They came from a land down under The birth of the Socceroos and how they qualified for the 1974 FIFA World Cup finals By Duncan Mackay
Only the top 16 countries advanced to the FIFA World Cup finals, so Australia faced significant odds when they began their campaign for West Germany in 1974. Australia had never qualified for the tournament. However, under the leadership of their outstanding young coach, Rale Rasic, the Socceroos surprised everyone with a team primarily composed of foreign-born part-timers, often mistreated and dismissed as hopeless. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Award-winning journalist Duncan Mackay is based in the United Kingdom. He spent 17 years working in London for The Guardian and The Observer newspapers before starting inside the games and inside world football. In 2004 and 2009, Mackay was elected UK Sports Journalist of the Year and UK Internet Sports Journalist of the Year by the electorate. Ever since his uncle Jimmy's game-winning goal qualified the Socceroos for the 1974 FIFA World Cup in West Germany, he has been a fan of the team. Mackay, who was eight years old at the time, was lucky enough to be residing in Germany and was present at all three of Australia's games. Royal Mail TRACKED 48 Publisher: The Choir Press Price: £34.00 £29.99p ISBN 10: 1789634806 ISBN 13:978-1789634808 Format: 15.6 x 1.9 x 23.4 cm Hardcover: 326 pages
