Johnny
Warren Futsal CHampions Cup
In a first for Futsal in Australia, a State wide Futsal Cup will
be launched in Queensland this summer presenting Futsal clubs
the opportunity to be crowned state Champions of Champions.
The Johnny Warren Futsal Cup will be organised by Queensland Futsal
Leaguel, under the jurisdiction of Football Queensland and will
kick off in Feb each year.
2011 JOHNNY WARREN FUTSAL CHAMPIONS CUP
19th and 20th Feb
Cornubia Indoor Sports Stadium.
146 Bryants Road, Shailer Park.
The tournament is aimed at the best club teams from each FFA
Futsal Club to compete in this prestigious annual event for the
title of "Champion Of Champions".
This annual event is by invitation only and is not open to all
teams.
To qualify for an invitation your team must meet the following
criteria;
- Be registered and competing in an a FFA Futsal Club League.
- Be either currently at the top of your League or have won
the grand final in your local club competition.
( in the event that this team is unavailable , the next highest
ranked team will be permmitted to enter. If in a combined age
group the highest genuine aged team in that League eg U/14s
league the highest U/13 aged team will be eligable to compete
in the U/13 age group for the JW Cup).
- Only one team per age group per club is permitted to enter.
- To satisfy and comply with the competition "rules of
the game" will be provided.
- Age groups to be competing are 10s,11s,12s,13s & 14s
Jamie Warren, nephew of our former Socceroo Captain, and deputy
Chairman of the Johnny Warren Foundation is delighted with the
tournament and its structure; “Johnny Warren ‘discovered’
Futsal on his first trip to Brazil in 1984 and was convinced it
was the ‘secret’ behind Brazil’s seemingly never-ending
production line of world class and technically adroit players,
he has been championing the Futsal cause in Australia ever since.
“The Warren Family are extremely honoured and proud to have
Johns name associated with this exciting new initiative for Futsal
in Australia and we wish the Queensland Futsal League and Football
Queensland every success with the competition,” Warren said.
Former Socceroo and Chief Executive Officer of the Johnny Warren
Foundation, Francis Awaritefe is pleased with the event; “Personally
I think an event like this is long overdue and I congratulate
Joe Di Meglio and QFL for their foresight and vision in staging
such an event".
The Johnny Warren Football Foundation
Creates a pathway to elite football so that young players living
anywhere in NSW have the opportunity to have their talent and
skills recognised and developed. Has dedicated programs and top
level coaches will help keep the “best and brightest”
in the game.Will open up avenues for the further development of
women’s and girls’ football in NSW.
Provides the opportunity to bring the best coaching and technical
expertise to NSW.
Will raise the bar for football in NSW by providing an integrated
athlete pathway from club to elite level.
Provides a substantial lift to the game through harnessing the
vision of Johnny Warren in developing the Australian style of
football.
In seeking to achieve its aims, the Foundation will seek the financial
support of corporations and individuals.
Sponsorship contributions to the Johnny Warren Football Foundation
will provide national exposure and recognition of that sponsor’s
brand. However, more importantly all sponsorships and donations
will help develop youth football in Australia, assisting in the
pathway of future generations of Socceroos and Matildas.
Corporations and individuals can also make tax-deductible donations
for the benefit of the Foundation by making such donations to
the Australian Sports Foundation, nominating the Foundation as
a beneficiary. Donation forms can be obtained from the Foundation
or downloaded from this website.
More information about the late Johnny Warren;
Club Career
Johnny Warren grew up in the southern Sydney suburb of Botany.
He was a junior at Botany Methodists, and received his first taste
of representative football when selected for the Protestant Churches
state team at age 10.
Following a year at Earlwood Wanderers, Warren joined the Canterbury
third grade senior team in 1959, aged 15. Later that year he was
promoted to the NSW state league club’s first grade team
and by 1960 he had established himself in an attacking midfield
position as one of the team’s key players.
The 17 year old scored twice in a 3-2 preliminary final win over
Apia Leichhardt to earn Canterbury a place in the 1960 NSW grand
final. In 1963 he moved to St George Budapest, the start of a
12 year playing stint, although he had a brief spell with English
club Stockport County in 1964.
