CDSFA Community Football Podcast
CDSFA Community Football Podcast
Episode #10 - George Barbouttis, Earlwood Wanderers FC, Pan Hellenic and Sydney Croatia
Welcome to Episode 10 of the CDSFA Community Football Podcast.
In this episode we speak with George Barbouttis. Born in 1950 of Greek heritage, George’s family settled in Newcastle where his father had established various family businesses. In 1955 when George was only 5, his father was tragically killed in a car accident at just 38. This turned the family into complete chaos. They moved to be closer with relatives in Sydney, eventually moving to Earlwood.
This is where George’s talent and passion for football grew. Playing for Earlwood Wanderers Football Club, Pan Hellenic and Sydney Croatia; and attracting interest from major European clubs such as PAOK and Panathinaikos. He was coached by greats such as Rex Foster, Joe Vlatsis and Rale Rasic.
George was on the verge of being selected for the 1974 Socceroos squad for the World Cup in West Germany. However, serious injury, sickness and sheer bad luck led to George being omitted from the 1974 World Cup. George was guttered. So much so, he decided to prematurely hang up his boots and not play again.
George’s story is about courage, determination, tenacity and pure love for football and the importance of youth in our game.
Hello, I'm Gilbert little K and welcome to episode 10 of the city. Is it faith community football podcast. In this episode we speak with George Babu born in 1950 of Greek heritage George's family settled in Newcastle. Please. Father had established various family businesses in 1955 when George was only five. His father was tragically killed in a car accident and just there. Yet he's turned the family into complete chaos, then moved to be closer with relatives in Sydney. Eventually moving to Earl, this is where George's talent and passion for football playing for Earl Wanderers, football club Panhellenic and Sydney, Croatia, and attracting interest from major European clubs such as pout and Pantheon. I of course, he was coach for the greats such as Rick's foster, Joe[inaudible], early message. George was on the verge of being selected for the 1974 Socceroos, fought for the world cup in West Germany. However, serious injuries, sickness and sheer bad luck led to Jordan being admitted for that score. George has gathered so much, so he decided to prematurely hang out these boots and not play Georgia stories about courage, determination, tenacity, and pure love for football and the importance of youth in our game. I hope you enjoy the podcast.
Speaker 2:Alright,
Speaker 3:thanks very much George. Thanks for coming. My closure, Gilbert, right. George mapper, Buddhists. Right. Uh, tell us about your journey in Australian football. Where did that start?
Speaker 4:Well, Gilbert, um, in, um, in the mid fifties, I lost my father in a car accident in Tenterfield and we had a business and um, we had to move to Sydney, uh, because of my dad's passing and the family came to Elwood to leave. And in 1957, I became a, I signed up with the old Wanderers soccer club. Uh, and I started my football career with the old wonders. Um, and I played the underwrites at the tens and the twelves on the 14th. And uh, was fortunate enough to play in the rep side at under four chains. Um, then I to grade football, I went down to a panel anyway because I had an uncle who was a second grade player at panel clinic and I would go to training with him and occasionally knock a ball over the fence and I'd grab the ball because we didn't have a Baldy kid. So, um, yeah, so that's, that's where my, that was the beginning. And, um, I, uh, I went down in 1965 to 66, I should say, to play, uh, third grade for paneling because, um, my background is of Greek heritage, born in Australia of Greek heritage and dad came here back in the, in the 20s. So, um, I always wanted to play for the great team and, um, what, uh, what took place. Um, I wasn't good enough. I wasn't good enough to play at 16 as a third grader for panel etic, so always okay with that. But I was always determined to continue to play. Um, and I knew Ricks foster from, from ode and Ricks was, um, starting his coaching career at Croatia. So when I went to Croatia and I started playing for Croatia, third grade, the following year was second grade and the following year was first grade. And then panel end. EAC wanted to buy me. I was 19 when I was transferred from Croatia to um, to panel Eddie now and panel one. We had uncle Joe of lessons as the coach. Um, and I was playing, I was playing on the wing at the time. I had a bit of speed and I, I'd just knocked the ball around and, and chase and I was, I was an average footballer. Um, but I put in a lot of extra work. So at tri if training sessions, we're starting at six o'clock, I'd be at training at five o'clock. So really? Yes. Yeah. I was very keen. Um, what I liked in ability, I made up in enthusiasm. Um, so I transferred from Croatia to panel Anik in 1970. I was then recommended by Joe uncle Joe glasses, um, to resi who was the national coach. So I was then selected as a prominent Australian, uh, a member of the Australian team to go to Germany in 74. So there were two or three teams that came to Australia in those years. It was the English, I was Wolverhampton Wanderers and they could have been one other side. But in, in the first year I had a problem with appendicitis, so I was warming up and as I'm warming up, uh, so you'd already been selected. I'd been selected. There was Brian Turner, um, Brian Turner, uh, Terry Butler and myself. We were the three, um, three young members of the Australian squad. I