The Solar Daytime A Earth Football Game Superstar Came To Kgv Park

I was saddened to read today of the passing of Dragoslav Sekularac, aged 81, 1 the finest footballers of the 1960s as well as 1970s.

Indeed, his functioning for the old Yugoslavia at the World Cup inwards Republic of Chile inwards 1962 was outstanding.

The team, made upwards of Croatians, Serbians as well as players from the other republics of the old Yugoslavia, reached the semi-finals of the 1962 World Cup, where they were beaten yesteryear eventual finalists Czechoslovakia (a province that was also eventually broken upwards into the Czechia as well as Slovakia).

They also lost the third-place tally 1-0 to hosts Chile, but Sekularac was the histrion of the tournament.

He was described every bit the ‘Maradona’ of the 1962 World Cup.  Brian Glanville, the noted English linguistic communication football game writer, described his fashion of play thus:  “He would trounce an opponent with nonchalant ease, close every bit if it were a tedious necessity.”

They were the days when football game was, alongside other things, fun to watch.  Sekularac, similar the peachy Brazilian, Garrincha, would sometimes trounce an opponent as well as so come upwards dorsum as well as create it again.  It drove the fans into ecstasy.

The argue I am writing this is because Sekularac had a link with Tasmania as well as Commonwealth of Australia as well as I was fortunate plenty to encounter him as well as interview him.

He played for Yugoslavia at the Melbourne Olympics inwards 1956 as well as he had 2 stints every bit an NSL motorcoach inwards Australia, commencement with Footscray JUST inwards 1986 as well as 1987, as well as in 1 trial to a greater extent than inwards 1992-93 with Heidelberg United.

It was inwards 1993 that move brought Heidelberg to Tasmania to play the State squad at KGV Park.

Heidelberg won 3-0 as well as they also won the NSL Cup that twelvemonth on the national stage.  Tasmania’s David Clarkson, who began his career with Rapid as well as Hobart Juventus, was inwards the Heidelberg team.

The Tasmanian squad for that friendly, coached yesteryear Alex MacDonald, was:  Neil Connell, Andrew Joseph, Brett Murtagh, Wayne Boyd, John ‘Snow’ Compagne, Craig Pitt, Scott Young, David Stoddart, Ian Parker, Tommy McGinn, Anthony Guilbert, Bob Smith, Frank Genovesi, Roger Mies, David Meldrum as well as Carlo Ambrosino.

I approached Sekularac afterwards the game every bit he stood nether the steps leading upwards into the KGV Park grandstand (nearest the management building) as well as close the door to a alter room.

He was affable as well as talkative (he was fluent inwards English, Castilian as well as Portugese, apart from his native Serbian) as well as I asked him a enquiry I had ever wanted to enquire of a superstar footballer of the past.

I asked him whether he was envious of the modern footballing superstars who earned millions.

He said he wasn’t, as well as he compared his province of affairs to that of old peachy artists or painters whose run was non ever appreciated nor given total recognition inwards their lifetime, but whose industrial plant made millions for somebody else afterwards their death.  He shrugged off the apparent injustice with words to the resultant that, 'That's life'.

It didn’t surprise me, therefore, that his nicknames included “The Artist” as well as “The Magician”.

Indeed, at the 1962 World Cup, Pele was reputed to convey asked him if he had actually been born inwards Brazil rather than Yugoslavia as well as he before long acquired the nickname of “The Brazilian”.

Short inwards stature, Sekularac was renowned for having a quick temper as well as this oft got him into trouble.

While playing for Red Star Belgrade, he was suspended for xviii months for assaulting a referee. He also received a lengthy suspension for deliberately breaking an opponent’s leg.

On about other occasion, officials had to forbid him from getting to a referee afterwards a match, but he even so received a hefty suspension.

I justice fifty-fifty geniuses convey feet of clay at times.

Incidentally, Tasmania played 4 other friendlies inwards 1993.

They lost 3-0 at North Hobart to Japanese lodge Nagoya Grampus Eight, consummate with Gary Lineker, 6-0 to South Melbourne Hellas at Valley Road inwards Devonport, 6-1 to South Melbourne Hellas at KGV Park, as well as 2-1 to Victoria at KGV Park.

The Tasmanian squad for the South Melbourne as well as Victoria games was:  Neil Connell, Andrew Joseph, Brett Murtagh, Wayne Boyd, John ‘Snow’ Compagne, David Stoddart, Frank Genovesi, Ian Parker, Tommy McGinn, Anthony Guilbert, Romeo Frediani, David Meldrum, Bob Smith, Tom Huisgloot as well as Scott Young.