Roy Hay and John Punshon, with a
contribution by Ted Smith
Brighton raised the question whether the
Laidlaw Cup was encouraging the payment of players and banned its players from
taking part in the World Cup in 1952. It also hinted at the beginnings of a
breakaway.[6]
The claim was indignantly denied by Jock Parker, who pointed to the support to
the juniors with 60 per cent of the total takings going to them. The balance went to the competing teams in
the final, so there were resources available to reward players.
In 1951 and 1952 Scotland won the
tournament. In 1951 their opponent in the final was Yugoslavia. JUST had gone
through the league season undefeated and since, once again, they provided
nearly all the Yugoslav team, the loss to Scotland was the only one incurred
that year in a competitive match.[7]
JUST had played the final of the Dockerty Cup the day before, 29 September, and
beaten Brighton 1-0, so it was asking a bit to expect even that team of
brilliant players to back up against the Scots the next day.[8]
No doubt the Scots called themselves world champions, as their equivalents in
the United Kingdom did when Denis Law and Jim Baxter orchestrated a victory
over England the year after they won the FIFA World Cup in 1966.
In 1952 the Scotland-Italy final was drawn
and went to a replay, which the Scots won by two goals to one in front of
around 7,000 people.[9] There
was crowd trouble at the end of the game, which led to a move by VASFA to take
over the Sunday tournament. ‘Mr. H. J. Dockerty, council member, said:
"There can be only one governing body. If the council is 'weak kneed'
enough not to control it, then the game will not continue to progress. … "There
is only one Soccer Association in Victoria, and it must accept complete
control." Mr. F. Lang said: "Full national teams attract full
national supporters, and a national feeling always comes to the surface. Here
is the basis of all our trouble."’[10]
But, judging by events the following year the council did not follow up its
intended take over.
Meanwhile it was the issue of what happened
to the money paid to the teams which caused more controversy. Did it finish up
remunerating players? Bill Fleming pointed out that Olympic selection was at
stake.[11]
VASFA decided to take over control of the Sunday games but also ‘unanimously
adopted a suggestion by Mr N. Rothfield, vice-president, to appoint a committee
of business men who would guarantee employment for soccer players coming to
Victoria, subject to their producing adequate evidence of their playing
ability. The council appointed a special sub-committee to contact business men
to make a survey of jobs available.’ It is not clear if this ever eventuated in
Victoria, but this is the underlying issue leading to the FIFA ban in 1960. If
it could be argued that people were coming to Australia for employment and
playing football as amateurs then, so it was hoped, you might get round FIFA
requirements about transfer fees for high quality players.
The 1953 tournament was brought to a halt
by a fracas at the game between Italy, largely players from the Juventus club,
and Ireland on 12 July. Ireland was leading 4–3.[12]
The Italians walked off in protest about refereeing decisions and the crowd
assaulted the referee. There was a media firestorm. The VASFA Council threw the
book at Juventus and ended Sunday International matches at its meeting the
following week.[13] Suspending
Juventus rather than the team which had played in the Laidlaw Cup was a major
embarrassment for VASFA, since it later transpired that they did not know who
the Sunday International Committee members were in order to proceed against
them. Nevertheless the following year, Soccer
News in a lead article on Polonia remarked that they held the Laidlaw World
Cup having defeated England four-nil in the final.[14]
So it appears the tournament was revived before the end of the 1953 season. The
Sporting Globe reported
dissatisfaction on the part of the ‘International’ Sunday Soccer Association
that VASFA had not lifted the ban, given that Juventus had won its appeal
against the fine and suspension of players.[15]
In December John Oliphant, Chairman of the Sunday International Committee
nominated for the VASFA Council, but Bill Fleming thought it unlikely that he
would be accepted since he had been an active referee in 1953.[16]
In early 1954 VASFA finally sat down with
the Sunday International Committee and hammered out a compromise which allowed
the tournament to proceed. It was
effectively a take-over by the state body. Four of the five members of the SIC
were to be members of VASFA Council, and the SIC was only allowed to organise
the World cup games. The distribution of monies was also spelled out, with
VASFA taking 45 per cent of the net takings.[17]
There was no explicit mention of the juniors for whom Jock Parker had started
the competition. Jock Parker had an article in Soccer News in 1954 bemoaning the fact that the tournament he had
started to provide support for the juniors was now devoted to raising funds for
the clubs.[18]
By September 1954 the tournament was down
to the semifinals where Czechoslovakia, sponsored by the Slavia club, met
Australia and Italy took on Poland.[19]
In 1954 Czechoslovakia won the Cup beating Italy in the final by two goals to
nil, and it reached the final the following year only to go down to Italy by
six goals to one.[20]
That was Italy’s first win in the Laidlaw World Cup, though it was a perennial
finalist reaching the last game in 1952, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1958 and 1959, and
winning again in 1960.
