World Cup '74 Portrait Collection: Squad #2 (Australia)

all drawings graphite & putty eraser, with watercolour pencil, each 30x21cm

World Cup '74 Portrait #242 (Jim Milisavljevic; Australia)

graphite & putty eraser, with watercolour pencil/30x21cm

World Cup '74 Portrait #214 (Alfonso Lara: Chile)

graphite & putty eraser, with watercolour pencil/30x21cm

Continuing the Project with a re-mediation of an image of Alfonso Lara, who was represented in both the FKS & Panini World Cup ’74 sticker albums (the latter providing our original source for this drawing), & then selected for inclusion in the Chile squad for the tournament, during which he made but one brief playing appearance, for all of 7 minutes as a late substitute in the Chileans’ opening match defeat to West Germany.

Alfonso Lara has passed away since the beginning of this project, having done so on August 13^th, the day I was processing the drawing of Attila Abonyi, who coincidentally played for Australia against Chile (though not Lara directly, of course) during the 1974 World Cup.

World Cup '74 Portrait #212 (John Watkiss: Australia)

graphite & putty eraser, with watercolour pencil/30x21cm

Post-Christmas Day & back on the drawing horse with a re-mediation of an image of John Watkiss, who was featured in the FKS ‘Wonderful World of Soccer Stars World Cup 1974’ sticker album, amongst the number of the 16-strong Australia selection (which thus provides the original source material for the drawing), but not the reduced 6-player representation pictured in Panini’s ’München 74’ publication (as mentioned previously, the FKS album affords equal weight to each of the featured nations, whereas Panini adopted a more ‘hierarchical’ approach from major to minor in terms of World Cup football history).

Watkiss was subsequently included in the official Australian squad for the Finals but was not picked to appear in any of their matches, & further research reveals he was another of the majority of the Socceroos’ squad to be non-native to Australia, in his case English-born.

To accompany the drawing process it was decided to give an LP a spin, &, with the subject being an Australian player, it seem most appropriate to plump for an analogue listen to the Triffids' 'Born Sandy Devotional', still mighty & magnificent after all these years (the disc was invested-in early in 1987, after being intrigued by the album's featuring in the Albums of the Year for 1986 in the festive edition of the NME, always an essential acquisition for such features. And what a year '86 was for fine albums, just looking at that list alone: 'The Queen is Dead', 'Liberty Belle and the Black Diamond Express', the 2 Costellos', the 2 Bad Seeds', & more besides, both within & outside of the NME's selection).

World Cup '74 Portrait #207 (Col Curran: Australia)

graphite & putty eraser, with watercolour pencil/30x21cm

Continuing the Project’s proceedings with a re-mediation of an image, as-ever randomly-chosen, of Colin Curran, who was represented amongst the 16-man Australia selection in the FKS ‘Wonderful World of Soccer Stars World Cup 1974’ sticker album & subsequently included in his country’s official squad for the Finals (Curran was very much in the minority to actually be Australian by birth), where he went on to play in each of Australia’s three matches.

Curran also holds the distinction of being the first Australian to score at a World Cup Finals, & indeed the only one at the 1974 event, although unfortunately it was an own-goal, to East Germany’s benefit in the teams’ opening fixture, which subsequently ended 2 – 0 to the East Germans.

World Cup '74 Portrait #205 (Pierre Bayonne: Haiti)

graphite & putty eraser, with watercolour pencil/30x21cm

The latest randomly-chosen subject/image to be re-mediated through the drawing process is (one of) Pierre Bayonne, who was represented in the FKS ‘Wonderful World of Soccer Stars World Cup 1974’ sticker album, amongst the 16-strong Haiti selection, but not the reduced 6-man group that had to suffice for the ‘minnow’ nations (also including both Australia & Zaire) in the Panini ’München 74’ collection.

Subsequently, Bayonne was chosen as a member of the official Haitian squad for the Finals, where he went on to play in all 3 of his country’s matches in the tournament, then the first & still the only World Cup for which Haiti have qualified.

World Cup '74 Portrait #187 (Ernie Campbell: Australia)

graphite & putty eraser, with watercolour pencil/30x21cm

The latest subject to be re-mediated in the drawing project is Ernie Campbell, who was represented in the FKS ‘Wonderful World of Soccer Stars World Cup 1974’ sticker album & subsequently selected for inclusion in the official Australia squad for the Finals, where he appeared for the first half of the Australians’ second match, the 0 – 3 defeat to hosts West Germany, being substituted at half-time (with the score at 0 – 2).

Needless to say, given such a fleeting involvement in proceedings, Ernie Campbell’s was another of the names that escaped attention at the time of my novice’s exposure to the television coverage of the tournament.

