SPORT
HARPO ’ s MARKS
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The Socceroos ’ journey to earn a place in next year ’ s 2026 World Cup in Canada , the United States and Mexico continues as they bid to qualify for the Big Dance for the seventh time .
Our national men ’ s side first qualified back in 1974 when the cup was hosted by West Germany .
The Socceroos first match was against East Germany , losing 2-0 , followed four days later with a 3-0 defeat at the hands ( and feet ) of West Germany whose team included two of the greats - Franz Beckenbauer and Gerd Mueller .
The Socceroos ended their campaign with a courageous performance against Chili , drawing 0-0 .
As a side bar , it was Sydney ’ s Daily Mirror soccer writer , Tony “ Hotspur ” Horstead who seven years previously first coined the term “ Socceroos ”.
In 1967 , the team , under coach Joe Vlasits , took the nickname away with it on a tour to the still war-ravaged Vietnam .
On the team ’ s return home , Hottie asked his readers to send in suggestions for a name for the national team and offered a prize of a free pass to all matches the following season .
Names submitted included the Emus , which was very heavily favoured , Wattles , Jackaroos , Wombats , Bandicoots and Boomerangs , but Hottie ’ s naming competition had little effect , and thus the Socceroos remained Socceroos .
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Hottie and I became good mates after I joined the Mirror in March 1968 , and before he died years later , he presented me with two fabulous antique books on boxing .
I treasure them and keep them hidden amongst our cook-books – no burglar would go there . Mrs Harpo doesn ’ t ! Well , got a bit off the track there , so let ’ s return to that history-making 1974 Socceroos outfit .
The Socceroos ’ coach for the 1974 World Cup was Rale Rasic , who sadly passed away , aged 87 ( not a bad dig all the same ) on June 8 , last year .
Rale immigrated to Australia in 1962 but returned to Yugoslavia after 18 months to serve in the army .
He returned to Australia and played football in the Victorian League with Footscray JUST .
After an injury cut short his playing career , Rasic moved into coaching where he guided Footscray into the play-offs and then to the Victorian title in 1969 .
A brief stint with Melbourne club , Hungaria , followed before he was appointed Socceroos coach at the age of 34 .
The astute coach went on to mastermind Australia ’ s qualification and participation at the 1974 FIFA World Cup before resigning shortly after the team returned home .
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In 2004 , Rale was the recipient of a Medal of the Order of Australia ( OAM ) for his service to soccer as a player , coach and administrator .
The 1974 squad was stacked with men who had made Australia their new home – all but eight of the 22-man squad were post-World War II immigrants .
Englishman Peter Wilson was the captain , Hungarian-born Atti Abonyi and English striker Adrian Alston provided the attacking weapons while German Manfred Schaefer returned to his homeland to provide the steel in Australia ’ s defence .
And Harry Williams became the first Indigenous Australian to play at a World Cup .
The now 73-year-old Harry first played for Australia in 1970 , wearing Socceroo colours in six matches before heading off with his team-mates for West Germany .
Harry represented his country in 17 games between 1970 and 1978 .
Most of the 1974 World Cup players held down blue-collar jobs and were required to take extended leave for the tournament .
These are the players who contributed immensely to the history of soccer in this country – remember the names !
Goalkeepers : Allan Maher ( Sutherland Shire SFC ), Jim Milisavljević ( Footscray JUST ), Jack Reilly ( Hakoah Eastern Suburbs ).
Defenders : Colin Curran ( Western
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Suburbs ), Ivo Rudic ( Pan-Hellenic SC ), Manfred Schaefer ( St George- Budapest SC ), Doug Utjesenović ( St George-Budapest SC ), John Watkiss ( Hakoah Eastern Suburbs ), Harry Williams ( St George-Budapest SC ), Peter Wilson ( Safeway United SC ).
Midfielders : Dave Harding ( Pan- Hellenic SC ), Jimmy Mackay ( Hakoah Eastern Suburbs ), Raymond Richards ( Club Marconi Fairfield ), Jimmy Rooney ( APIA Leichhardt ), Max Tolson ( Safeway United SC ).
Attackers : Attila Abonyi ( St George- Budapest SC ), Adrian Alston ( Safeway United SC ), Branko Buljevic ( Footscray JUST ), Ernie Campbell ( Club Marconi Fairfield ), Gary Manuel ( Pan-Hellenic SC ), Peter Ollerton ( APIA Leichhardt ), Johnny Warren ( St George-Budapest SC ).
DISGUSTING MARKS : It was as obvious as the orange paint on Donald Chump ’ s face that the NSW State of Origin players went out to maim the brilliant Reece Walsh in the first match of the series . I ’ d like to see Walsh test the obviously intent-to-maim tackle in the courts .
