Tue 31st Oct 2006

Former long-serving Qantas Socceroo and current Perth Glory assistant coach David Mitchell heads a list of nine inductees into the Australian Football Hall of Fame announced in Sydney this morning.

The full list of players inducted for 2006 are David Mitchell, goalkeeper Robert Zabica, 1974 World Cup Socceroo Ernie Campbell, winger Peter Sharne and goal scoring ace of the 1940s/50s Charlie Stewart. In the non-playing category long-serving administrator and journalist Fred Villiers, former Qantas Socceroo coach Raul Blanco, referee Ray Sandell and Australian football historian and collector Andre Kruger have also been inducted (See below for biographies).

David Mitchell is the sole inductee for 2006 for the top category - Hall of Champions. Mitchell represented Australia with distinction for 12 years becoming the first player to represent the Socceroos in four World Cup campaigns between 1981 and 1993. He made a total of 29 appearances for Australia scoring 11 goals.

In a glittering club career Mitchell became a modern-day pioneer for Australians in Europe representing several high-profile clubs in the 1980s including Glasgow Rangers, Eintracht Frankfurt, Feyenoord, Chelsea and Newcastle United.

He became the first Australian to play in the Scottish Premier League, German Bundesliga and the Dutch Premier League and was also the first Socceroo to score in a European club competition.

The Australian football Hall of Fame was established in 1999 and recognises both players and non-players for their contribution to the sport on a national basis.

A system of awards exists at three distinct levels, with separate but equivalent groups for both ‘on the field’ and ‘off the field’ contributions.

1. Hall of Champions (players) / Hall of Honour (non players)
2. Medal of Excellence (players) / Roll of Honour (non players)
3. Award of Distinction (players) / Roll of Honour (non players)

ROLL OF HONOUR

HALL OF CHAMPIONS (PLAYERS)

DAVID MITCHELL
Born June 13, 1962 in Scotland, David started his football career with local club Enfield before joining Adelaide City in 1980 as a striker-winger in the National League before switching to Sydney City in 1983 for two seasons.

Mitchell played a total of 108 national league matches scoring 33 goals and
in 1981 was named NSL Under 21 Player of the Year.

David become a modern-day pioneer for Australians in Europe representing several high-profile clubs including Glasgow Rangers, Eintracht Frankfurt, Feyenoord, Chelsea and Newcastle United.

He became the first Australian to play in the Scottish Premier League, German Bundesliga and the Dutch Premier League. Mitchell was also the first Socceroo to score in a European club competition.

David represented Australia at the 1981 FIFA World Youth Championship in Australia and the 1988 Olympics in Seoul. His Socceroo career lasted 12 years after debuting as an 18-year-old in 1981 and he went on to represent Australia on a total 44 occasions scoring 15 goals, including 29 full internationals for 11 goals. He was the first Australian to play in four senior World Cup campaigns (1982-1994). His insistence on playing for his country cost him club positions in Europe and he only joined clubs which would grant him clearance to play for Australia.

As a coach, he managed Sydney Olympic, Sydney United and Parramatta Power in the national league winning the Coach of the Year award in 1999 after taking to Sydney United to the championship that year.

David is currently assistant coach at Hyundai A-League club Perth Glory.

ROBERT ZABICA
Perth-born April 9, 1964 and played in local competitions joining Stirling Macedonia as a goalkeeper. Signed by Adelaide City in 1988 in the national league and was a member of the team which won the 1991-92 and 1993-94 titles and 1991-92 National Cup. Named national league Goalkeeper of the Year in 1991-92. Had a total of 195 matches for Adelaide City in the national league.

His safe keeping earned selection for the Australian team against Moscow Torpedo in 1990 and his first Socceroo A international was August that year against Indonesia in the Merlion Cup final in Jakarta.

Played in the 1994 World Cup campaign including the epic encounter against Argentina in Buenos Aires with his last match against Japan at Hiroshima May 1994. Was goalkeeper for Australia against the likes of Russia, New Zealand, England, Sweden, Argentina, Canada and Japan. Making a total of 42 appearances for Australia, 27 A internationals.

AWARD OF DISTINCTION

ERNIE CAMPBELL
Born Sydney 20 October 1949 and started football in junior competitions. Was spotted by English club Chelsea in 1965 in a junior curtain raiser and accepted
a one-season offer from Chelsea.

Returned to Sydney to join Apia and then Marconi, playing in the NSL with Marconi and Eastern Suburbs Hakoah. Won NSW honours and made international debut against Israel 21-11-71 in Melbourne. Won a place in the 1974 Socceroo squad for the World Cup finals and played against West Germany. Scored against USSR, Indonesia and New Zealand during 15 A internationals and a total of 24 representative matches for Australia.

