Harry Kewell

Harry Kewell (born 22 September 1978) is an Australian football coach and former player. He played for Leeds United, Liverpool, Galatasaray, Melbourne Victory, Al-Gharafa and Melbourne Heart. While at Leeds he was named the PFA Young Player of the Year in 2000. Internationally he has received 58 caps, and scored 17 goals, while playing for the Australian national team. A left winger also capable of playing as an attacking midfielder or second striker, he is often regarded within the media as "Australia's finest football export", despite his career being blighted with injury. In 2012, Kewell was named Australia's greatest footballer in a vote by Australian fans, players and media.
Kewell scored a goal against Croatia which took Australia through to the knockout stages of the 2006 FIFA World Cup, the Australian national team's second World Cup. He is a member of the Executive Committee of the Australian Professional Footballers' Association. Kewell also has a British passport through his father's heritage. Former Middlesbrough midfielder-turned pundit Robbie Mustoe named Kewell as one of the greatest players he had played against but questioned his consistency and attitude after his initial injuries. Former German international Michael Ballack has also highlighted Kewell's ability and inconsistency.
Kewell has represented Australia at the 1995 FIFA U-17 World Championship, the 1997 FIFA Confederations Cup, where Australia finished runners-up, the 2004 OFC Nations Cup, which Australia claimed for the fourth time, the 2006 FIFA World Cup, the 2007 AFC Asian Cup, the 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2011 AFC Asian Cup, where Australia finished runners-up.
Early life.
Harry Kewell was born on 22 September 1978 in Sydney, New South Wales, to an English father, Rod, and an Anglo-Australian mother, Helen. Harry grew up supporting Liverpool in English football's First Division. Kewell received his early schooling at Smithfield Public School and secondary schooling at St. Johns Park High School before transferring to Westfield Sports High School. Before becoming a teenager he played junior football for what was then called the Smithfield Hotspurs before switching to Marconi Fairfield as a teenager.
Club career.
Early career (1993).
At age 14, Kewell travelled to Thailand, Italy and England with the successful Marconi under-14 team that had recently won the state titles. The team played games against the junior team of Milan, as well as apprenticeship sides in England. This was the first time Kewell had been out of the country but provided him his first taste of football in Europe, having also attended a Premier League match for the first time as a spectator. At age 15, Kewell was offered the opportunity to travel back to England and trial with Premiership football club Leeds United for a period of four weeks as part of the Big Brother Movement in Australia. Kewell travelled to England with his future Socceroo teammate Brett Emerton. Both were successful during their trials at Leeds, however only Kewell was able to take up the club's offer due to his father's English heritage, which satisfied the visa requirements.
Leeds United (1995–2003).
Kewell played for three seasons in the Leeds United youth team. His first match for the youth team was against Sunderland in 1995, and he scored his first hat-trick against Rotherham on 7 December 1996. Kewell was handed his first team debut at age 17 in a 1–0 home defeat against Middlesbrough on 30 March 1996. In 1997, Kewell was part of the Leeds United youth-team that claimed the 1996–97 FA Youth Cup final in a 3–1 aggregate win against Crystal Palace. The first goal he scored for Leeds came some time later, in October 1997, in a 3–1 League Cup victory over Stoke City. Around that time, he was flatmates with Leeds goalkeeper Nicky Byrne, who would later become a member of boyband Westlife.
Kewell was sent off in the Leeds United-Galatasaray 1999–2000 UEFA Cup semi-final match. Playing mostly in a left midfield role and in attack, Kewell became one of Leeds' young stars in a troop of highly promising youngsters, eventually playing alongside fellow Australian Mark Viduka.
In the 1999–2000 season, on the back of his most successful season at Leeds where he also won PFA Young Player of the Year was selected in the PFA Team of the Year, Italian giants Internazionale had bid £25 million for Kewell, but Leeds rejected the offer, citing his value to their side. The high point of this period was when Kewell helped Leeds to the semi-final of the UEFA Champions League in 2000–01. The club, however, began to suffer financial difficulties and, by 2002–03, having sold many of their best players, Kewell's efforts in front of goal merely delayed Leeds' slide from being relegated from the Premiership. Kewell's efforts at Leeds United gained him international recognition for his talents. He scored 45 goals in over 180 appearances for Leeds over eight years.
Kewell left Leeds under acrimonious circumstances. In an interview given to the BBC shortly before his move to Liverpool, Kewell strongly criticised the staff at the club, stating that the medical staff loved Lucas Radebe and that his teammates had ostracised him.
Liverpool (2003–2008).
Having rejected more financially enticing offers from Milan, Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal and Barcelona, Kewell moved to the club he supported as a boy, Liverpool for the start of the 2003–04 season. Kewell was handed the famous number seven shirt, surrendered by Vladimír Šmicer.
