Former Inglewood United coach Jimmy Pearson and his 1965 Socceroo teammates were formally honoured at this week’s Football Federation Australia Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Sydney.   Pearson, who guided Inglewood on four separate occasions between 1975 and 2003, was reunited with his history-making teammates who were the first Australian team to attempt to qualify for the World Cup.

FFA brought together the fourteen surviving members of the original 20-player Socceroos squad for their first official reunion and presented each with a commemorative shirt.   In attendance alongside 77-year old Pearson were team captain Les Scheinflug, vice-captain Pat Hughes, Stan Ackerley, John Anderson, Roy Blitz, Archie Blue, Ron Giles, John Roberts, Bill Rorke, Nigel Shepherd, Geoff Sleight, David Todd and John Watkiss.

After preparing in the humidity of north Queensland, the part-time squad played two World Cup qualifiers against a battle hardened North Korean side in steamy Cambodia.  The Socceroos were beaten 9-2 on aggregate across the two games, but those results were put in context when the North Koreans defeated a highly rated Italian side at the 1966 tournament in England.

Scottish-born Pearson played for Greenock Morton and Aberdeen before emigrating to Australia in 1962.   His eye-catching efforts for Pan Hellenic (New South Wales) resulted in an international call-up, the winger going on to represent Australia eight times.   Pearson later turned his hand to coaching, guiding Inglewood to the D’Orsogna Cup and Top Four Cup double in 1977.

Photograph courtesy SportsWest Media