World Cup '74 Portrait #184 (Adrian Alston: Australia)

graphite & putty eraser, with watercolour pencil/30x21cm

Today’s drawing in the Project has as its subject a re-mediation of an image of Adrian Alston, as featured on a sticker in the FKS ‘Wonderful World of Soccer Stars World Cup 1974’ album, in which he was included amongst the selection representing Australia (not making the reduced 6-player cut for the Panini ’München 74’ publication). Subsequently chosen as a member of the official Australian squad (Preston-born, was yet another émigré amongst), Alston went on to appear in each of his adopted country’s 3 matches at the Finals.

I doubt very much whether his name registered during my experience of the televised coverage of the tournament, but certainly it came to attention during the 1974-75 Football League season, by which time Alston was playing for Luton Town in the First Division.

An earlier drawing representing Adrian Alston from a previous incarnation of the World Cup ’74 project can be found here.

World Cup '74 Portrait #182 (Herbert Wimmer: West Germany)

graphite & putty eraser, with watercolour pencil/30x21cm

The latest subject in the project is an image of Herbert Wimmer, who was represented in the Panini ’München 74’ sticker album, which provides the original source material for the drawing in this instance.

Selected as a member of the official West Germany squad for the 1974 World Cup Finals, Wimmer made two appearances at the tournament, as a substitute against Australia & then starting against Yugoslavia before being replaced himself late in that game.

It would be a little later, possibly during the 1976 European Championships (he played the first half of the Final), certainly during his club career with Borussia Monchengladbach, that Herbert Wimmer’s name would become memorable to me.

World Cup '74 Portrait #176 (Jimmy Rooney: Australia)

graphite & putty eraser, with watercolour pencil/30x21cm

The latest subject in the Project is an image of Jimmy Rooney, who was featured in the 16-man selection representing Australia in the FKS ‘Wonderful World of Soccer Stars World Cup 1974’ sticker album (but not the reduced 6-strong choice in its Panini ’München 74’ counterpart, which unlike the egalitarian approach of the FKS publication, put the minnows in their place), from which original source this drawing was processed, & the ‘Australian’ squad for the Finals, at which he appeared in each of his adopted country’s 3 matches (like any number of his fellows, Rooney had been born elsewhere – in his case Scotland, where had had played for Montrose & also in England for Peterborough United, before emigrating). 

World Cup '74 Portrait #153 (Carlos Caszely: Chile)

graphite & putty eraser, with watercolour pencil/30x21cm

Today we represent the generously-moustachioed Carlos Caszély, a photo sticker of whom was featured in both the FKS & Panini World Cup 1974 collectors’ albums (the former providing the original source image for our subsequent ‘re-mediation’ in this instance) & who was selected as a member of the Chile squad for the tournament, at which he played twice, in the first match against the hosts West Germany, during which he was sent off (becoming the first player to be physically shown a red card in the process), & what proved to be the Chileans’ last, the goalless draw with Australia that resulted in both teams being eliminated at the conclusion of the First Round.

Research reveals that Caszély had further interesting history with the World Cup, featuring when Chile qualified for the Finals again in 1982 in Spain, missing a crucial penalty in a 0 – 1 defeat to Austria, again being absent from the Chileans’ second match (coincidentally against his earlier nemesis West Germany) & then being substituted whilst Chile were 0 – 3 in arrears to Algeria in their final fixture with his replacement scoring the second of Chile's comeback goals in an eventual 2 – 3 defeat.

At the time of the ’74 World Cup, & although he played the majority of his career for Colo Colo, in two spells, in Chile, Caszely had spent the preceding season in Spain, playing for Levante, going on afterwards to Espanyol for a further four years, & tonight our thoughts turn to Spain & indisputably the most delightful result of the weekend (even considering Wrexham’s late comeback triumph over Welling), Atlético’s wonderful 2- 1 victory in the Madrid derby – happy days indeed.

World Cup '74 Portrait #144 (Jim Fraser: Australia)

graphite & putty eraser, with watercolour pencil/30x21cm

World Cup '74 Portrait #132 (Attila Abonyi: Australia)

graphite & putty eraser, with watercolour pencil/30x21cm

World Cup '74 Portrait #125 (Ray Baartz: Australia)

graphite & putty eraser, with watercolour pencil/30x21cm

World Cup '74 Portrait #103 (Jupp Heynckes: West Germany)

graphite & putty eraser, with watercolour pencil/30x21cm

The subject of our drawing project today is a representation of Jupp Heynckes, a name one suspects only came to attention post the 1974 World Cup (whilst playing in European club football for Borussia Monchengladbach), during which the player appeared in West Germany’s opening two matches, against Chile & Australia, before retiring with injury at half –time in the latter, not to feature in the Finals again.

As an established international, stickers featuring Jupp/Josef Heynckes were included in both the FKS & Panini albums previewing the tournament, the former providing the original source material in this instance.

World Cup '74 Portrait #102 (Joachim Streich: East Germany)

graphite & putty eraser, with watercolour pencil/30x21cm

Today’s randomly-chosen man-of-the-moment is a depiction of Joachim Streich, of the much-missed East Germany, who was represented in sticker form in both the FKS & Panini ‘World Cup 1974’ collectors’ albums that form the visual basis of this drawing project.

