The Hon Rod Kemp was Minister for the Arts and Sport from Friday 23 November 2001 to Tuesday 30 January 2007. This site is available for archival purposes only.

Australian Sports Minister Rod Kemp today expressed his deep sympathy at the passing of one of Australia's great sporting icons.

Johnny Warren will always live in the hearts of Australians but particularly those who remember him for his achievements in the sport of soccer - a sport which he loved so dearly and referred to passionately as the 'world game'.

His contribution to the sport was enormous.  As a player he captained the Socceroos and had the distinction of playing in the only Socceroo team to play in the World Cup back in 1974.

His love of the game made him a prominent commentator and it was his role as a commentator that perhaps lead him into another role for which soccer fans will be forever grateful - that of reformer.

He eagerly joined the Crawford review team into the management and structure of Australian Soccer and saw many of his aspirations for the game fulfilled when that reform process completed last year and the implementation began.  Only last week we saw the birth of a new national soccer league the Hyundai A-League.

Johnny Warren's contribution to soccer is immeasurable but one of his many and perhaps greatest legacies will be the outstanding contribution he made as a reformer.

I know soccer fans around the country will thank Johnny for what he has done not only for us now but for the future of Soccer in Australia.

MELBOURNE
7 November 2004

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