think it was a squad of 22, if I can recall. But every time something went wrong, every time I was asked to go on the park, so whether I was warming up or whatever it was, there was always a problem with my football career and breaking through into the national team. Um, towards the end of 70, I was asked to go to Greece for trials and I went to Greece and I signed a contract and I still have that contract today. Um, to play for the PA O K bulk soccer team, which is in Saloniki. And then, yeah, there are big tub they play in Europe and in, in all of the um, cups and what have you. And um, I, I played a number of matches preseason and I signed a contract, but it was the first time that I ever left home. They left me in a, in a hotel room. I was 20 years of age and I was homesick and I had relations in, in, in Athens side, any all you've got a camp, you've got a candle. Athens, you shouldn't be, you shouldn't be plying in soul Nagy. You should be coming to Athens. And I made the call and made the mistake by going to Athens. And after signing the contract, that chain had the nucleus of seven national team players for grace, for grace. In those days, they were a great size and I was going to fill the gap of the central defender that they needed today. The national team coach was the left fullback of that size, Tennessee. What's his name? Um, I can't recall, but, um, I went, I was there, I ate weeks ago. Um, if you, if you Google it, you'll find it. Um, the national team catcher group. Anyway, so I came back to Australia and continued to play for Panhellenic. Um, and we had the next season I played in a, an Paul cup against Western suburbs and I broke two ribs pier salon. I went up to play, the bully, went up to play to get made to play them in and I came off, I spent six weeks in hospital. So, um, and it was never, it was never an a, an easy journey for those, just too many complications, injuries and obstacles along the way. And um, after that, it took me a while to get back to, to normal. And, uh, I was in asked to go back to Greece and I went to, to take co Panathinaikos
Speaker 3:another big collapse slipping in these two big clubs. They're not tiny. Yeah.
Speaker 4:And the, the couch there was pusskers. So Postgres, Postgres turned around after I spent three months with them and he said to me, look, I want you to stay, but we're not prepared to pay any money for you. I said, that's fine. That's not a problem. I need to go back. So they, they gave me my return ticket and I went back. So I had two attempts overseas. I was still in the national team and still coaching with the national team at the time. And I came back and Racich had taken over panel. Anik as he had a jewel role, he had the national team. Yeah. And he had the, a panel did, um, in 1973. So in those, so we had a, a, an assistant catch called Gallo year ass. And John Kelly had us, um, he was part of the panel, um, coaching staff and rally was the, uh, the head coach. So rally would say to me every week, he said, George, come on, give it your best shot. You get selected into the national team to go to Germany. And every week he'd say the same thing and we psycho analyze me and I'd give more than 100% more than a hundred percent. At the end of my career, at the end of the women team was named, rally took Evo Rudy who was 34. I was 23 each as the reserve defender. Wow. So I sit down, so what am I doing plying the game? I'm only going to get one opportunity to go to
Speaker 3:and Australia. Well, Kat was Australia's first. We had to wait 32 years after that. But that was a correct,
Speaker 4:quite incredible. They were a good side. They were a good side. They did well, um, to get there. Um, and unfortunately I'd realized that, um, he's intentions old way, were to get the best element at a calm level. And his intentions were not to take me because if he's intentions were to take me to tighten a 23 year old versus two to 34 years, simply because of the age. So I thought to myself, well, what am I playing the game for? Um, and so was this a year or how, how soon before the world cup was announced? It was announced at the end of 73 the six months before. Yeah, so six months prior. Um, and we had, we had approximately five, five players out of our side who went, um, Gary manual, Dave Harding, um, Evo Rudy could have been one more. Um, uh, we didn't have a bad side in those in those years, but we, we just, we just couldn't put it together and we weren't the best side in the competition, but we weren't the worst side of the pub. We sort of the middle of the table. Um, and, but in saying that, um, I was so disappointed. Again, another, another hurdle. Um, and I, I just gave the game away, got married at that age, at 23. I gave him the game away. I just, I said I'll, I've had enough. And back in those days, it wasn't a professional, no, no, it wasn't, it wasn't professional, but, um, you could make, you could make something out of the guy without saying it was a lot of money. Um, but I was happy to wear the, the blue and white, um, for, for the, for the group community. And if anything, if anything in those days, I probably wouldn't have earned as much money as some of the Englishman that we're playing. The game came out to play the game. Really? Yeah. And you always a defender? No, no. I started out when I started out, I was playing on the weekend as he as a young player played on the wing on the right wing, um, coming back and defending and picking up the ball and what have you. Um, yeah, and total football, there's no such thing as a winger anymore, but it's, it's everyone defense and everyone's attacking. Yeah. So, um,
Speaker 5:okay.
