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Soccer Ashes thread

HappyGuus said:
I was just looking through some articles from 1947 and saw this snippet:

View attachment 8177

It looks like we also played the Springboks in 1950 and 1955. Australia is actually the all-time second most faced opponent of South Africa, after Zambia.

As far as I know, the Ashes were/are only against New Zealand. Is this South Africa opponent possibly some history we're missing regarding the "Ashes" term?
Click to expand...
Pity Dr Ian Syson isn't on this forum.

 
The proper Ashes originated in 1882.

Anything after that is just imitation by other sports, particularly Rugby League.
 
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HappyGuus said:
I was just looking through some articles from 1947 and saw this snippet:

View attachment 8177

It looks like we also played the Springboks in 1950 and 1955. Australia is actually the all-time second most faced opponent of South Africa, after Zambia.
Click to expand...
A lot of countries refused to play South Africa during varying points of Apartheid. Australia fluctuated with it. Often we criticised them for it but we still played against them.
HappyGuus said:
As far as I know, the Ashes were/are only against New Zealand. Is this South Africa opponent possibly some history we're missing regarding the "Ashes" term?
Click to expand...
Possibly! That would be quite interesting, and odd that it got lost in time. Maybe we could resurrect this series too (against what I think is a stronger opponent than the All Whites)!

Maybe contact the FA or a museum?
 
grazorblade said:
From Ian

"I think a tri series would be legit. The problem would be as always getting players away from their club teams. An Australia AIF team played a South African team on the way home after being demobilised. "
Click to expand...
Did he say anything about South Africa's involvement with or relation to the Soccer Ashes as per that 1947 article or whether there may a second trophy that's missing? As far as we knew the Soccer Ashes was and is played only between Australia & New Zealand?
 
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HappyGuus said:
I was just looking through some articles from 1947 and saw this snippet:

View attachment 8177

It looks like we also played the Springboks in 1950 and 1955. Australia is actually the all-time second most faced opponent of South Africa, after Zambia.

As far as I know, the Ashes were/are only against New Zealand. Is this South Africa opponent possibly some history we're missing regarding the "Ashes" term?
Click to expand...
Found another 1947 article linking the Soccer Ashes to South Africa.

 

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More from Ian Syson
"Moreover, the series would hark back to a genuine three way culture. The ongoing problem is the FA’s refusal to fund historical/mythological infrastructure. "
 
grazorblade said:
More from Ian Syson
"Moreover, the series would hark back to a genuine three way culture. The ongoing problem is the FA’s refusal to fund historical/mythological infrastructure. "
Click to expand...
Had he actually already heard of "Ashes" series with South Africa? Or is this news to him?
 
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