A new book due to be published later this year reveals the crucial role a former Airdrieonians footballer played in helping Australia qualify for 1974 FIFA World Cup.
Penned by British journalist Duncan Mackay, They Came From A Land Down Under is the first definitive account of how the Socceroos defied the odds to reach West Germany and make the renowned international tournament for the first time in the country’s history.
It details how it could never have happened without the Scottish players who had emigrated to Australia to start new lives, including Jimmy Mackay, the author’s uncle and a former footballer with Airdrieonians in the old First Division.
The odds were stacked against Australia when they started their campaign for West Germany 1974, with only the top 16 nations qualifying.
But with a team of part-time players, mostly born outside the country, often subject to abuse and written off as no-hopers, the Socceroos, under their brilliant young Yugoslavian-born coach Rale Rasic, shocked everyone.
Duncan’s book tells the amazing story of Australia’s World Cup qualifying campaign, which included matches in Auckland, Sydney, Melbourne, Tehran, Seoul and Hong Kong, and has been extensively researched using archive material and first-hand accounts from some of the players involved.
The campaign culminated with a play-off against South Korea in Hong Kong in November 1973 which ended with former Airdrieonian, and Edinburgh-born, Jimmy Mackay scoring the only goal in a 1-0 victory to clinch the Socceroos place at West Germany 1974.
The goal had been set up by the Dundee-born Jimmy Rooney, another Scot who had played for Montrose before heading Down Under.
They Came From A Land Down Under is due to be published on November 13 to coincide with the 51st anniversary of that historic goal.
Australia were placed in a tough group at the 1974 World Cup finals which included the hosts West Germany.
They lost 2-0 to East Germany and 3-0 to West Germany, performing credibly and above expectations in both matches, before drawing their final game 0-0 against Chile.
They Came From A Land Down Under explores the struggles that Australia faced trying to establish themselves in international football, which included making three visits to Vietnam at the height of the Vietnam War, and the origin of the nickname the “Socceroos”.
The book also goes into detail about Scotland’s controversial tour to Australia in 1967, featuring Sir Alex Ferguson.
The three matches under coach Bobby Brown saw Sir Alex score three goals but were only recognised as full internationals and caps awarded by the Scottish Football in 2021.
Duncan, winner of the British Sports Journalists’ Association Sports Writer of the Year in 2004 and SJA Internet Sports Writer of the Year in 2009, said: “I was eight-years-old when the Socceroos qualified for the 1974 World Cup and we were fortunate enough to be living in West Germany at the time of the tournament so were able to go all three of the matches that Australia played.
“The experience has stayed with me and I have had a life-long fascination with the Socceroos and, in particular, that pioneering team.
“I had made a promise to my father before he died that I would tell the story of how his younger brother Jimmy gave up a promising career in Scotland to travel to Australia where he established himself as one of the country’s top players and ended up becoming a national hero.
“It has taken me 30 years to finally fulfil that promise and I hope he will be happy that I have done the story justice.”
They Came From A Land Down Under is now available for pre-order by clicking here.
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