Speaker 4:I went, uh, it was uncle Joe that made a defender out of me because of my aggressive play. I'll get a play you as a central defender and you don't want you to overlap from behind. So they wouldn't the defense, the op, the opposition wouldn't expect me to come forward because I was regarded as a defendant, so I'd be playing one twos from behind and going forward. Right. Um, which they couldn't, uh, they couldn't analyze it because they didn't know what when I w when I was coming forward. Right. Um, it was, it was a good part of my game because I knew what to expect as a, as an attacking player and I knew what to do as a defending player, not had the stamina to be able to get back into position. And if I didn't, there'd be someone filling in my position and slowly I would get back. Yeah. Did you watch the, the, the 1974 world cup was, it would've been hard to watch. I do watch it. Yes. I did watch it. What'd you think of the stand performance Australian team? Yeah, I thought they did reasonably well. You've got to understand we would, um, professionally we weren't professional footballs. They were not only were they professional footballs, they, it'd be if they'd been living the game every day. Whereas we don't live the in here every day. We live it part of the year here. If we were, if we were more professional, our game in it, the standard of the game would have been much, much higher. Um, I'll look like, I noticed a difference when I, when I went to Greece in 70 and in 72 you could tell the difference between the professional footballers and a part time. Well, fantastic. We'll go back a little bit. You mentioned that who would, what was your experience there? You joined, you attended a local public school there as well, but yes. Yes. What was that atmosphere like around football club? It's still a key huge community club now. Now there's in 2019. But what was it like back then in those days? Um, we, uh, in the winter months we played soccer, um, rugby, right. Rugby, rugby league and, and, and it was very competitive. Rugby league and soccer was very competitive. Um, but, uh, maybe, uh, I had to make a decision because I wanted to be a professional sportsman because I wasn't confident with my academic, um, career. So I thought, um, I, I think I can, I think I can play the game at a high level and if I had to make a decision when I got to 15, because I was quite a fair cricketer, like green shield or flying GreenChill for, for Western level at the other patient, patient kept Wicked's so, um, so fast ball away and you know, I was a wicked[inaudible] wicked keeper. So I needed, I needed to make a decision when I was 50, am I gay to play cricket or am I going to play soccer? So what happened? I decided to play soccer because, um, the, at that time, world series cricket hadn't come along. And then it came along two or three years later. And, um, who knows, I couldn't
Speaker 6:mighty career out of cricket. Well, I decided to play soccer instead. Do you still follow cricket and rugby? And I follow all by, I love all sports centers and the art of defending everyone's been, I guess in recent times. Um, it's fair to say, especially not in Australia, internationally, you mentioned the outer defending earlier, a lot of defenders now, the modern defenders as seen as attacking defenders. What have you from your point of view or perspective as yadda defending, uh, become more sophisticated or as it has it sort of a,
Speaker 4:Oh, I think what, what, um, teams tend to do now our play was in those days as far as defense was concerned, was most players had to get behind the ball. So that was the principle firstly. And then if you committed, if you made a commitment, you had to get the bowl, otherwise you didn't make the commitment. So, um, as close as you are, um, around the penalty area, um, you had to be extremely careful. And then when you tackle, you tackled the bowl you didn't tackle, um, you didn't miss the bowl because you missed the ball around the penalty area or in the penalty area. It's, it's, it's super dangerous. So I in comparison, the same principle still applies. Old players should be behind the ball and then, uh, once, once they're behind the ball, then I can decide when they have to make the commitment. And defense is principally a matter of, uh, when you make the commitment, you get the bull. Otherwise, if you miss the ball in a, in a, in, in, let's say you're the last man in defense, you make a commitment that missed it. Well,
Speaker 6:yeah, yeah, yeah. We, you think we've produced good defenders in recent times. I think it's difficult in defense because you facing the parent goals. Yeah. It's difficult to attack because you've got your bad or that's been a big challenge. Yeah, no, fair point.
Speaker 4:And it depends on the player and how the player reads the game. If, if plie is, if play is, um, a, a good readers of the gang, like w we were always told, um, before you received the ball, you must have some idea what you going to do with it. Right now, depending on way you received the ball determines what you're going to do with it. But you don't want to be losing when we're going forward. You don't want to be losing position because players are out of position. So there's a counter attack on straight away. So it's, it's got a lot to do with techniques. It's got a lot to do with, um, I think coaching and how the sees the game. Um,
Speaker 6:and speaking of coaches, who are the coaches that are, you mentioned a few before, but who do you think of the coaches that had the most influential influence on you as a player?