PETER SHARNE
Pacy winger who was born in Sydney 22 March 1956. Started his football with Liverpool City and Southern Districts in Sydney and joined Marconi in 1977 where he stayed until 1988 (with Apia 1983) making a total of 186 national league appearances.

His speed made him a natural winger and was selected as a member of Australia’s 1978 World Cup campaign. He made his debut as a substitute against Iran in August 1977 in Melbourne. Won full team place in 1980 tour of Europe and also played in the 1982 World Cup campaign. He made 40 appearances for Australia (23 A internationals) and scored 10 goals (eight A-international goals).

CHARLIE STEWART
NSW South Coast stalwart, born May 2, 1928 who was selected as the greatest clubman in the history of his local club Woonona Bulli. Played all of his junior football with Woonona and made his first grade senior debut in 1943 as a winger at the age of 15 in the State League.

In 1945 at age 16 became the youngest player to represent in the North v South fixtures and between 1945-59 scored a remarkable 234 goals for Woonona in his total of 393 matches. In the 1954 interstate carnival in Adelaide he top-scored with six goals from five matches. Selected against South Africa in May 1947, New Zealand 1954, South Africa 1955. Had 10 starts for Australia in a representative career which also included appearances for NSW and Australian Xl.

AWARD OF DISTINCTION (Distinguished)

FRED VILLIERS
Born in England February 22, 1928, started work as a cadet on the Southend Times, Essex 1942 as a sports journalist, and then football writer for the Greyhound Express in London. Served 1945-48 in the Royal Navy, played football for the Navy and returned to journalism as a football writer for the News of the World.

Fred came to Australia in August 1954, joined the Melbourne Herald and then the Argus. He launched Soccer News weekly and in 1957 began 11 years run as soccer editor of the Sporting Globe as well as a weekly soccer news program on Melbourne’s radio 3KZ. In 1961 joined Channel 7’s World of Sport as soccer commentator, a position he held for 23 years.

Elected 1961 to the council of the Victorian Amateur Football Association and became Public Relations Officer for the Victorian Soccer Federation in the late 60s. Appointed soccer editor of the Sunday Observer in 1968 and in 1972 introduced two full pages on soccer in the Melbourne Truth.

Became secretary of the Trustees of the Victorian Soccer Federation and a member of the Hall of Fame honours committee since its inception. His contribution and encouragement of the game has been of a constant high standard through the print media, radio and television.

AWARD OF DISTINCTION (Meritorious)

RAUL BLANCO
Born Argentina 4 December 1941 and came to Australia in March 1967 to join Sydney team Prague as a striker in the NSW State League before transferring to Pan Hellenic in 1972 for three years.

He coached in the national league from 1979 to 1996 with a total of 281 matches (44 St George, 23 Marconi, 104 Parramatta Eagles, 110 West Adelaide) winning the NSL Cup with Parramatta in 1991.

Started a 20 year involvement with the national team when he became assistant coach for Australia at the 1981 World Youth Championships in Sydney, retained for the 1983 tournament in Mexico and the Merlion Cup in Singapore. Coach of the Australian senior team for the Oceania Nations Cup finals in 1996 and 1998 and also the Australian Team at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.

ANDRE KRUGER
Born May 1960 Hannover, Germany and has spent over 30 years researching Australian football to produce a complete record of all the A class internationals since 1922. His initial interest in Australian Football stemmed from the Australian Socceroos playing at the 1974 World Cup finals in his home country of Germany.

Since then has put together an unsurpassed collection of Australian football history, including team photographs, videos, programs and magazine articles. The material was researched from his own funds and from the other side of the world and has been of great value to Australian historians.

He has been an unofficial Australian ambassador wherever he travels and has made regular visits to Australia for important Socceroo matches.

RAY SANDELL
Born Staines, England 31 March 1932 and played with Chelsea before migrating to Australia in 1954 where he signed with Leichhardt Annandale.

Joined the Australian Soccer Referees Federation in 1968 and promoted in 1976 to the NSW First Division Referees panel. Became an NSL referee in 1980 before a knee injury forced his retirement. Numerous positions include inspector, appointments officer, NSW ASRF president four years, Vice President ASRF two years and life member, FIFA liaison officer at World Youth Cups and Olympics and honorary FIFA referee. Member of the National Appeals Board and International match committee.

About the Australian Football Hall of Fame
- Candidates for the Australian football Hall of Fame are considered via nomination.
- A nomination form is sent to State and Territory bodies annually and is also available from the FFA.
- Players are not eligible for inclusion in the Hall of Fame until three years after the end of their playing career.

FFA