Over these 12 seasons, St George featured in six NSW state league
grand finals (winning three), finished as premiers once and as
premiership runners up seven times, and won two state league (Ampol)
cups.
He could not have ended his playing career at St George more
fittingly as he scored the sealing goal in St George’s 4-2
NSW grand final victory over Sydney City Hakoah in 1974, the goal
scored after Warren stole the ball in his own defensive half and
ran through, evading two defenders, before beautifully curling
ball around the advancing Hakoah goalkeeper.
International Career
Johnny Warren Warren's senior representative career in the Australian
team, known as the Socceroos, commenced in 1965 when he played
in a 0-0 draw with Cambodia in November 1965.
By 1967 he was the captain of the national team, and he played
a starring role in Australia’s victory in the 1967 Vietnam
National Day tournament, Australia’s first international
trophy, won in a war ravaged Saigon. In 1969 he led the Aussies
on a gruelling World Cup campaign, where Australia took on Japan,
South Korea, Zimbabwe and Israel in an exhaustingly hectic qualifying
series, losing out on qualifying for the 1970 World Cup at the
last hurdle.
In 1970 he captained the Australians on an extensive tour of
Asia and Europe, which included memorable victories against the
likes of Iran, Israel and Greece, before a 15 month break from
the national team due to a bad knee injury.
Warren was a key member of the first Australian team to qualify
for the World Cup finals. The Socceroos competed at the 1974 World
Cup in Group A with West Germany, East Germany and Chile. Warren
played in the 2-0 loss to East Germany, where he suffered a foot
injury which ruled him out of Australia’s two remaining
World Cup games. Australia's sole point came from a 0-0 draw with
Chile.
After playing 62 internationals for Australia, Warren retired
from the national team.
Statistics
A internationals: (1965–1974) 42 games (6 goals)
Other internationals: (1967–1974) 20 games (3 goals)
All internationals: (1965–1974) 62 games (9 goals) - Captain
(1967–1970)
All games (and goals):
1965 [A int] Cambodia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia
1967 [A int] Scotland, Scotland, New Zealand (1 gl), South Vietnam
(1 gl), Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea (1 gl), Indonesia, Singapore,
Malaysia
1967 [Non-A] Jakarta XI
1968 [A int] Japan
1969 [A int] Greece, Greece, Greece, Japan, South Korea, Japan,
South Korea, Rhodesia, Rhodesia (1 gl), Israel, Israel
1970 [A int] Iran, Israel, Greece, Mexico
1970 [Non-A] Kowloon Bus Company, South Vietnam Army, New Caledonia
(1 gl), New Caledonia, Jardine Sports Club, Macao (2 gls), Ogheb,
Tehran XI, Hapoel, Greece B, Luton Town, Manchester City, League
of Ireland
1972 [A int] Indonesia, New Zealand (1 gl), South Vietnam, South
Korea, Philippines (1 gl)
1972 [Non-A] South Vietnam U-23
1973 [A int] Bulgaria, New Zealand, Iran, Iran, South Korea
1974 [A int] Indonesia, East Germany (World Cup Finals)
1974 [Non-A] Ferencvaros, Ferencvaros, St Gallen, Young Boys,
Xamax Neuchatel
After Retirement
Warren retired after playing 62 games for Australia as a mid-fielder.
After his playing career, Warren became a champion of the sport
in Australia and spent his life trying to promote the game in
a country dominated by other football codes.
He was a regular television presenter on the SBS network as well
as an administrator and public diplomat for the game.
In 1977, John Warren helped establish the fledgling Canberra
Soccer Club. While in the National Capital, John and his business
partners acquired control of the Gold Creek Function and Entertainment
Centre based around the historic Gold Creek Homestead (located
in present-day Ngunnawal). The function centre was one of the
National Capital's premier function venues.
During the 1980s and early 1990s, numerous international visitors
including members of Brazil’s Under 19s soccer team travelled
to Gold Creek to get their first taste of Australian country life.
Annual soccer camps were also held there under the auspices of
the Australian Soccer Federation. Over a period of ten years,
upwards of 10,000 teenagers from around the nation completed the
two-week training camps.
