Terry Venables, El Tel, former manager of Tottenham Hotspur, Barcelona, England and most importantly for me Australia. El Tel lead our unsuccessful campaign to qualify of the World Cup in France in 1998. I think he holds the distinction of leading the only nation who failed to qualify for a world cup despite being undefeated through the entire qualification campaign.
I can still remember the November night in 1997 now, a bunch of us at a school friends 16th birthday party huddled around a tiny TV in the shed watching in horror as we were unable to score a winner despite dozens of chances against Iran at the MCG. The shattered sinking feeling post match and the following 9 years in the wilderness. It was the first World Cup campaign I'd watch in its entirety, international debuts were handed out to a bunch of young Australians who would go on to be known as the golden generation. But on that night they were robbed and the country crushed by a cruel twist of fate. I can still remember Mr Football Johnny Warren crying inconsolably on live TV in the post game, its probably my saddest memory in sport.
vale El Tel