Harry Williams (soccer, born 1951) facts for kids
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Harry Williams | ||
| Date of birth | 7 May 1951 | ||
| Place of birth | Sydney, Australia | ||
| Playing position | Defender | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1970–1977 | St. George Budapest | ||
| 1978 | Canberra City SC | ||
| 1985–1986 | Inter Monaro | 19 | (0) |
| 1990 | Inter Monaro | 2 | (0) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 1970–1977 | Australia | 13 | (0) |
† Appearances (Goals). |
|||
Harry Williams (born May 7, 1951) is a former soccer player from Australia. He made history as the first Indigenous Australian to play for Australia's national soccer team, the Socceroos. He was even part of the team that played in the 1974 FIFA World Cup.
Contents
Harry Williams' Early Life
Harry Williams was born in Sydney, Australia, in 1951. His family has both Aboriginal and Welsh roots. When he was nine years old, Harry started playing junior soccer. He played for the St George Police Boys team in Sydney.
Harry's Soccer Career
Harry Williams played soccer for several clubs during his career.
- From 1970 to 1977, he played in the New South Wales competition for St George Budapest.
- In 1978, he played for one year with Canberra City SC.
- Later, in 1985 and 1989, he briefly returned to play for the Queanbeyan club Inter Monaro.
Playing for Australia
Harry was chosen to join the national team when he was just 19 years old. He went on an overseas tour with the team in 1970.
In 1974, Harry was part of Australia's first-ever team to reach the World Cup Finals. This big event took place in West Germany in 1974. Even though he had only played six matches for Australia's senior team before, he was ready.
In Australia's third and final match of the tournament, against Chile, Harry came into the game. He replaced Colin Curran in the 83rd minute. The match ended in a 0–0 draw.
Overall, Harry Williams played in six World Cup matches for Australia, including the qualifying games. In total, he represented Australia 17 times between 1970 and 1978.
Recognition and Family
In 2005, a photo of Harry Williams was taken by photographer Sahlan Hayes. This photo was later bought by the National Gallery of Australia, showing his importance.
Harry Williams also has a famous family member. He is the first cousin of Claude Williams, a basketball player. Claude was the first and only Aboriginal basketball coach. Claude's father was the musician Claude "Candy" Williams.