Speaker 4:Ah, there, there's no doubt that Rex foster hex foster foster had a great influence on my game. Uncle Joe glasses had a lot of confidence in me. Um, I had a guy, uh, coaching in, in, uh, in Greece called, uh, um, Mike Shannon. My channel was good English coach. Yeah, very good English coach. Um, they knew my abilities before I went there because we had a player here called, uh, uh, Bayliss and bill is played for Canterbury, married for the, um, in 1969, 1970 season. And he knew my, my ability and he was the assistant information. He, he was the assistant coach to the, to the bulk. To Mike Shannon.
Speaker 6:Yeah. So back in those days, cause nowadays we're lucky we've got no social media. You can send a video or a message instantly. Back in those days, how was information being passed to these European clubs from[inaudible]?
Speaker 4:Well, I had Scouts, Scouts were coming, there was a scout here who recommended me. He was going to get an agency fee out of it. And I disappointed him because I came back. So he, he was, he was disappointed because if I'd have stayed he would've gotten his feet. Of course. Yeah. So in support of that situation then there was Bella stead who was telling the coach, well he's a solid player, he's a solid defender, he's good in the air. He, he doesn't, he doesn't miss the, he doesn't miss the ball winning commits. And all of those positive defending roles was what he wanted to hear and what he wanted in his side. Fill that,
Speaker 6:that position gap. Yeah. Fantastic. And just get back on, on your junior career, was there a, would wonder as a, you're only a junior club that you've played for?
Speaker 4:I applied for a Todd called Sidney babes though. Really by call them though, by based, uh, at steel park still park man. Yeah. I only played for one season and my uncle who I mentioned it in that, in that my uncle Jim Menendez was actually, he created the club but the club only played for one season and there was a group of kids and they played in all orange club, orange colors with black shorts. Yeah. So he was, he was a very, very enthusiastic soccer coach and he loved the game. Fantastic. Yeah.
Speaker 6:And uh, you try, you mentioned Greece, uh,
Speaker 4:what,
Speaker 6:I mean you mentioned the experience following on from that, you mentioned then going forward at 23 years old, you stop that, but your love for the game that is, or does that end as well?
Speaker 4:Nah, there's a love for the guy continues. You don't lose the passion for the game. The gang stays in your blood, in your vines forever. Um, and, and I can see around this room a lot of our players and a lot of old administrators and, and these people. Um, what it's like, it's, it's you live the game. It's something that you, you, you don't, you, you come through, you go, you do the journey, you follow the journey of football and it doesn't stop. It doesn't stop the passion still there.
Speaker 6:Brilliant. And you mentioned now with Canterbury or was city, CFA had a representative team back then as well. You want to tell us about that, about the, this, the, the Canterbury districts have their representative the same back, not many
Speaker 4:younger[inaudible] I can see as a few photos as I look at, call it right now. Colorado was out on the four eight catch call would walk around the Canterbury district and walk everywhere. He walked everywhere and he would do one on one sessions at Erwin oval. At least park at Rudd park one-on-one. He, he'd have, he'd have, he'd have a two, eight, five, three players there, three players there, two players and he'd be doing one on ones with these. That's what sort of a coach called Wright was and he'd go thoroughly, thoroughly through, uh, everything that had to be done as far as controlling the ball was concerned and passing the ball. And he was, he was a very good catch[inaudible]
Speaker 6:there. Do you think a, the questions coming through it, we've had a few of[inaudible] people involved in the game for a long time.[inaudible] some questions to ask. Ah, there's a question here. Do you think football new South Wales abolishing the interdistrict representing football and replacing it with 48 teams in each of the hundred 13 to other 16 age groups under the banner of youth league run by the NPL clubs has been good for the game?
