Johnny Warren Futsal Cup

In a first for Futsal in Australia, a State wide Futsal Cup will be launched in Queensland this summer presenting Futsal clubs the opportunity to be crowned state knockout champion.

The Johnny Warren Futsal Cup will be organised by Brisbane Magic Futsal, under the jurisdiction of Football Queensland and will kick off in October and culminate with the State Grand Finals in March 2010.

“We are an ambitious Futsal Club, being able to organise an event open to male and female players throughout the state in the name of Johnny Warren is an honour for our club,” said Brisbane Magic Futsal President Joe Di Meglio.

“Johnny loved Futsal and this is a great way to honour a man that loved the beautiful game – Futsal,” Di Meglio added.

Jamie Warren, nephew of our former Socceroo Captain, and deputy Chairman of the Johnny Warren Foundation is delighted with the tournament and its structure; “Johnny Warren ‘discovered’ Futsal on his first trip to Brazil in 1984 and was convinced it was the ‘secret’ behind Brazil’s seemingly never-ending production line of world class and technically adroit players, he has been championing the Futsal cause in Australia ever since.

“The Warren Family are extremely honoured and proud to have Johns name associated with this exciting new initiative for Futsal in Australia and we wish the Brisbane Magic Futsal Club and Football Queensland every success with the competition,” Warren said.

With Futsal now part of the National Development Plan, Football Queensland is developing the tools and structure to create a pathway for elite Futsal players in the state. It has created a Futsal Premier League and State and Regional Championships, and it is now looking forward to the Johnny Warren Futsal Cup.

“Football Queensland is proud to be associated with the Johnny Warren Futsal Cup and be the first state to run the showcase Futsal event”, said Marcelo Maciel, Football Queensland Futsal Development Officer.

“FFA Futsal is growing in South East Queensland and regional areas and to be part of the first Futsal knockout competition is an honour for our organisation and the sport”, Maciel added.

Part of the agreement will be to raise funds for the Johnny Warren Foundation which is planning to establish Football Academies around Australia and this is the first step towards achieving that goal.

Former Socceroo and Chief Executive Officer of the Johnny Warren Foundation, Francis Awaritefe is pleased with the event; “Personally I think an event like this is long overdue and I congratulate Joe Di Meglio and Brisbane Magic Futsal for their foresight and vision in staging such an event".

“Our aim is to create this into a National Futsal Knockout Competition within three years. Together with the Johnny Warren Foundation we hope to support the Foundation financially and assist by developing Futsal Players who will be able to join the Academy”, Di Meglio added.

The tournament is open to male players in under 12, 14, 16 and Seniors and female players in under 14, 16 and Seniors. All entry details can be found at the Brisbane Magic Futsal web site www.brisbanemagicfutsal.com.au

More information about Brisbane Magic Futsal
Brisbane Magic Futsal is an ambitious club based in the Eastern Suburbs of Brisbane with venues at Colmslie in Brisbane’s South and Boondall in Brisbane North. It has an ambitious plan to become a major force in Australian Futsal and together with this initiative it has engaged former Socceroo Craig Foster as its Club Patron and several leading identities on their Advisory Panel. They include SBS Television Football Presenter Les Murray AO, Johnny Warren Foundation CEO, Former Socceroo and SBS Television Commentator Francis Awaritefe and Former National Futsal Coach and current FIFA Futsal Coaching Instructor Scott Gilligan just to name a few.

Player development is a major focus for the club and with Football Queensland’s decision to stage a Futsal Premier League competition this summer against teams from the Gold and Sunshine Coasts and Brisbane Metro areas, along with State and Regional Titles and several other local events, this season promises to be a successful one for players affiliated with Brisbane Magic Futsal.


More information about Johnny Warren Foundation
For the first time all organisations involved with and interested in the development of football in NSW are working together on a joint vision, harnessing the skills and direction of football great Johnny Warren.

The Johnny Warren Football Foundation
Creates a pathway to elite football so that young players living anywhere in NSW have the opportunity to have their talent and skills recognised and developed.
Has dedicated programs and top level coaches will help keep the “best and brightest” in the game.
Will open up avenues for the further development of women’s and girls’ football in NSW.
Provides the opportunity to bring the best coaching and technical expertise to NSW.
Will raise the bar for football in NSW by providing an integrated athlete pathway from club to elite level.
Provides a substantial lift to the game through harnessing the vision of Johnny Warren in developing the Australian style of football.
In seeking to achieve its aims, the Foundation will seek the financial support of corporations and individuals.
Sponsorship contributions to the Johnny Warren Football Foundation will provide national exposure and recognition of that sponsor’s brand. However, more importantly all sponsorships and donations will help develop youth football in Australia, assisting in the pathway of future generations of Socceroos and Matildas.

Corporations and individuals can also make tax-deductible donations for the benefit of the Foundation by making such donations to the Australian Sports Foundation, nominating the Foundation as a beneficiary. Donation forms can be obtained from the Foundation or downloaded from this website.