Holland came out on top in 1956.[21]
Italy beat Australia by three goals to two in the semi-final at Middle Park on
29 September. Italy got the winner very late in the game.[22] Holland downed Poland also by three-two and went on hammer Italy five-one in the final. The Dutch squad
included: Van Egmond, Peet, Cor Mathyssen, Remmers, Bakens, Olifiers, Peter
Schipperheyn, Luyten, Huygen, Sjel (Mike) de Bruyckere, Teuben. Reserves:
Steenbergen, Sinnema.
included: Van Egmond, Peet, Cor Mathyssen, Remmers, Bakens, Olifiers, Peter
Schipperheyn, Luyten, Huygen, Sjel (Mike) de Bruyckere, Teuben. Reserves:
Steenbergen, Sinnema.
 |
| Australia in the Laidlaw Cup at Olympic Park in 1957. Back row, left to right: Bobby Cotterell, Ian Petherick, Andre Waitzer, John McIvor, Brian Thomas, Angus Drennen. Front row: Ross McKenzie, Graham James, Ted Smith, (unknown), Jackie Wilson. The unidentified player was from South Melbourne United. Photo: From Jackie Wilson, courtesy of Ted Smith. |
Holland downed Poland also by three-two and
went on hammer Italy five-one in the final. The Dutch squad included: Van
Egmond, Peet, Cor Mathyssen, Remmers, Bakens, Olifiers, Peter Schipperheyn,
Luyten, Huygen, Sjel (Mike) de Bruyckere, Teuben. Reserves: Steenbergen, Sinnema.
England had its first win in 1957. In the
final England went a goal down to Yugoslavia, but fought back in the second to
win 3–2.[23]
In 1958 it was the turn of Malta which got up against Italy in a five-goal
thriller.
 |
| Malta won the Laidlaw World Cup in Victoria in 1958 before 9000 spectators with the this team: J. Borg, Vince Muscat, P. Zammit, Tony Vella, F. Damato, J. Debono, F. Catania, E. Azzopardi, D. Catania, Lolly Vella, M. Cachia. Soccer and other Sports, 19 September 1958, p. 1 |
Scotland won the tournament for the third time
in 1959 after nearly being put out by Croatia and only getting through after a
replay. 1960 saw Italy win its second tournament downing Yugoslavia in the
final.
By now attention was switching away from
the World Cup to the fight between the Victorian Soccer Federation (VSF) and
VASFA for control of the game in Victoria and the tournament was held for the
last time in 1961. Poland won for the second time, defeating Holland in the
final. Sixteen teams took part that year. Nearly 9,000 turned up for the first
round match between Malta and Greece, which had to be replayed after a
successful protest by the Maltese that the Greek goal came about after referee
George Harrison played too much extra-time! The replay was goal-less, but J
Falzon scored the decisive one in the second replay. Germany, Poland, Holland
and Scotland reached the semi-finals and R Gronowski scored the only goal of
the final in extra-time.
It might have been expected that when the
VSF came out on top the national teams competition would flourish once again.
But that did not happen. The Federation Cup and the state and national Ampol
Cups became the focus and the Australian Soccer Federation and the VSF agreed
as early as December 1961 that ‘throughout Australian Federation circles there
would be no more games played between sides bearing national titles, such as in
the World Cup Series played here in Melbourne’.[24]
These games in the Sunday International League had been organised by the old
Association, so the decision may be seen as little more than belated revenge,
rather than a considered act of policy, for it was to be breached many times in
the future. However, when the decision was being considered in 1962, it is
fascinating to find three pillars of VASFA – Harry Dockerty, Charles Walker and
Morrie Buckner – lined up in support of the international games, and Theo
Marmaras, the Chairman of the VSF, arguing that ‘After all this is the
Commonwealth of Australia, and I do not think it wise to perpetuate the differences
in nationality here’.[25]
Reminiscences of the Laidlaw World Cup and other games
by Ted Smith
Ted Smith remembers ‘My first game for
“Australia” (sponsored by South Melbourne United) was aged 16 whilst still at
Preston playing at the Old Olympic Park before the fire. In those years we had
Angus Drennen, Jackie Wilson and sometimes Ross McKenzie—as per that photo—the
remainder was Aussies—including the James Brothers and others from South
Melbourne, topped up by Andre Waitzer, an Austrian and Brian Thomas (son of
Bill, a pillar of VASFA) Kiwi, both from Brighton.
Then at St. Kevins College oval (while I
was still at Preston) we beat Scotland, which included Pat Clark, Dave Stoddart
and various other Victorian and Australian internationals—the memory is still
hazy.
Later matches at Olympic Park where we lost
a Semi Final to Italy in the last minutes.
Again later we beat Poland with John
Bedford scoring in his first game. (He was still at Box Hill). I was at Hellas then
in 1961 and John joined me as the two Ozzie Greeks and we won the State League
Championship in 1962.
I remember two Games at Middle Park when
there were no stands at all, only the Bike Track—one against Malta when a gale
was blowing down the field. I can’t remember the score though.