Speaker 4:Well, that's a very interesting question. Um, all I'm going to say is if you go back to our early days and go back to the 60s, I think the 60s and the 70s we produced, we produced bend. Appliers good applies in those years. I can't see a Johnny Warren around. I can't see ya. Uh, uh, Johnny Watkiss, I can't see, uh, Ray bots. He was the best plier Australia's produced without a doubt. Right? Bonds. Right, right. So special right was a good player because he, he knew what to do with the ball before he received it. And he could hit a ball from 25 meters and it was as soon as he hit it, you knew it was going either it was going in or the golf Cape at to pull off a magnificent sight. That's how well he shot was. Um, he was, in my opinion, everybody seems to feel that, uh, we've had, we have had some good players after, after year 2000, but in my opinion, I've seen, I've seen the Ray barters and I've seen the, um, the striker who was at AA now 2006, um,[inaudible] who's an outstanding, uh, player on and is not okay. You know, not, not, not, not cow. Um, uh, you can slap name, I can't remember his name. 2006, so yeah, 2006, well, capsule out. He was, he, he's a good player. He's a very good player. But I think Ryan was a better player, but the Duke it out dude. But dude, go of Monmouth of the modern game. Sure. He's our best player of the past 50 years. Right back there. We got their base coming back. The best place plays you, you've played or defend it against, who would you say I defended against a apply core tacky Luca Neeley's great player. Uh, luckily this was one of the better players to come to Australia. Very good player. Um, where did they play? He played in Greece. He played for the national team. Yeah. He was unbelievable in the gay, um, when he came here and he was at the end of his career. But, um, uh, there's been a lot of great players come to Austin to, to play in Australian soccer. I mean, you could go back to the, the mid sixties that's players that were coming from Europe in the mid sixties. The plies of today couldn't tie their boots in those days. So I personally think the game was better. Sure. When we were bringing, uh, importing the Europeans and the South Americans, some of the South American players, um, that came to Australia were great clients and, um, personally, yes. Um, there's been a discussion about whether we should be playing more imports. I think we should do the degree should and at the same time I think that we should be blaming our youth with the experience experience. So basically,
Speaker 6:and again, the aliens I guess seen as that
Speaker 4:[inaudible] competition the mind. What was your view on the a league? Well, my view on the A-League is this, um, it's not, it's not to me, it's just not, uh, I enjoy the game very much. Um, but I'm not, I think there's a lot more that can be done with the aide league. Um, I personally think that we should be giving, um, more juniors. I go and if they were, if they were to introduce a really, um, that you had to play two players under the age of 21 two plays under the age of 21, I think it would improve our game and we would produce players. We need to keep the young interested in the game. When the young talented players get to 15 or 16, they give the game away. We need to keep them interested. Absolutely. It's, it's stilly our game. Huh. And if anything, we should have an underwriting Australian side and under 21 Australian side and those sides should be going to, South America should be going to Europe and they should be plying. Yeah, no, fair enough.
Speaker 6:You mentioned so many plays before. Uh, we do. You talked about playing against, of the play, the best player you've played. You've played with
Speaker 4:best player I've ever played with. Um, well that's a very interesting question. I've applied. I thought Bruce Stoll was a very good player. He played for panel etic. He came out here in 1971. Bruce was a midfield player, never stopped running. I thought he was a good player. Um, there were, there were a number of players, um, uh, members of the members of the Australian team, the RTO, Bonnie's the, um, the, um, Johnny Warrens that were all have different experiences with Johnny[inaudible]. Johnny, I, I had a very good rapport with John. Um, I was involved with the, uh, Warren resi coaching clinic in nodding, um, 72 73 in general. Uh, I was, I was fully committed to the game and, um, and, and John and, and, and rally resi would be, uh, conducting these coaching CLI clinics in general. And, um, I was there with a number of other national team players conducting, uh, being involved in the coaching. And, um, I had a lot of time for Johnny. He's, he's, he's loved for the game. There's not many people that love the game as much as Johnny Ward is that Johnny. So he obviously, uh, uh, he was well, well respected. Obviously he respected you as a player. Yes. Like I said, w we, we, I was involved in the, uh, Johnny Warren rally resi coaching clinic at Durall in the, um, in the mid seventies. And, um, in those early years, um, uh, Johnny and I got on very, very well. Um, and in, uh, in our program, uh, um, just after the year 2000, um, and Pascal[inaudible] asked Johnny who was the best, who was the best, a great player too, that he played against. And, uh, he said, he said George Babu to, and I was so proud, so proud that he said that. Yeah. So, um, that's fantastic. You've got this other, other other coaches, I'm sure you've come across football personnel as ugly Sean flu, which I believe just being told, just come through. It's his birthday today. Well, Liz, Liz was Eddie's hot before I came. Um, Liz was Eddie's Heights in the late sixties. He was, lizard was a great player. Yes. He played for, uh, for Prague and um, and a lot of the all Prague supporters. Uh, lovely Shives like there wasn't too many less shine flugs around. And I noticed also, you've mentioned the time you've had it, a, a pan Hellenic blanket. I know him more as a coach, not as a player. You want to tell us about where we're all as a client. Yeah. Raul was applier. Uh, he, he was a midfield player. Um, he, he read the game extremely well. Um, you give, he give good balls. Um, didn't, didn't do excessive running
Speaker 7:most of these because of these because of these age, but he was an experienced, he's been consistent all the way.
