Johnny Warren facts for kids
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Warren in 1968
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | John Norman Warren | ||
| Date of birth | 17 May 1943 | ||
| Place of birth | Sydney, Australia | ||
| Date of death | 6 November 2004 (aged 61) | ||
| Place of death | Sydney, Australia | ||
| Position(s) | Inside Right | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Botany Methodists | |||
| Earlwood Wanderers | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1959–1962 | Canterbury-Marrickville | ||
| 1963–1964 | St George Budapest | ||
| 1964 | Stockport County | 0 | (0) |
| 1965–1974 | St George Budapest | ||
| International career‡ | |||
| 1965–1974 | Australia | 42 | (7) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1974 | St George Budapest | ||
| 1977–1978 | Canberra City | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 7 October 2009 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 7 October 2009 |
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John Norman Warren (17 May 1943 – 6 November 2004) was a famous Australian soccer player and coach. He was also a writer and broadcaster. People called him Captain Socceroo. This was because he worked so hard to make soccer popular in Australia. The award for the best player in Australia's top soccer league, the A-League, is called the Johnny Warren Medal in his honour.
Contents
Early Life and School
Johnny Warren grew up in a part of Sydney called Botany. He had two older brothers, Geoff and Ross.
He went to Cleveland St. High School in Surry Hills. He even became the school's vice-captain.
Playing Career
Club Football Journey
Johnny started playing junior football for local teams. These included Botany Methodists and Earlwood Wanderers. In 1959, when he was just fifteen, he joined Canterbury-Marrickville. He quickly moved up from the third-grade team to the first-grade team that same year.
In 1963, Warren moved to play for St George Budapest. He played there for 12 years. During this time, he helped his team win three NSW State League grand finals. They also won one premiership and two state cups. His very last action as a player was scoring a winning goal for St George in the 1974 NSW State League Grand Final. After scoring, he left the field.
Playing for Australia
Warren played his first international match for Australia in November 1965. This game was against Cambodia in Phnom Penh. He played in 42 international matches for Australia. This included Australia's first ever appearance in the FIFA World Cup in 1974.
In 1967, Warren became captain of the national team for the first time. This was in a game against New Zealand in Saigon. He went on to captain Australia in 24 international games. He scored 7 goals for Australia in these matches.
Coaching Days
In 1974, Johnny Warren was a player-coach for St George Budapest.
He also helped start a new team called Canberra City. He was their first coach in 1977 and 1978.
After Playing Soccer
Working in Media
After retiring from playing, Warren became a football commentator on TV. He worked for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) networks. He became very well known at SBS. He appeared on popular football shows like On the Ball and The World Game.
He was very passionate about Australian soccer. In 1997, Australia played Iran in a World Cup qualifying match. When Iran scored two late goals, Australia missed out on qualifying. Warren showed how much he cared about the team on TV.
Gold Creek Football Camps
While living in Canberra, Johnny Warren and his business partners took over the Gold Creek Function and Entertainment Centre. This centre was located at the historic Gold Creek Homestead. It was a popular place for events.
During the 1980s and early 1990s, many international visitors came to Gold Creek. This included young football players from Brazil. Annual football training camps were also held there. Over ten years, more than 10,000 teenagers from all over Australia attended these two-week camps.
Changing Australian Soccer
Warren strongly believed that Australia needed to play against stronger teams. He felt that the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) did not offer enough competition. For example, in the 2002 World Cup qualifiers, Australia won games with very high scores like 11–0, 22–0, and even 31–0. The OFC did not have a direct way to qualify for the World Cup. Its champion had to play against a team from another region.
Warren wanted Australia to join the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). This would allow Australian teams to play in a tougher league. After a special report in 2003, Australia did join the AFC in 2006.
His Dream for Australian Soccer
Johnny Warren believed that if Australia focused on soccer, it could become a world leader in the sport. He famously said, "I'm sick of us saying, 'When are we going to qualify for the World Cup'? When are we going to win the World Cup? ... Call me a dreamer." He said this after Australia had some big wins. They beat England 3-1 in a friendly game. They also beat France and Brazil in the 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup, finishing third.
