With Western Sydney Wanderers set to christen Bankwest Stadium on Saturday night 20 July in a friendly match against Leeds United, we publish an exclusive extract from Jason Goldsmith's forthcoming book, 'Surfing for England – Our Lost Socceroos', published by Fair Play Publishing (part of the Football Today network) next month. The match kicks-off at 7pm and tickets are available here.
In 1991-92, the final season before the English First Division would rebrand themselves as the English Premier League, Leeds United won their third title.
Leeds would finish four points ahead of Manchester United with a star-studded team that included internationals Gordon Strachan, Gary McAllister, David Batty, Gary Speed and Eric Cantona. Player of the year for Leeds United in their title winning season of 1991-92 was an Australian – Tony Dorigo.
Born in Melbourne in 1965 to an Australian mother and an Italian immigrant father, Dorigo moved to Adelaide at a young age as his mother’s family were from Peterborough in South Australia. A typical Australian sporting upbringing saw Dorigo dabble in cricket and Australian Rules football, but with an Italian father, the round ball game would become his first love.
Dorigo played for various clubs around Adelaide, teams such as Cumberland and Polonia, where his skill level was such that he always played in teams above his age group. His final move in Australian club football was to Adelaide City in the National Soccer League.
Adelaide City, formerly Juventus, is the biggest and most successful club in South Australia. It has the distinction of having more Socceroos playing for them than any other club in South Australia, and only powerhouse clubs Marconi in Sydney’s west and South Melbourne have had more. The likes of Alex Tobin, Milan Ivanovic, Aurelio Vidmar, Tony Vidmar and John Aloisi have all gone through Adelaide City. Tony Dorigo and John Moriarty are alumni as well.
Dorigo was extremely ambitious and already starting to plot a career overseas in England.
“At 15 I was training with the first team, which was a great experience but I thought I had hit the ceiling in Australia.”
Adelaide City had Englishman Justin Fashanu on loan for the 1980-81 season.
He had played for Norwich City and had just signed to Brian Clough’s Nottingham Forest, becoming England’s first £1 million transfer of a black footballer.
“Justin Fashanu had just come across and signed from Norwich and had scored that amazing goal, the goal of the year against Liverpool (BBC Goal of the year 1979-80). I just asked him so many things about England. I told him I just wanted to go to England too and when was the best time to do it. English football was on TV once a week and it looked amazing. That’s how it all started.”
The approach to English first division clubs was not unlike Craig Johnston. It all began with a letter writing campaign.
Picking the top 12 teams in the English first division Dorigo wrote three to four-page letters extolling his talents and asking for an opportunity.
Just like Johnston, only one club replied. It was Aston Villa.
“My dad and I just jumped on a plane and headed over.
“They only gave me a four-day trial. They didn’t want me on a Friday because they were doing set pieces for their game the next day, so that was it.”
Trialling in a Birmingham winter out of a South Australian summer would prove challenging. It was also Dorigo’s first time out of Australia, but two weeks after the trial Aston Villa signed him.
“I’m not sure where they were on my list (of clubs he wrote to). They actually won the title when I went there, and then the year after they won the European Cup as well. It was amazing that it ended up being them. The setup they’ve got at Villa is just superb for youth. It was a great club to go to.”
In 1984 Tony would make his first division debut for Aston Villa against Ipswich Town and would end up playing 111 times for the Villans in four seasons, including winning their Player of the Year in 1986.
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The seasons after Italia ‘90 were the better ones for Dorigo, transferring to Leeds from Chelsea in 1991 for £1.3 million. It was an unusual thrill for Dorigo, given his father’s allegiance to the West Yorkshire club.
“Growing up in Adelaide, as a little kid, you have these dreams and things.
“When Dad talked about Leeds, I thought ‘I’m not going to play for Leeds’ as they weren’t in the top division. I played for Villa, I played for Chelsea, and then low and behold years later I play for Leeds and we win the title. It was nuts.”
Leeds finished the 42-game season losing only four games, with 22 wins and16 draws.
Dorigo’s second season at Leeds United was the first season of the rebranded English Premier League and Leeds would end the season in 17th spot just two points clear of relegation. Nonetheless Dorigo was selected in the Premier League Team of the Year, and was selected in the England squad for the 1992 European Championships.
At the end his 1997 contract with Leeds United, Dorigo was approached to play for Torino in Italy by Scotland and Liverpool legend Graeme Souness. The two even had an unlikely South Australian connection.
Whilst Dorigo was growing up in Adelaide, Souness played six times for West Adelaide on loan in 1977 in the National Soccer League. Italy for Dorigo though, was a tremendous thrill given his heritage.
“That was wonderful. Italian football suited me very well. I’m clearly not a big physical player nor a technical fast player. I tried to go out and just play in Italy.
“Graeme Souness had always been trying to buy me for Rangers and at various points in my career. When he went to Torino, he asked me would I like to go also. I could have gone to Middlesbrough under Bryan Robson, but they were procrastinating, so when Graeme rang up for Torino and I thought ‘You know what, I know I’m 32, 33 but let’s give it a go’.
“To have another experience, it was brilliant. You learn so much by playing in another country and league. I thought I’d give it a go and I had a fantastic time, it was very different, so you’re still learning.
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In 2004 Leeds United produced a list of its top 100 players of all time. Tony Dorigo was voted 33rd. Australians Harry Kewell and Mark Viduka were also in the top 50. In all, he played 190 times for Leeds between 1991-1997.
'Surfing for England – Our Lost Socceroos' will be launched by Frank Farina at Gleebooks, Sydney, on Thursday 29 August. Entry is free with complimentary drinks and canapés. Please register via Gleebooks.
