Johnny Warren will be remembered today as former Socceroos team-mates, friends and family gather in Jamberoo for the 13th Johnny Warren Golf Classic. In fact over 120 golfers have signed up for this years event.

One regular attendee of the Johnny Warren Golf Classic is Johnny’s life-long friend and award winning football journalist, John Economos.

In 2004, John Economos was asked by the principal of Cleveland Street High School (Johnny’s former school), Ted Bennett, to write a story on the former Soccceroo great to be read out to the Cleveland Street High School students at their assembly following Johns passing in 2004. John Economos also attended this school.

So, as the golfers enjoy a round of golf at ‘Royal Jamberoo’ today, we would like to share this tribute by Johnny’s best mate with you:

On Sunday the  6TH November 2004, one of Australia’s GREATEST sporting heroes passed away, a victim of that ‘silent killer’, Cancer.

The Late Johnny Warren, tagged in areas as the ‘Bradman of Soccer’, at the age of 16 made his debut into the senior ranks of the code with his beloved Canterbury WHILST STILL A STUDENT AT CLEVELAND STREET.

A brilliant student whilst attending Cleveland Street Boys High, Warren matriculated at the University OF NSW where he majored in Accountancy and Economics whilst on the week-ends he played for his beloved Canterbury with other young super stars such as the great Johnny Watkiss, Brian Smith and Ronnie Corry. All four at one time or another played for Australia.

What almost everybody today is not aware of, Johnny Warren was also an outstanding cricketer at High School, and had he not elected to follow a career in Soccer may well have played cricket for Australia.

Warren was a very special person, with extraordinary skills and attributes.

Highly intelligent, an excellent listener and a visionary, he always remained totally focused to any task set before him, with an incredible ability to think outside the square.

Warren’s achievements are far too lengthy to go into detail, however below I have briefly listed some of them.

Johnny Warren’s Career Portfolio.

• 42 Full Internationals for Australia.
• 62 Total Internationals.
• Australian Captain from October 3rd 1967 to 1970.
• Played for two Senior Clubs only: Commenced his senior playing career with Canterbury 1956-62, before being transferred for, in those times a record transfer fee to St George Budapest
  1963-1974.
• Warren’s last match was as Player/coach of the Saints…1974 NSW Grand Final,  (St George Budapest vs Hakoah), at the Sydney Sportsground. Warren scored the winning goal late in the second half and instantly substituted himself to walk off the pitch and into self-imposed retirement as a player.
• Coached St George Budapest 1974 to ’75.
• Set up and coached the Canberra Arrows into the NSL 1977-78.
• Promoted in October 1979 the fabulous tour of the New York Cosmos and the following year the tour of Dr Josef Venglos’ national team of Czechoslovakia in a five match Test series played across Australia.
• In 1981, he established the famous ‘Johnny Warren Soccer Academies’ that continued for a decade.
• 1990 The National Soccer League had approved the ‘Johnny Warren Medal’ to be bestowed annually to the NSL’s ‘Player of the Year’.
• In 1998 Johnny Warren’s name was entered into the Hall of Fame
• 2004, just weeks prior to Warren’s premature death, the President of FIFA, Sepp Blatter flew to Australia and bestowed on Warren the ‘FIFA Centennial Medal’ for outstanding service to Australian Soccer.
• Entered the World of television as a Soccer analyst from late 1980 with Australia’s fledgling channel SBS-TV.

Johnny Warren, thanks for the memories. You will for always be REMEMBERED AND ALWAYS missed.The code of Soccer, plus the sporting public of Australia, will never forget you and your legendary No 9 shirt.

BY John Economos