A memorable name from the televised coverage of the Finals, Streich played in four of the East Germans’ six matches during the tournament - missing the historic first-ever meeting with (& glorious 1 – 0 victory over) West Germany & the Second Round defeat to Holland - & scored twice, in their first & last fixtures, against Australia & Argentina.

An anecdotal reference to Streich’s club career can be found here, from earlier this year, amongst the football club badge collection.

World Cup '74 Portrait #87 (Ray Richards: Australia)

graphite & putty eraser, with watercolour pencil/30x21cm

The latest subject to be randomly-chosen (in the manner of opening a packet of stickers) depicts Ray Richards, whose profile was obviously such that he was included within not only the FKS ‘Wonderful World of Soccer Stars World Cup 1974’ sticker album (where each of the qualifying nations featured a compliment of 16 player portraits, except the undecided-at-the-time-of publication play-off rivals subsequently-successful Yugoslavia & also Spain, who each had 15), but also amongst the reduced six-man Australia cohort to be represented by Panini’s ’München 74’ (which gave shorter shrift to the ‘minnows’ of Asia, Africa, & North & Central America than the ‘traditional’ footballing European & South American countries).

Richards was selected for the Australian squad for the Finals & went on to appear in all three of the Socceroos’ matches in the tournament, although he failed to see out the last of these, against Chile where Australia earned their only point with a goalless draw, being sent off, eventually, after earning a total of three yellow cards (when two would suffice): none of this impinged upon my consciousness at the time of my televisual experience of the ’74 World Cup, the particular player’s presence, like that of the great majority, only emerging ‘hauntologically’ via the items of memorabilia & subsequent research.

World Cup '74 Portrait #70 (Doug Utjesenovic: Australia)

graphite & putty eraser, with watercolour pencil/30x21cm

The subject of the latest drawing in the project is ‘Doug’ Utjesenovic, a sticker of whom appeared in the FKS ‘Wonderful World of Soccer Stars World Cup 1974’ album (he failed to make the cut of the reduced six-man representation for Australia in its Panini counterpart) & who was included in the official Australian squad for the tournament, where he was subsequently selected to play in all three of Australia’s matches, the defeats to both East & West Germany & the draw with Chile that resulted in their elimination at the conclusion of the first phase.

A little light Wikipedia research into another of the 1974 World Cup’s previously personally unheard-ofs reveals our hero’s first name to be in fact Dragan, which complements the Slavic surname rather more appropriately, not least when considering his place of birth as being Belgrade in the then-Yugoslavia, rendering him another of the ‘Socceroos’ squad to have become Australian rather than being a native.

Note, in this instance, the classic mid-1970s' shirt collar design, so evocative as it is of that period of football fashion, another of those details that contribute to the delight of engaging in this particular project.

World Cup '74 Portrait #65 (Branko Buljevic: Australia)

graphite & putty eraser, with watercolour pencil/30x21cm

Today’s randomly-chosen subject is one Branko Buljevic, a sticker representing whom appeared in the FKS ‘Wonderful World of Soccer Stars World Cup 1974’ album, which comparatively recently proved my introduction to the name, & who was selected as a member of the Australia squad for the ’74 World Cup, where he subsequently appeared in all three of the so-called Socceroos’ first phase group matches, at which point they exited the tournament.

In common with a number of his squadmates, & as his name might suggest, Buljevic’s origins lay outside Australia, having been born in Split, Croatia (then itself part of the federal republic of Yugoslavia).

World Cup '74 Portrait #54 (Jimmy Mackay: Australia)

 

 

graphite & putty eraser, with watercolour pencil/30x21cm

This latest drawing represents an image of Jimmy Mackay, who was chosen for selection as a member of the Australia squad as featured in the FKS-published ‘Wonderful World of Soccer Stars World Cup 1974’ collectors’ stamp album (from which original source came the image, enlarged as a monochrome photocopy, that served as the visual reference for the processing of the drawing) & honoured as one of his country's streamlined six-man cohort in the Panini 'Munchen '74' album.
Subsequently, & in the real world, our portrait subject was also chosen as a squad member for the tournament itself, where he went on to appear in all three of the Australians' matches (although he was in fact Scottish-born, this 'prior nationality' being common to a number of those immigrants representing Australia at the ’74 World Cup: see also Peter Wilson – English - & Manfred Schaefer – German - as depicted earlier), eliminated as they were at the conclusion of the first round group stage.

In common with the vast majority of those who played at the 1974 World Cup Finals, Mackay is another of whom I had no recollection (as, indeed, applies to any of Australia’s matches, which obviously passed by televisually unseen at the time), making his appearance, relatively recently, only via the medium of the sticker/album, although his image now of course enjoys equal billing amongst those featured in the drawing project. He passed away, aged 54, in 1998.