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Aussies in Britain: Best XI of All Time

Quicky said:
I chose not to pick players who chose not to play for Australia. I'd have picked Johnston and Dorigo if I had. But it feels a bit like claiming Viera or Simunic if you were picking an all time XI.
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Fuck Tony Barton for essentially banning Tony Dorigo from playing for the Socceroos. He got a callup in 1986 while playing for Villa but he wasn't allowed to travel and basically Tony Barton said being a Socceroo was a "waste of time". That's how he got to play for England, not by choice. He also had Italian heritage so was technically eligible for Italy too.

Craig Johnston (who was actually born in Joburg so was also eligible for South Africa in addition to Australia and England) I think was issues with the then-ASF (now called Football Australia). I have heard the unfortunate (and essentially peak Eurosnob) quote "Playing football for Australia is like surfing for England" being attributed to him but I can't confirm. Post-career he seems to be in good terms with Football Australia and I recall that he even did a video about his story for Football Queensland's YouTube channel.
 
HonestSpursFan said:
Fuck Tony Barton for essentially banning Tony Dorigo from playing for the Socceroos. He got a callup in 1986 while playing for Villa but he wasn't allowed to travel and basically Tony Barton said being a Socceroo was a "waste of time". That's how he got to play for England, not by choice. He also had Italian heritage so was technically eligible for Italy too.

Craig Johnston (who was actually born in Joburg so was also eligible for South Africa in addition to Australia and England) I think was issues with the then-ASF (now called Football Australia). I have heard the unfortunate (and essentially peak Eurosnob) quote "Playing football for Australia is like surfing for England" being attributed to him but I can't confirm. Post-career he seems to be in good terms with Football Australia and I recall that he even did a video about his story for Football Queensland's YouTube channel.
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Dorigo was born in Australia with an Australian mother and Italian father. I still don't know how that qualified him to play for England. England had a history of doing this with other players, eg Cyrille Regis and Colin Viljoen.
 
ashtongate said:
Dorigo was born in Australia with an Australian mother and Italian father. I still don't know how that qualified him to play for England. England had a history of doing this with other players, eg Cyrille Regis and Colin Viljoen.
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Played there long enough and had UK citizenship.
 
LFC said:
Question - WHY isn't Craig Johnston ever considered or thought of fellas ? Thanks Hillbilly mentioning.
Is it your age ? :)
I mean its the best Aussie XI in UK of all time right.
Who has any tally of english medals near him ?
Does he not rate as one of our best ever ?
Therefore I'd be taking out either Emo (sorry) or Jedi considering the formation Quicky has put up.
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Any kid or person following football in Australia in the 80s, was watching Craig Johnston play for Liverpool were in awe of him
He was living their dream, playing for the best club in the world (at that stage), winning Champions league, winning premierships (he won 5 premierships in England) & scoring goals in the FA cup final in Wembley (it was massive for young Aussies to dream of scoring in an FA cup final back then).
His nicknames were Skippy (he was an Aussie) & Springsteen (massive Springsteen fan).
I believe Liverpool has a huge following in this country because of Craig Johnston.
Shame he never played for Australia.

Massive fan!!!!
 
HonestSpursFan said:
Fuck Tony Barton for essentially banning Tony Dorigo from playing for the Socceroos. He got a callup in 1986 while playing for Villa but he wasn't allowed to travel and basically Tony Barton said being a Socceroo was a "waste of time". That's how he got to play for England, not by choice. He also had Italian heritage so was technically eligible for Italy too.

Craig Johnston (who was actually born in Joburg so was also eligible for South Africa in addition to Australia and England) I think was issues with the then-ASF (now called Football Australia). I have heard the unfortunate (and essentially peak Eurosnob) quote "Playing football for Australia is like surfing for England" being attributed to him but I can't confirm. Post-career he seems to be in good terms with Football Australia and I recall that he even did a video about his story for Football Queensland's YouTube channel.
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Johnston think about it - were going back to the 80's.
Our pioneer breaking in one of the best squads of the times - Clubs those days did NOT like any of their Imports go play for their NT's and made it very hard for the player.
Next after working his arse off to get in that position, early 20's, the risk of loosing his place, next being a young ambitious niave bloke nothing like the background support players have had the last 20yrs for eg.
He made some silly comments, one to the ASF they had to "pay" him to play for the Roos, which was stupid.
Besides LFC wasn't going to let him go anyway.
Next was making that comment in the press you mention, I recall seeing it on the news, it was real sad for again stupid thing to say and at 22/23yrs what do you expect by some. He regrets and paid for it dearly here.
A huge shame he never put a Roo short on for us for as robbos mentions, THE player of the ages, scoring in the FACup final how many of us watching it "live".........
By the way he is in the Hall Of Fame 2005, NSW Hall Of Champions and the originater Adidas/Predator boot style.
 
