Bill Rorke holds his framed Socceroos cap presented to him for playing in the 1965 World Cup qualifier. Picture: Simone De Peak
BILL Rorke was Australia’s youngest player and one of three Hunter products in the national squad when the Socceroos took their first shot at World Cup football in 1965.
Against an unknown North Korean side, an under-prepared Australian line-up lost 6-1 and 3-1 in the heat of Cambodia to fall at the first hurdle.
It was a tough initiation to World Cup football and a campaign that has gone largely unheralded.
But it was the first, and Rorke is pleased he and his teammates will be recognised on Monday by Football Federation Australia in Sydney.
The 50th anniversary of Australia’s first qualification campaign will be celebrated at day and night functions, which will include inducting two people into the FFA Hall of Fame and remembering the Socceroos’ famous win 10 years ago over Uruguay to make the World Cup finals.
Rorke said recognition of the 1965 squad was long overdue and he was looking forward to catching up with fellow Aberdare Rangers junior John Roberts and Novocastrian Ron Giles, who were also part of the tour.
‘‘At long last they are acknowledging that we in fact were the pioneers of World Cup football,’’ Rorke said. ‘‘It really hasn’t been acknowledged. Prior to this, the ’74 World Cup team was supposed to have started it all, but it didn’t.
‘‘This was the pioneer group.’’
At just 20, Rorke was in goals for the second loss to North Korea, while Roberts was keeper in the first defeat.
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Giles did not play in the qualifiers but took part in following tour games against Hong Kong, Malaysia, Cambodia and Taiwan.
Rorke, who lives in Toronto, said the maiden qualification campaign was a tough first lesson for Australian football but one he was proud to be part of.
‘‘We were lucky enough to start it and be the first to go and do it,’’ he said. ‘‘It’s got to start somewhere.
‘‘The biggest sport in the world and Australia just simply must be a part of it, and the rest is history. We’re doing very well these days, and it’s great to see. Let’s just hope the boys get the job done in Bangladesh on Tuesday.’’
Rorke said he had not seen some of his 1965 teammates since that tour, which started with a three-week training camp in Cairns.
‘‘We knew nothing about the North Koreans and we thought they’d be a pushover, so we just went to Cairns and trained,’’ he said.
‘‘We had no lead-up games and we landed in Cambodia and got thrashed.
‘‘In defence of us, we knew nothing about them, but they’d been together for two or three years full-time, and played all over Europe, mainly in Russia.’’
North Korea went to the World Cup finals in 1966 and reached the quarter-finals after defeating Italy 1-0 and drawing with Chile. They led Portugal 3-0 in the quarters but lost 5-3 after the great Eusébio scored four goals.
After the losses to North Korea, Rorke was in goal for a 0-0 draw with Cambodia, 1-0 loss to Hong Kong, 3-1 win over Taiwan and 1-0 and 3-0 victories over Malaysia.
Four years later, he was back-up keeper to Ron Corry for Australia at World Cup qualifiers.
Rorke, who grew up in Kearsley, lived in Sydney for most of his life but moved to Toronto six years ago.
In his senior playing days, he had one season of all-age with Kearsley before rising to prominence with Bankstown. He played at APIA Leichhardt and Marconi after making his international debut.
source:theherald.com.au
STUDIO 3 NEWCASTLE AUSTRALIA 