With predominately part-time players the Socceroos did magnificently well to qualify for Germany, and under the stewardship of coach Rale Rasic were a well drilled football team made up of talented players.

The whole country got right behind the Socceroos who were made up a number of nationalities that reflected Australia’s multicultural society.

Johnny Warren was the quintessential local boy, and most well-known player. 

Tall Englishman Peter Wilson was the captain, Hungarian born Atti Abonyi and English striker Adrian Alston provided the attacking weapons and German Manfred Schaefer returned to his homeland to provide the steel in Australia’s defence. 

While the speedy Harry Williams became the first Indigenous Australian to play at a World Cup.

But Australia was placed in a difficult group alongside East Germany, eventual winners West Germany and Chile.

After losing the first game 2-0 to East Germany the Soccerooos then took on the might of West Germany who featured Franz Beckenbauer, Gerd Mueller and Ui Hoeness.

In front of 52,000 parochial German fans Australia suffered a 3-0 loss but bounced back in the next game against Chile to earn a credible 0-0 draw.

But the figure who had a greater impact than any of the players at the tournament was Jim Scane who was the official Socceroos mascot.

Picture Source: Imago

Scane was an Englishman who during World War Two was wounded and captured in Dunkirk, France and taken back to Germany as a prisoner of war.

When he was released he married a German woman named Erika and went to live in England and soon after he and his family came out to live in Australia.

Wearing a green and gold suit plastered with Socceroos players and opponent’s names Scane led the team out onto the field holding a Koala in one hand and a Kangaroo in the other and became a cult figure.

The media wrote many newspaper articles about him and even called him crazy but Australia’s World Cup coach Rale Rasic and the players saw him as the team’s 12th man.

When Australia qualified for the 2006 World Cup for the first time in 32 years a then 90-year-old Scane was flown to Germany and was able to see the Socceroos’ win their first World Cup game against Japan.