LFC said:
Johnston think about it - were going back to the 80's.
Our pioneer breaking in one of the best squads of the times - Clubs those days did NOT like any of their Imports go play for their NT's and made it very hard for the player.
Next after working his arse off to get in that position, early 20's, the risk of loosing his place, next being a young ambitious niave bloke nothing like the background support players have had the last 20yrs for eg.
He made some silly comments, one to the ASF they had to "pay" him to play for the Roos, which was stupid.
Besides LFC wasn't going to let him go anyway.
Next was making that comment in the press you mention, I recall seeing it on the news, it was real sad for again stupid thing to say and at 22/23yrs what do you expect by some. He regrets and paid for it dearly here.
A huge shame he never put a Roo short on for us for as robbos mentions, THE player of the ages, scoring in the FACup final how many of us watching it "live".........
By the way he is in the Hall Of Fame 2005, NSW Hall Of Champions and the originater Adidas/Predator boot style.
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Exactly, imagine being held against you, for something you said at 18-22 year old.

While Kewell & Dukes were in my opinion, the most skillful players Australia produced & Cahill & Swartzs were amongst the greatest Socceroos.
Craig Johnston remains the pioneer, the most winningest (highest level) Australian player ever & the player that made of us dream.
My favourite player, I was living in England in the 80s & he was in the papers every day, an Aussie doing in the highest level.
 
ashtongate said:
Still bullshit. A colonialist attitude on the part of England.
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True and imagine the wonders those three players woulda done for their national teams. Colin Viljoen barely played for England but woulda been a legend for South Africa. Cyrille Regis woulda been French Guiana's greatest ever player if he played for them (though while they are a CONMEBOL member they aren't a FIFA member; he coulda also picked France itself).
 
Monoethnic Social Club said:
Bruno Fornaroli says "helllloooooooo"
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Lol but the huge difference is he was never getting picked for Uruguay. Same goes for players like Josh Sotirio who plays for New Caledonia: he was never getting picked for the Socceroos (especially since later in his career he was never even getting picked for Sydney FC). What does hurt though is when Aussies who are good enough don't get capped, like Josip Šimunić or Christian Vieri, or for more modern examples Nectarios Triantis and potentially Cristian Volpato.
 
Quicky said:
I thought I'd have a crack at a best XI of all time for Aussies in Britain.

Viduka
Kewell ---------------- Emerton
Cahill
Mooy ------ Jedinak
Lazaridis - Marston - Moore - Neill
Schwarzer
​
I thought it would be fun to open it to include Scotland. Also not just focus on the Premier League era.

Who would you pick? Do what you want. Pick lost dual nationals if you like.

Guys that missed out in no particular order include Bosnich, Slater (won the EPL), Popovic, Muscat, McDonald, Grella, Okon, Vidmar, Garcia, Sterjovski, Wilkshire, McGree.... i've forgotten heaps no doubt.
​
Thought it would be fun to reminisce.
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Joe Marston was the first Australian born player to play in the English Ist Division and that was in the nineteen fifties.He was tough and tenacious and it was a totally different game then with lots of physicality and as a centre half he would boot the ball upfield and none of this playing out from the back.From an historic POV it was very thoughtful of you to pick him.I saw him play in the early sixties for APIA-Leichhardt and he had lost none of his toughness and he compensated for his lack of pace by being able to "read the game".A true legend of the Australian game.
 
HonestSpursFan said:
Lol but the huge difference is he was never getting picked for Uruguay. Same goes for players like Josh Sotirio who plays for New Caledonia: he was never getting picked for the Socceroos (especially since later in his career he was never even getting picked for Sydney FC). What does hurt though is when Aussies who are good enough don't get capped, like Josip Šimunić or Christian Vieri, or for more modern examples Nectarios Triantis and potentially Cristian Volpato.
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Which is even MORE of an embarrasment that he was capped for the Socceroos.

I can understand a player picking the more "prestigious" country to represent to further their careers... Some even die on their sword chasing fame, like I suspect someone like Volpatto may do...
 
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