Episode 75 - Greg Werner on the late Vic Dalgleish

Download and listen to this episode here.

We begin this show with a clarification - contrary to popular perception of his public persona, Paul actually thinks Australian soccer is going well, which is not the same thing as his own team going well or not. Then a digression into the fleeting overlap between Australian soccer and professional wrestling.

Some good work in the uploading scene with Mark Boric working with Frankston and Mornington Peninsula soccer historian Laurence Hall. We look at a fine obituary for Matthew Boubaris, a Darwin soccer identity of some note, that appeared in Neos Kosmos.

We finish the segment by looking at soccer (history) videographer Ben Coonan's appearance on Hard Quiz, with his specialty topic of the Socceroos.

Our returning guest this week is Greg Werner to discuss the soccer life of Vic Dalgleish, a notable coach originally from Glasgow, and based in Sydney. But first - we discuss Greg's appearance on Mastermind. Then we follow up a discussion from last week, where we discussed touring English cricket teams in Australia, and the soccer matches they played against local sides. Most curious is the idea that those sides - which sometimes included league footballers - would have been the team in Australia when they were in the country.

We then move on to talk about the legacy of the late Vic Dalgleish, a Football Australia Hall of Fame member, and a prominent coach in Sydney, especially in Sydney suburbs that were not then known for soccer. Dalgleish was a NSW state junior coach, and led the Joeys during a successful period in the 1980s. The testimonials from those See also this brief obituary on the Football Australia website.

Greg sticks around for the 100 Years Ago Today segment, where we begin with Sydney with attempts to "rehabilitate the Commonwealth Football Association". Paul asks the question about when the Australian soccer bodies tried to get the English FA to send a team out, whether the Australian bodies ever tried to include New Zealand as part of their attempt to bring out an English touring team; oh, and the formidable logistics of travel and making your money back. The we try to sort out what flavour of politics was Sydney soccer connected to. Then no signs of argument about whether the Newcastle United Club pf the 1920s can be considered a continuation of its pre-war self. Following is a comparison between the attitudes to women's sports overseas and in Australia, and what women are being allowed to do. And finally to Geraldton, where the three clubs are preparing for the new season.

Episode 18 - Victor Brincat, George Cross and the Australia Cup

Download and listen to episode 18 here.

A little bit on listener Paul Nicholls' father Don reuniting with an old teammate Bruce from their days playing together Gladesville Methodists 70 years ago.

Garry McKenzie finds the original source for an 1870 game of soccer mentioned in Peter Kunz's Chronicles of Soccer in Australia - and the problems of figuring out where the 19th century and early 20th century Australian press sourced their stories from.

Then on to a TV clip that came up on Twitter discussion, about the time the 1970s American cop drama McLeod filmed an episode in Australia, which included a game with APIA as part of their story.

Following is a quick digression about what soccer films exist in Australia, including ex-NSL player Leigh Tsoumerkas' recollections of the VIS team's cameo in The Heartbreak Kid.

And for some reason some chat about Craig Johnston and comments he made about political correctness.

After the break we chat with Victor Brincat, soccer historian interested in the club now known as Caroline Springs George Cross. We cover:

• The difficulty of getting any information from the early days of clubs like George Cross.
• The practical priorities of club committees ignoring the importance of the proper maintenance of historical records.
• George Cross' bridesmaid's role during the 1960s and 70s in Victorian soccer, and the hollowness of the eventual title breakthrough in 1977.
• The 1964 Australia Cup, and the permanent donation of the Australia Cup to George Cross, after its rescue from the rubbish and its subsequent restoration.
• The assumption by many that Sydney clubs, with their superior financial backing would dominate the Australia Cup.
• The habit of Australia Cup winners - Yugal, Slavia, Melbourne Hungaria - of eventually going defunct.
• The decline of clubs soccer alongside the demise of the Australia Cup.
• Victor's recollections of the 1964 Australia Cup final.
• George Cross' excellent presentation of history in their social club.
• The mini-documentary made by Ben Coonan for Fox Sports, of the Australia Cup being presented to George Cross including footage of the 1964 Australia Cup final.
• The story of how that footage came to light.

Then 100 Years Ago Today where we being with Dockerty Cup results, and where does Preston play? Next we go to Bowral, aka the middle of nowhere; then to Lithgow, and what else is there to do there? And accusations of sabotage!