Speaker 4:Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Raleigh route actually rallies. I, I th I would regard Raul. Um, an outstanding coach. I think growl, um, knows the game extremely well. And uh, I don't know what Ralph is doing with himself today, but people like that, the role blank goes are the world the less shine flux of the world. They shouldn't be out of the game. They should continue to be involved. They should leave, whether it, whether it be a coaching level, whether it be at it administrator, they've got too much experience. But these people, where are they? Where are the people who wore the green in goal? Well, where's the Peter Wilson? Where's the, where's the, uh, the Johnny[inaudible] where, where's the Attia Barney's where all the[inaudible] involved in soccer and they've got too much to offer.
Speaker 6:Coming back to the local game and all the, within the district. Can you tell us some of that? Some of the clubs or great rivalries at that time when you applying for Elwood, do you remember some of that?
Speaker 4:Yes. I knew there was rivalries between Canterbury and glaze park. It was the rivalry there and there was all always rivalry in Helston park. It Hughes park. Yeah, it's used parked down there. Um, um, in that to me, um, valuer, the, the, the teams that work that would clash, they, we'd ride and bill Moore over red park, red park was always have a Saturday, was just incredible just to go and watch the under six days. Yeah. Great atmosphere. Watched the under sixteens or the all age sides. The, all H sides were pretty good sides in those days. So it was, there was a lot of atmosphere. I haven't watched those games in recent times, but, um, I actually miss, I've been to Arlington over where it say the surface is now synthetic. It's a synthetic surface. And I occasionally go there just, just to watch who's playing. And usually it's, it's the a Cypriot chain. The Camperdown, yeah. Yeah. And books folks. And, um, I was, I was coaching a kid and he was playing for four of them and I actually was still a little bit disappointed with the me, but like that take, he's playing in the correct position. I'd like to see him play facing the apparent goals rather than having his back too. So, but, uh, I, I still watch, uh, I still go and watch six or sides and, um, indoor soccer and I, I've got a watching a kid at the moment now I'm going to put some time and effort into him. Um, and I, like I said, every now and again I'll get the urge and I do it for nothing. But I, I, I go down to Earl wood and I, I mixed with some old players and we all congregate at 1130 in Clark street and a coffee shop. And there's, they'd be, they could be eight or 10, they could be eight or 10 pliers. All clients. And all I do was talk about soccer. Yes. And then they're not all great boys, but they are different. They're all from different walks of life. And we talk about the game E we talk about the English premier league. Why is it ain't you Manchester United? Why aren't they successful? What is it the[inaudible]? Well, it's not really, Oh, I didn't mind. You know, I didn't build up a bit. Disappointed. I don't, I'm more of the, I'm looking for the coaching and the pattern and how they're applying rather than the performance rather than the club. Um, and I think Liverpool are doing phenomenal job at the moment and, um, there's only two teams that could possibly win that competition. Yeah. So it's, it's just clear cut. But I'm getting away from, from the, uh, the English premier league. The, the best. The other competition is the Spanish competition. I mean, that everybody enjoys watching Spanish football. So it's, um, the same much, eh, they live soccer in Europe. We don't live it here. We're, we're, we're part-timers. So it's, would I believe this celebrating a big milestone issue? Is it this year? Is this shoe, it's the, they're celebrating 95[inaudible] 95th, 95 years of football. Yeah. Not necessarily the[inaudible]. Okay, well, see. All right. Uh, Resco are scalpels. Um, he's a good friend of mine, Peter. Um, when he was, he actually, he attended the Warren, uh, wrestling coaching clinic at[inaudible] because I used to pick him up and taking him up there in those early days. So he would have been 10 or 12 in those days. And, um, he was showing potential, again, it a little bit to do with Rick's. Um, so it's, it's, you know, the, the oil would the old connections always been there? I think there's been a couple of other top players that have come through those ranks before us, before, uh, Resco and myself. But, um, there's, um, there's been some good players, um, being produced by the[inaudible] water soccer club. Really? Uh, I thought that, um, yeah, we cry. She share, played alongside a guy called Frank Kush. Frank Kush was a good striker, very good player. Um, um, I probably should have, should have reached greater Heights. Um, there's Australian soccer, had it been professional from the 70s and onward when they were, when they were, uh, when I um, qualified for the world cup, they should have become professional players. The game would have, the game would have been better off. Good morning today
Speaker 6:if the 19, let's say 1974 75 you're in the team Australia playing the Australia of of 2019 who would win?
Speaker 4:Okay. Um, I would have no doubts that the 74 side would have been the 2019 wouldn't mate, might not have been the 2006[inaudible] probably wouldn't, they wouldn't have been much between those sides or 74 side to the 2006 if you played three games, probably the 2006 might've won two out of three.
