the sport in this country.
Firstly, the sport is constantly racked with infighting and
controversy. Secondly, that the sport needs to stand on
its own two feet and fight for its place in the recreational landscape; rather, it
constantly complains about the level of media coverage afforded
Australian Football or Rugby League. In the last
third of the book, Warren spirals violently into into these two criticisms
and his argument never recovers. If those in charge of the sport (ed: I'm looking at you, Ben Buckley) believe it is the
best sport, they need to rise above internal strife and complaints about the competition and simply generate a product that
engages and attracts the masses.
This book is recommended for a good summary history of the sport in
Australia and an interesting life story that is at the same time
stereotypically Australian. It is, however, very different from your usual
sporting heroes.
Three stars.
Three stars.
No comments:
Post a Comment