The second was against Ireland (sponsored
by Moreland) when I arrived too late on Sammy Kyle (who later joined Moreland )
and was confronted by an ‘angry ant’ Frankie Loughran who wanted to extract immediate revenge against me, who had
played with him for many years for Moreland, Victoria and Australia. [Editor’s
note: Ted was never booked in his career, but in addition to this incident
there was another game in which Alec Barr’s report concluded: ‘Moreland’s new
left winger, Ted Smith, did not show up in the hurly burly of senior soccer,
and will have to curb his temperament if he is to be a success.][26]
The other memory was watching the final won
by England, with four Moreland players— Don Innard, David Oxton (who scored a
cracker just clipping the near post) both Victorian representatives, Norm
Hobson and Don Hodgson, both Socceroos, (not sure whether they were before or
after this match though).
Another was the Scotland–Italy match when
the supporters didn’t appreciate the ‘aggressive’ Scottish tactics and showered
them with missiles as they were leaving the field.[27]
A bit rambly but fond memories of this
competition, particularly when I was starting my senior career at Preston from
1951 (16-years-old) to 1953.
***
Some puzzles remain. Roy Hay talked to
Fritz Schwab, father of Laurie, and he said that he had recruited a group of
young German players, including Adolf Windt from Geelong, to play in and win a
world cup in Victoria.[28]
The Richmond Allemania website also makes the claim that Richmond won the local
world cup in 1958 and the Laidlaw Cup in 1960.[29]
In neither case is there any sign of a German overall victory in the world cup
series between 1951 and 1961, however. This needs to be further investigated.
There were other club-based competitions
over the years that drew on the success of the Laidlaw exercise. For example,
in Geelong there was the New World Cup, sponsored by the Dutch newspaper Nieuive Wereld which also ran in the
1950s. There were similar competitions in South Australia and Western
Australia. The All Nations Cup run by the Knox City club in Melbourne continues
the tradition today. So the Laidlaw Cup was not unique, but it was one of the
most impressive while it lasted.
References
[1] Soccer News, 13 May 1950, p. 5.
[2] Soccer News, 24 June 1950, p. 7.
[3] J O Wilshaw, ‘Soccer
split may develop,’ Sporting Globe,
12 July 1950, p. 00.
[4] Soccer News, 16 September 1950 p. 6; 23 September 1950, p. 4.
JUST won the Third Division South without defeat in 1950.
[5] I am indebted to
John Punshon for supplying me with copies of his detailed research on the
results and participants in the Laidlaw World Cup.
[6] Bill Fleming,
‘Soccer split denied,’ Argus, 13 May
1952 p. 8.
[7] Sporting Globe, 10 October 1951, p. 15.
[8] Information by email
from Milan Ninovic, 4 April 2012.
[9] Sporting Globe, 8 October 1952, p. 15; Bill Fleming, ‘Scotland
wins cup,’ Argus, 13 October 1952,
p. 8.
[10] ‘Council will run
soccer,’ Argus, 21 October 1952,
p. 9.
[11] Bill Fleming, ‘Soccer
risks amateur status,’ Argus, 11
November 1952, p. 9.
[12] Age, 13 July 1953, p. 13.
[13] ‘Sunday soccer out,’ Soccer News, 18 July 1953, pp. 1–4.
VASFA was embarrassed because it could not find out the membership of the
Sunday International Committee to hold responsible for the incident, and hence
picked on Juventus, which was subject to the rules of the Association. Ken
Moses, ‘Why keep it quiet?’, Argus,
25 November 1953, p. 22.
[14] ‘Laidlaw Cup
starting’, Soccer News, 12 June 1954,
p. 6; ‘Polonia’, Soccer News, 19
June 1954, p. 1.
[15] Sporting Globe, 8 August 1953, p. 11.
[16] Bill Fleming, ‘Soccer
has problem,’ Argus, 12 December
1953, p. 44.
[17] Bill Fleming,
‘“World” soccer to go on,’ Argus, 21
April 1954, p. 24.
[18] Soccer News, 10 July 1954, p. 3.
[19] Soccer News, 4 September 1954, p. 4.
[20] Alex Barr, ‘Italy
takes Soccer Cup’, Age, 26 September
1955, p. 16.
[21] Sporting Globe, 17 October 1956, p. 2.
[22] Ted Smith, email 27
March 2012.
[23] Geoff Bardsley,
‘Moreland’s Soccer Cup win ends great year,’ Sporting Globe, 9 October 1957, p. 5.
[24] Age, 11 December 1961, p. 0. ‘A national register of players in
the Federation will be compiled to prevent illegal transfers and the poaching
of talent between the States.’
[25] Soccer Weekly, 28 June 1962
[26] Alex Barr, ‘Changed
decision aids soccer win,’ Age, 3 May
1954, p. 14.
[27] Ted Smith, emails 27
& 28 March 2012.
[28] Conversation at the
wake for Helen Schwab, his daughter-in-law, Stevedore Street, Williamstown, 26
March 2012.
[29] Richmond Allemania
website, http://www.richmondsc.com.au/content.aspx?file=7584%7C12586h,
accessed 27 March 2012.
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