Speaker 6:All right. Chapter three and a lot of people cause now younger, fancy, Oh it's so hard to go through Asia. Tell us, give us an insight. I mean again, your observations, qualifying for workup in the 70s, it was just as hard, wasn't it? Very good for yet
Speaker 4:very different. You, you, you were going to side bone and there was a war, a war threatened, there was war zone. So going to those places to play was, was difficult. So I think it was actually a little bit easier today than what it was in those days to qualify. Um, but in saying that, um, I, I think the game, personally, I think the game has fallen away in recent years. Yeah. Canterbury Murray, uh, juniors. How old is the association? Must be, must be nearly a hundred years. So w w couple of years. Yeah. So we should be able, we should be able to have some facilities and governments should be able to support. Okay. Um, those facilities, because it's the world game. It's not as if it's eternally played in Australia. It's all AFL. It's the world game. It's played in every country of the world.
Speaker 6:What do you think? It hasn't taken off? I guess if you look at where it was in the 70s, you could have continued.
Speaker 4:There's too much. The politics in the game is, is, is terrible. It's too many, too many politics in this game. Right. That's the biggest problem in Australian soccer. Okay. If, if, if it wasn't as political, um, I think soccer would have definitely achieved a lot more than what it has achieved. So
Speaker 6:we talk about it all the players you've played with or against you. So going back to you, what was the most memorable moment in your playing career? You, you've said you mentioned so many highlights and some great clubs there.
Speaker 4:Um, I would have to say, um, the highlights we're going through the grades at Croatia being rejected at panela[inaudible] as a 16 year old, picking up, picking myself up and going off to Croatia, applying third grade, um, winning the competition at that level, then the second grade and, and then eventually played first grade. That was a high achievement. Familiar and being selected to represent the country. Yeah. It's just, but again, the disappointment of not being selected to go to Germany. There was some highs and there were some lows.
Speaker 6:Do you think to say, and again, I guess we're not talking about regrets here, but if you continue to play, if you, I'm sure that has crossed your mind many times. If you'd stuck out at 23, do you think you would have represented Australia?
Speaker 4:I think so. If I to continue, but I wasn't that when I finished, when I had this, when I had that stint in hospital for six weeks with the broken ribs. I wasn't, my fitness wasn't where it was right before the sure. I was, I thought I was Superman when I was 20, when I was 23. I was hard. Superman. Really? Yeah. My fitness was nowhere near the same. I've got a scar from here to be. Wow. So, um, it's, it, it, like I said, it was just everything that I did, I tried to achieve in the game. There was always a hurdle to get over
Speaker 6:Rex foster. I know you mentioned, but Rex foster, just tell us soon for, we've got a number of listeners, former would,
Speaker 4:um, and he was from the wood wonders correct. Rex was a local junior. He loved the soccer. He played for Gladesville at a first grade level, um, and came back and lived, you know, would then he took that position, um, playing, um, and coaching in the area. Then he went off when, when all the juniors went off to Croatia, Lionel Brown, um, bill Thompson and all the locals wait and, and got involved in the third grade and got involved in Croatia. Rex foster coach the third grade helps the second grade, coached the first grade and also coached Sutherland. He went to site and coach, coached at Southern. Um, he's, he was in the coaching ranks. He was highly regarded. Um, I had a lot of time for Rex and knew the game backwards.
Speaker 6:Fantastic. And defend his, you probably should have asked it at the start, but defenders w who were the defense you looked up to Peter Wilson period. Was,
Speaker 4:it was an outstanding, an outstanding, um, daggy, you said the beach was a, a good, good defender. Um, we, we we've,
Speaker 8:Hmm.
Speaker 4:Van bloke was a good defender in those days. There was a lot of good defense. Philip Metallica who played for up, yelled up your club in those days. Outstanding defenders
Speaker 6:and internationally, everyone's, you've your mind in recent years, who in the last 20 years you think, well, that's a defender of another level
Speaker 4:I'm at. Well at another level. Well I really, I can't mention names, but look, the, the high standards, the defending is so sophisticated these days that, um, you, you can, you can mention all sorts of names, but once, once the team gets behind the ball,
Speaker 6:back to that. So with that philosophy, where do you think is Australia as a curriculum and we've got it right. Are we still far off from when you consider what you've just mentioned? Getting behind the ball,
Speaker 4:getting back to the basics. I think Ryan is doing quite a good job. I'm supportive of him. Um, I think that uh, we needed a, uh, coached who learnt the game here coming through. Yeah. And I think he's point was the correct appointment. Um, I've got a lot of time per pop pop up, I think. Yeah. I've got a lot of time for him. I think he's got the nucleus of probably being, um, to mixed national team, right? Yeah. And Ange angio Postecoglou were outstanding on this politic. Politics drove him off shore. So here we are, we've got these coaches. It's not as if we haven't got these coaches. We also have the playing stop the nursery. It's the best nursery in the world. And for some reason we can't get it right. Let's get that mix right. If you analyze Australian soccer, we say, well, it's one of the business rates in the world. We can produce league players, we can produce soccer players, we can produce, uh, rugby union players. Um, but what happens, we can't produce enough national. We can't produce enough players to play at the top level. The kids are not really getting a go. Um, and I think that if they introduce, um, let's say two clays under the age of 21. Yeah, yeah. 11 that road I do, I do like it because the game is for the young, the dance. The game is not for the, for the old. So if you're an experienced, if you're an old Fox, in your experience at the age of 32, you stay in the game. If you're 32 and you're not real good, you've got to give the position to someone who's coming through. Fantastic.
