One Fantastic Goal: A Complete History of Football in Australia

Description

In late 2005 83,000 football fans hugged and danced and cheered in one moment of shared ecstasy. John Aloisi's goal had secured a place for Australia in the World Cup for only the second time in history. Since the 1960s the goal had always been the same - qualify for the World Cup. Apart from qualification in 1974 this has proved elusive with the national team dramatically falling at the final hurdle, time and time again. But there is much more to this story for it reaches way back to 1880 when a team of boys from the Kings School turned out at Parramatta Common, west of Sydney, to play a team of older men known as The Wanderers. After modest beginnings in colonial Australia the game took a roller-coaster ride finally culminating in its recent resurgence with the establishment of a top-flight national competition, a huge squad of locals starring in overseas competitions and World Cup qualification. One Fantastic Goal is the only comprehensive history that has ever been put together on football (soccer) in Australia, warts and all. It is not always a pretty story with opportunistic administrators often corrupt or incompetent, or both. But a true coming of age is at hand for Australian Football and the path to this newfound maturity is a fascinating and eventful tale of struggle, heartache and sweet success.

Trevor Thompson is a journalist with 25 years experience who is currently Executive Producer of ABC Radio News in Sydney. He reported on the National Soccer League for twelve years for the national Grandstand program on ABC Radio and on several Australian World Cup and World Youth Cup campaigns for radio and television news and the Triple J network. He has worked as an reporter and commentator on football issues in Australia for BBC Radio and commented on football history matters for SBS Television. He has written and produced documentaries on sport, media and money for Radio National and currently reports on Australian and Asian football for Radio Australia.