Kewell's transfer was controversial because it was alleged by former England captain Gary Lineker in an article in July 2003 that a significant portion (£2 million of the £5 million) went to Kewell's unregistered agent Bernie Mandic to ensure that he ended up at Anfield. In a related matter, Kewell sued Lineker in 2005 for defamation of character, but, with the jury unable to agree on a verdict, the parties had to settle out of court.
Kewell made his debut for Liverpool in the opening game of the 2003–04 Premier League season, a 2–1 home loss to Chelsea on 17 August 2003. Kewell scored his first ever goal for Liverpool in a 3–0 away win over great rivals Everton in the Merseyside derby with a great first time strike. Kewell completed his first ever season at Anfield equal second with Emile Heskey by scoring seven goals, nine behind Michael Owen as Liverpool's top goalscorer for the 2003–04 Premier League season. Kewell also finished as Liverpool's top scorer in the 2003–04 UEFA Cup, scoring goals against Olimpija Ljubljana, Steaua București and Levski Sofia which ended Kewell's season total of ten goals. Kewell kicked off his 2004–05 season poorly, failing to score in his first 14 matches, due to injury problems. He did finally score his first goal in round 15 of the Premier League in a 1–1 away draw against Aston Villa, and that was his only Premier League goal of the season, making this one of his worst seasons ever. Kewell started and played in the 2005 League Cup final and the 2005 Champions League final.
On 25 May 2005, Kewell became the only Australian-born player (Craig Johnston was born in South Africa) to win the UEFA Champions League, playing in Liverpool's win over Milan in the 2005 Champions League final on penalties. Kewell was controversially selected by manager Rafael Benítez ahead of the defensive midfielder Dietmar Hamann, signalling the club's intent to attack from the outset. The gamble proved unsuccessful, and an injured Kewell was substituted early in the first half with a torn abductor muscle. Liverpool were losing 1–0 at the time and Kewell was booed off the pitch by Liverpool fans with many suggesting he had faked the injury. It also emerged during the summer of 2005 that Kewell had been playing throughout the season with an undiagnosed sports hernia, also known as "Gilmore's groin".
In November 2005, after recovering from the injury sustained during the final, Kewell spoke to the official Liverpool website, saying that he had a strong desire to repay his manager Rafael Benítez for showing confidence in him by fielding him in the Champions League final. He also thanked his wife and friends for the support shown to him while he recovered from injury. He also re-stated the severity of the injury which had forced him off in the final and told his doubters that they were misguided to question the severity of his injury.
Kewell's form for Liverpool in the 2005–06 FA Premier League season showed what he was truly capable of, scoring goals and plenty of assists, lending support to his assertion that his prior mediocre performance was the result of poor health rather than apathy. Kewell scored his first league goal at Anfield in over two years when Liverpool beat Tottenham Hotspur 1–0 in January, he was also the only scorer when Liverpool beat Manchester City 1–0 at Anfield and scored the last goal in a 3–1 win over derby rivals Everton just under a month later. Kewell was also one of Liverpool's best performers in the FA Cup semi-final win over Chelsea which Liverpool won 2–1.
Kewell played in the 2006 FA Cup final, only to be substituted in the 48th minute due to abdominal pains (the supporters reaction this time was more sympathetic compared to the previous year's Champions League final). It was later confirmed by Liverpool that he had torn a groin muscle, but was expected to be fit for the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
On 30 April 2007, Kewell made his comeback after almost a year out of club football. He came on as a 55th-minute substitute for Liverpool Reserves in a "mini-derby" against Everton Reserves. On 5 May 2007, he came on as a substitute in the second half of Liverpool's match against Fulham at Craven Cottage, having not played for Liverpool since his substitution in the 2006 FA Cup final. On 13 May 2007, Kewell came on as a substitute in the second half against Charlton Athletic in the last match of the Premier League season, where he scored his last ever goal for the club. Speculation on whether he was to be selected in Liverpool's upcoming Champions League final in Athens rapidly became positive for Kewell after providing an excellent game against Charlton. Kewell provided a cross in for Dirk Kuyt to assist towards a Xabi Alonso goal and then scored a penalty on the 90th minute. He played in the Champions League final in Athens, appearing as a second-half substitute for Boudewijn Zenden, however Liverpool lost the final 2–1 to Milan.
Kewell was injured for the start of the 2007–08 season, and he faced an uncertain future at Liverpool having suffered yet another injury, which sidelined him for the first month of the Premier League season. Kewell returned as a substitute in Liverpool's League Cup victory over Cardiff City on 31 October, coming on in the 71st minute. He then came on as a substitute in the Premier League and Champions League against Blackburn and Beşiktaş respectively. Kewell put in a great performance by setting up two goals for Fernando Torres and Dirk Kuyt as Liverpool beat Marseille in impressive fashion 4–0 away victory to secure qualification to the knockout phase of the Champions League. After his return, Liverpool manager Rafael Benítez stated on the club's website and to other members of the media that a new contract for Kewell to continue his career at Anfield was not out of the question. Many believed that if Kewell could stay injury free until the season's end he would be offered the chance to remain with the club.