Speaker 3:And what a segue. You mentioned politics. Now, uh, you've obviously got a couple of children, be children. You have three daughters, three daughters, and I've got nine ranch, nine grandchildren. So one of your, one of your daughters talk about politics, entered politics. Uh, Fianna Martin may have been. Why not now? The connection was when Martin Barbuda. So you're gonna explain that one, but how you must be so proud she isn't as she's the state state member. Federal member for Reed.
Speaker 4:That's correct. And it was the biggest occasion in my life. Wow. And it came out of the blue, but the family got behind her and supported her and we're all very proud of him. Never expected it. Um, and um,
Speaker 3:so what was her background prior to that for people who don't know? Okay.
Speaker 4:Well she's, um, she left school when she was 17. She went through university, a degree in psychology. She became a doctor of psychology and she's been, she spent 15 years looking after autistic children in Mosman. She's just opened another clinic in Gladesville. Brilliant. And she's just become a minister of parliament and she has four children, the youngest spleen, 20 months. So she's juggling that lifestyle. Um, his granddad got a camper for a, we went to a, we went to Canberra for the main speeches about six weeks ago. And it's, you can, you can, yeah, you can hear it. And she quote, she gave, she quoted in parliament a couple of my cliches and she said, daddy used to say never take your eye on the ball and uncle Joe glasses as a young uncle Joe. Then he used to say to us, George and any, he's in his Hungarian, uh, accent. He used to say to me, he said, George, when you wake up, the game is all over. And she quoted that problem. It was good to hear those things. And um, yeah, we're very, very proud of.
Speaker 3:Yeah. And she's playing her part as well. I've seen football and obviously not on the field, but she's certainly having an impact on funding facilities.
Speaker 4:Well, I'll cross cross, I'm sure. I'm sure if, if there's any funding as far as soccer is concerned. And you approached her, I'm pretty sure she'd followed that.
Speaker 3:No, no, no. Used to be a fantastic, and
Speaker 6:your grandchildren, you mentioned obviously it children have your grandchildren, are they, are they playing a, getting involved in football?
Speaker 4:No, not all of them. Some of them were young, they call them young kickers. Um, yes, they were in those little squads once playing rugby union. But I'm not, I don't like to push children. I like children just to be, to enjoy their sport and I think that's very important. Um, so that, so that they are active, um, throughout their lives. Uh,
Speaker 6:Stratton, men's national team versus a women's. Who do you think in the next, where the next decade, which ones are going to be more successful, you think?
Speaker 4:Oh, that's a very good question because we're doing very well in the winter. Yeah. Soccer. Um, that's a difficult question to answer. I group it that because women's soccer is doing extremely well. Yeah. So you, you can't, you can't write them off. No. No. Why so? Yeah. At the moment. At the moment, Australian soccer,
Speaker 9:yeah.
Speaker 4:Needs some young players. Again, you've got to put the time and effort into the young generation. Fantastic. That's where it begins. It's all very well to say, okay, we've got, we've got these players playing abroad and we bring them together every now and again to come to training camps. But it's important that we produce young players. This country is renowned for producing young players, the colonials, the Dukas and the, and what's his name? The winger who he's a good player if he gets the service. But, um, they should be able to produce two or three every five or six years. Okay. We, we need, we need to give the kids the opportunity.
Speaker 6:Yeah. Fantastic. One final question. They'd been terrific, uh, today, uh, one wish. If you had one wish for, for football, what would it be?
Speaker 4:Um,
Speaker 7:again,
Speaker 4:I'd like to see, I'd like to see Australian soccer
Speaker 7:fly yak applies. Keep the kids from the gap. I don't think the kids are getting a feel. It's mine.
Speaker 6:Terrific. Thanks for mass, George. I politically here. Thank you.