More information about the late Johnny Warren

Club Career
Johnny Warren grew up in the southern Sydney suburb of Botany. He was a junior at Botany Methodists, and received his first taste of representative football when selected for the Protestant Churches state team at age 10.

Following a year at Earlwood Wanderers, Warren joined the Canterbury third grade senior team in 1959, aged 15. Later that year he was promoted to the NSW state league club’s first grade team and by 1960 he had established himself in an attacking midfield position as one of the team’s key players. The 17 year old scored twice in a 3-2 preliminary final win over Apia Leichhardt to earn Canterbury a place in the 1960 NSW grand final. In 1963 he moved to St George Budapest, the start of a 12 year playing stint, although he had a brief spell with English club Stockport County in 1964. Over these 12 seasons, St George featured in six NSW state league grand finals (winning three), finished as premiers once and as premiership runners up seven times, and won two state league (Ampol) cups. He could not have ended his playing career at St George more fittingly as he scored the sealing goal in St George’s 4-2 NSW grand final victory over Sydney City Hakoah in 1974, the goal scored after Warren stole the ball in his own defensive half and ran through, evading two defenders, before beautifully curling ball around the advancing Hakoah goalkeeper.

International Career
Johnny Warren Warren's senior representative career in the Australian team, known as the Socceroos, commenced in 1965 when he played in a 0-0 draw with Cambodia in November 1965. By 1967 he was the captain of the national team, and he played a starring role in Australia’s victory in the 1967 Vietnam National Day tournament, Australia’s first international trophy, won in a war ravaged Saigon. In 1969 he led the Aussies on a gruelling World Cup campaign, where Australia took on Japan, South Korea, Zimbabwe and Israel in an exhaustingly hectic qualifying series, losing out on qualifying for the 1970 World Cup at the last hurdle. In 1970 he captained the Australians on an extensive tour of Asia and Europe, which included memorable victories against the likes of Iran, Israel and Greece, before a 15 month break from the national team due to a bad knee injury.

Warren was a key member of the first Australian team to qualify for the World Cup finals. The Socceroos competed at the 1974 World Cup in Group A with West Germany, East Germany and Chile. Warren played in the 2-0 loss to East Germany, where he suffered a foot injury which ruled him out of Australia’s two remaining World Cup games. Australia's sole point came from a 0-0 draw with Chile.

After playing 62 internationals for Australia, Warren retired from the national team.

Statistics
A internationals: (1965–1974) 42 games (6 goals)
Other internationals: (1967–1974) 20 games (3 goals)
All internationals: (1965–1974) 62 games (9 goals) - Captain (1967–1970)
All games (and goals):
1965 [A int] Cambodia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia
1967 [A int] Scotland, Scotland, New Zealand (1 gl), South Vietnam (1 gl), Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea (1 gl), Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia
1967 [Non-A] Jakarta XI
1968 [A int] Japan
1969 [A int] Greece, Greece, Greece, Japan, South Korea, Japan, South Korea, Rhodesia, Rhodesia (1 gl), Israel, Israel
1970 [A int] Iran, Israel, Greece, Mexico
1970 [Non-A] Kowloon Bus Company, South Vietnam Army, New Caledonia (1 gl), New Caledonia, Jardine Sports Club, Macao (2 gls), Ogheb, Tehran XI, Hapoel, Greece B, Luton Town, Manchester City, League of Ireland
1972 [A int] Indonesia, New Zealand (1 gl), South Vietnam, South Korea, Philippines (1 gl)
1972 [Non-A] South Vietnam U-23
1973 [A int] Bulgaria, New Zealand, Iran, Iran, South Korea
1974 [A int] Indonesia, East Germany (World Cup Finals)
1974 [Non-A] Ferencvaros, Ferencvaros, St Gallen, Young Boys, Xamax Neuchatel

After Retirement
Warren retired after playing 62 games for Australia as a mid-fielder. After his playing career, Warren became a champion of the sport in Australia and spent his life trying to promote the game in a country dominated by other football codes.

He was a regular television presenter on the SBS network as well as an administrator and public diplomat for the game.

In 1977, John Warren helped establish the fledgling Canberra Soccer Club. While in the National Capital, John and his business partners acquired control of the Gold Creek Function and Entertainment Centre based around the historic Gold Creek Homestead (located in present-day Ngunnawal). The function centre was one of the National Capital's premier function venues.

During the 1980s and early 1990s, numerous international visitors including members of Brazil’s Under 19s soccer team travelled to Gold Creek to get their first taste of Australian country life. Annual soccer camps were also held there under the auspices of the Australian Soccer Federation. Over a period of ten years, upwards of 10,000 teenagers from around the nation completed the two-week training camps.

The following people are available for an interview;

Joe Di Meglio - President, Brisbane Magic Fustal 0414 512 007
Jamie Warren - Deputy Chairman, Johnny Warren Foundation 0418 448 574
Francis Awaritefe - Chief Executive Officer, Johnny Warren Foundation, 0415 169 970
Marcelo Maciel – Futsal Development Officer, Football Queensland, 0407 144 840








Posted by Luca Ranocchiari --> luca.ranocchiari@futsalplanet.com