Kewell found himself unable to make the team after Liverpool's FA Cup defeat to Barnsley. His chances of a new contract were hindered, however; when seeking games and match fitness, he travelled with his national team to play in a game against Singapore. Kewell returned to England with a groin strain, unfortunately leaving less time to prove himself worthy of a new deal. His first goal of the 2007–08 season was for the Liverpool reserve team in their 2–0 win over rivals Manchester United. Because of injuries, his future at Liverpool was uncertain. In May 2008, it was revealed Liverpool would not be offering Kewell a new contract at the club.
Galatasaray (2008–2011).
On 5 July 2008, reigning Turkish Süper Lig champions Galatasaray signed Kewell to a two-year contract, presenting him with the number 19 shirt.
Upon signing, Kewell said, "I wanted to move on and this is the best way. I can't wait to get started, it's just what I'm looking forward to, a new challenge." His transfer to Galatasaray provoked strong criticism from fans and teammates of his former club Leeds United as he was a Leeds player when two of their fans were killed in clashes before a UEFA Cup semi-final against Galatasaray in Istanbul in April 2000. Kewell responded and in an open letter he stated, "I chose the No 19 shirt when I signed for Galatasaray SK as a sign of respect for Leeds because that was the number I got when I first became a regular member of the Leeds United starting XI. I felt that it might be a way to demonstrate that I had not forgotten where it all started and I was hoping that in a small way it would help the healing process of the tragedy that occurred on 5 April 2000. To blame the Galatasaray club for the tragedy in Istanbul is simply wrong and discriminatory."
Kewell made his debut for Galatasaray in the Turkish Super Cup where he came on as a substitute on the 66th minute, scoring his first goal for Galatasaray just 20 seconds later with his first touch in the 2–1 win over Kayserispor, while also providing the assist for the second goal. His second goal for the club came in the first league match of the season against Denizlispor, which Galatasaray won 4–1. On 23 October 2008, Kewell scored the only goal in Galatasaray's UEFA Cup win over Olympiacos. One week later, Kewell played in Galatasaray's first Turkish Cup match where they drew 1–1 with Ankaraspor.
On 2 November 2008, Kewell scored his fourth league goal in Galatasaray's home win over Gaziantepspor, after a week full of overwhelming speculations in the Turkish media about his injury. Following medical consultations in Australia, it was announced on 12 December 2008 that Kewell would need surgery to repair an inguinal hernia, and the operation took place on 15 December 2008. Of the nine matches that Kewell had scored in before his injury, Galatasaray had won them all, including two UEFA Cup matches, six Süper Lig matches and a Turkish Super Cup match.
In a UEFA Cup round of 32 match against Bordeaux, Kewell scored a goal from 35 metres from goal, bringing the score to 2–1. Galatasaray ended up winning the match and proceeding to the round of 16. On 12 March 2009, during the UEFA Cup round of 16 match against Hamburger SV, Kewell had to play as a centre-back for 40 minutes after the sending off of teammate Emre Aşık, but managed to fulfill the role adequately despite playing out of position. In the second leg of the round of 16 clash, he was again played as a centre-back, scoring a penalty while doing so.
In the 2009–10 season, Kewell scored 14 goals in 28 matches in all competitions. He netted 9 times in 17 league appearances, playing as the main striker in most matches due to an injured Milan Baroš. In a 2009–10 Turkish Cup play-off, Kewell scored in a 2–1 win against Bucaspor on 28 October 2009 to put the side into the group stage phase of the tournament. Finishing on top of their group, Galatasaray were eliminated at the quarter-final stage against Antalyaspor. During the 2009–10 UEFA Europa League qualifying rounds, Kewell scored Galatasaray's second goal in a 4–1 away win against Israeli club Maccabi Netanya on 30 July 2009. Kewell would then score in a 5–0 win against Estonia's Levadia Tallinn on 20 August 2009. Galatsaray qualified for the group stage phase. On 22 October 2009, Kewell scored in a 4–1 win over Dinamo București in Istanbul. In the return leg on 5 November 2009, he scored after 22 minutes in an eventual 3–0 Galatasaray victory. Galatasaray faced Atlético Madrid in the 2009–10 UEFA Europa League knockout phase where they lost 3–2 on aggregate to the eventual champions.