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Oldtimers with the gift of the gab
by John Macdonald
Esteemed newspaper columnist , Peter FitzSimons , has lamented that these days we don ’ t produce colourful sporting commentators like the Benauds , Warrens , Comettis and Mays - and too right we don ’ t ! We certainly will never produce another Frank Hyde , and the game is not the same without him .
Mature rugby league listeners would have their Frank memories , and a personal favourite would be the irascible Frank . In olden times , Frank would sit at a table on the SCG sideline and call the match of the day .
There was the time his view was obscured by a ballboy , and he would yell , “ ballboy , get out of the way , ballboy get out of the way ’’.
There followed a tirade in which he said if you were a worker , digging a hole in George Street , you wouldn ’ t have to put up this sort of interference .
Frank also voiced one of the all-time great ads , ‘’ Things go better ( pause and deep intonation )... with Coke .’’
Enough to drive anyone to drink in celebration .
Frank had late , great international , Ken McCaffery , as his offsider covering reserve grade for a time , and when asked his opinion , Ken introduced some cultured English with , ‘’ Frank , I wholeheartedly concur .’’
Memories ! Tiger Black was Hyde ’ s rival at 2KY , but they were great mates .
The late , great Tiger once had a weekend morning show in which Redfern RSL was a sponsor and always received a glowing reference .
Prince Phillip was visiting Sydney at one time and Tiger offered , ‘’ and Duke , if you ’ re in Redfern ....’
There were always a myriad of Rex Mossop gems and it ’ s hard to offer one , but I will !
There was the time he asked his offsider Barry , ‘’ Yes Rex ’’ Ross : ‘’ Kon Demos , is he of Greek excavation , Barry ?’’
‘’ He ’ s from Wollongong , Rex ,’’ Ross replied . A double whammy if ever there was !
Ray Warren first made his name calling the midweek Amco Cup , and among many memorable calls was the time he hosted then Premier Neville Wran in the Leichhardt Oval box .
The respectful deference and reference to Neville became a lot more informal as the excitement mounted , perhaps in the hope a Balmain boy would score a try which would have brought a tear to Nev ’ s eye .
Ray was a newcomer back then but was continuing a tradition in which legends abounded across a wide range of sports .
There was Clarence the Clocker who gave his tips on the Idiot Box every Saturday morning .
Clarence would spruik at the beginning of each show , ‘’ OK girls , down with your mops and up with your skirts ,’’ before inviting them to sit down and receive his half-hour of racing tips .
Renowned racecaller Ken Howard also had a spot on the TV program .
I well remember watching one morning when the great man lit up a smoke , took a few puffs and said , ‘’ ugh , these cigarettes are stale ,’’ before throwing his smoke over his shoulder .
You don ’ t get golden TV moments like that anymore , but it was a time when any schoolboy could get a proper education . After Clarence ’ s segment , viewers could watch and listen to Andy Vincent calling the Harold Park trots replays . Later in the afternoon , we punters would turn on the radio and listen to a golden age of racecallers .
Ken Howard , Des Hoyusted and Geoff Mahoney ( the best judge ) calling the races in Sydney , Bert Bryant , Bill Collins and Joe Brown in Melbourne , and Vince Curry and Keith Noud in Brisbane .
A call of stars that can never be equalled !
Bryant had some gems , but his best was , ‘’ he ’ s seeing more tails than Hoffman ” when a horse tailed off behind the pack .
Bert was presumably a fan of a seldomseen opera , unrelated to Offenbach ’ s famous opus , in which there are no horses on stage .
Howard will be forever known for ‘’ it ’ s London to a brick on .’’
Most people are visited by genius at last once in their lives , offering a comment or action that is just right for the moment .
Ex-Australian test spinner , Kerry O ’ Keefe , continues his late career and enjoyable contributions as a commentator , but is cursed because he peaked too early .
I still chuckle whenever I recall Kerry ’ s ,
Three of the great men behind the microphone ; veteran racecaller Ken Howard , is visited in the call box by young tyro sportcasters , Johnny Tapp and Ray Warren . Both young men also went on to become legends at their craft . ‘’ when Fuifui Moimoi is going well , rugby league is going well .’’
Hits Norman May ’ s legendary cry , ‘’ gold , gold , gold for Australia ’’ out of any pool or park !
FitzSimons is right ; these modern coves are not in the same street as their predecessors .
Howard was an out-and-out champion , dead set freak , world-beater and legend . Johnny Tapp and Ian Craig were apprentice racecallers ( and future outand-out champions ) who came along when the great man was well into his career . But there was no matching the inimitable master , no matter how good they were , and they were good , way better than these modern-day imposters .
Yes , FitzSimons is right , and there ’ ll never be another Frank Hyde either .
One hopes Howard is looking down from the clouds and lighting a smoke above his beloved Nambucca Heads , and silently offering his regular closing , ‘’ If you can ’ t participate in sport , you be a sport .’’
36 ISSUE 170 // JULY 2024 theindependentmagazine . com . au THE HAWKESBURY INDEPENDENT