Warren felt these results showed Australia was a strong football nation. At that time, Australia was already world champion in other sports like rugby union, rugby league, and cricket. They were also strong in the Olympics and had won Formula One titles.
Warren predicted that the Australian national team would become consistently successful. He wanted to say 'I told you so' to anyone who doubted them. This phrase has become very important in Australian soccer. It shows Warren's strong desire for soccer to be the most popular sport in Australia.
Later Life and Passing
Johnny Warren married Marion Wilson in 1967. They later divorced. He then married Maryana. He had one daughter, Shannon Lee Warren, and four grandchildren.
After smoking for many years, Warren announced in 2003 that he had lung cancer. A few months later, the president of FIFA, Sepp Blatter, gave Warren the FIFA Centennial Order of Merit. This award was for his great work for soccer in Australia.
His last public appearance was at the launch of the new Australian soccer league, the A-League. This league replaced the old National Soccer League.
Weeks before he passed away, Warren was asked about his sporting legacy. He simply said, "I Told You So." This phrase became a rallying cry in Australian football. It even appeared on the scoreboard at the SBS World Cup studio during the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
Johnny Warren passed away on 6 November 2004, in Sydney. He was given a full state funeral. This was the first time a sportsman in Australia had received such an honour. Just over a year after his death, Australia qualified for the FIFA World Cup. This was the first time in 32 years. After Australia won, his friend and colleague Les Murray said on TV, "They've done it, Johnny!"
Legacy and Impact
A documentary called Johnny Warren’s Football Mission was released in 2006. It featured interviews with his teammates, family, and friends. In the documentary, Les Murray said that Johnny's mission for Australian football was still ongoing. He believed it would only be achieved when Australia won the World Cup.
In 2004, Warren received the FIFA Centennial Order of Merit. At the ceremony, he spoke about his love for Australian football. He said, "I want Australia to embrace this fabulous game. It's not wog-ball, this is the game of the world [...] we've got to stop talking about when we're going to qualify, we need to start talking about when we're going to win World Cups." He believed Australia could achieve great things in soccer. He also supported getting rid of the old National Soccer League. This led to the creation of the new A-Leagues competitions.
Johnny Warren passed away before he saw the Socceroos qualify for the FIFA World Cup again. When Australia finally qualified in 2005, Les Murray paid tribute to Warren on TV. He said, "And for Johnny Warren, I told you so, I told you so, and there it is, he has been proven to be right once again." Australian soccer fans often display banners with Warren's 'I told you so' message. This happened during the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. It was also seen at the Matildas' games during the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.
In 2005, Johnny Warren's family donated over 500 items to the National Museum of Australia. This collection includes his uniforms, medals, and trophies. The museum also had a special display in 2010 called 'I told you so': Johnny Warren and football in Australia.
The Jamberoo Pub, owned by the Warren family, has a special area dedicated to Johnny. It displays many of his medals, photos, and awards.
In 2022, the new Sydney Football Stadium reopened. Bay 23 of the stadium was named in Johnny Warren's honour. He was also recognised with a permanent statue outside the stadium. This statue celebrates his leadership of the 1974 Socceroos and his efforts to grow soccer in Australia.
Awards and Recognition
Individual Honours
- Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE): 1974
- Sport Australia Hall of Fame Inductee: 1988
- FFA Hall of Champions Inductee: 1999
- Australian Sports Medal: 2000
- Centenary Medal: 2001
- ACT Sport Hall of Fame Inductee: 2002
- Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM): 2002
- FIFA Centennial Order of Merit: 2004
- Australian Sports Commission Media Awards- Lifetime Achievement Award: 2004
- John Warren Street in Glenwood, Sydney, is named after him.
- First Australian Footballer with a statue at Sydney Cricket Ground: 27 March 2016
Club Achievements
Canterbury-Marrickville
- New South Wales Grand Final Runner Up: 1960
St George Budapest
- New South Wales Champions: 1972
See also
In Spanish: Johnny Warren para niños
- Johnny Warren Medal
Images for kids
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Warren in 1968