On 15 August 2009, Kewell scored two penalties in a 4–1 home win to Denizlispor. Almost two weeks later, on 31 August, he scored a goal after 74 minutes in a 2–0 away win to Ankaraspor on matchday 4 of the Süper Lig season. Kewell scored his fourth goal of the campaign in a 4–3 win to Trabzonspor on 18 October. Two weeks later, he scored in a 2–0 win to Sivasspor at home on 1 November. By matchday 13, Kewell scored his sixth goal of the domestic season in a 1–1 draw to Manisaspor on 22 November. Two weeks later, on 6 December, he scored after 56 minutes in a 1–1 draw to İstanbul BŞB. Just five days later, in an away game against Antalyaspor, the game was locked at 2–2 until after 67 minutes Kewell broke the deadlock to win the match for Galatasaray 3–2 on 11 December. On 19 December, Kewell would score his ninth and final goal for Galatasaray in the 2009–10 season in a 1–0 win to Gençlerbirliği, where he netted on the 77-minute. In January, fellow "Socceroo" teammate and captain Lucas Neill would join Kewell at Galatasaray after he was transferred from Everton. Under coach Frank Rijkaard, Galatasaray finished third on the 2010–11 Süper Lig table, thereby qualifying for the 2010–11 Europa League third qualifying round, where Kewell's contract with Galatasaray expired after the 2009–10 season.
On 16 July 2010, it was revealed that Kewell had rejected an approach from A-League side Gold Coast United in favour of staying in Europe. Galatasaray offered a new one-year contract, but it is believed that Kewell preferred a longer-term contract. On 19 July 2010, Galatasaray announced via its official website that the parties had agreed to a one-year extension of Kewell's contract. On 21 July, the details of Kewell's contract were revealed: he would receive a lump sum fee of €1.8 million and a salary of €30,000 per match. It was also revealed that Kewell would wear number 99 for the 2010–11 season. Kewell scored his first goal of the 2010–11 season in a 1–0 win against Gaziantepspor on 14 September 2010. Kewell scored his second goal of the season against Beşiktaş in a 2–1 loss on 29 November; having been down 2–0, Kewell scored for Galatasary after 90 minutes. Kewell opened the scoring after 27 minutes as Galatasary beat Kasımpaşa 3–0 on 5 December 2010.
On 7 February 2011, Kewell scored Galatasaray's third goal in a 4–2 win against Eskişehirspor, he was substituted off the field after 63 minutes for Milan Baroš, who would then score Galatasaray's fourth goal. Following a solid but not sensational season at Galatasaray, there had been continual speculation that Kewell could be heading back home to Australia, with the Newcastle Jets reportedly a keen investor. The interest in the "Socceroo" coincided with Nathan Tinkler buying out the Novocastrian club in late 2010. Kewell scored his last goal for Galatasaray in a 3–2 away win against Gençlerbirliği on 15 May 2011. On 19 May 2011, Kewell's wife, Sheree Murphy, posted on Twitter that Harry would play his last game for Galatasary against Konyaspor because no contract had been offered to him. Galatasaray finished in eighth spot on the Süper Lig table with 46 points, as Kewell scored 5 goals in 20 appearances for the 2010–11 season.
Kewell was a fan favourite among Galatasaray supporters; his working discipline and dignified personality were appreciated by his teammates and board members in Galatasaray as well. He was described as fully professional with a charming character, always smiling and dedicated to his family. His nicknames at Galatasaray were "Büyücü Harry", meaning "Harry the Wizard" (inspired by "Harry Potter") and the "Wizard of Oz" (Turkish: "Oz Büyücüsü").
Melbourne Victory (2011–2012).
On 20 August 2011, it was announced Kewell had signed a three-year contract with A-League club Melbourne Victory. Melbourne was hyped up with "Kewell Fever" with many hundreds of fans welcoming him at Melbourne Airport and over two thousand fans attending AAMI Park, where he was given his number 22 jersey by chairman Anthony Di Pietro. Kewell played his first friendly against Adelaide United on 23 August at Hindmarsh Stadium, coming off at half-time. Coach Mehmet Durakovic rated his performance as "phenomenal" and went on to say, "Harry's really a professional footballer, and should be ready for 8 October."
Kewell made his first appearance in the 2011–12 A-League season in a 0–0 draw against Sydney FC on 8 October in front of an attendance of 40,000 at Etihad Stadium. Kewell scored his first goal for the Victory from a penalty against Gold Coast United on 26 November 2011 at AAMI Park, Melbourne, after teammate Archie Thompson was brought down in the box in the first minute. On 31 December 2011, at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, Kewell scored his second goal in the fourth minute from a cracking shot outside of the box. After a slow start to his debut A-League season, he started to get his talented form back, resulting in a few best on ground performances. His fourth goal came from a free-kick just outside the box against Gold Coast United in Launceston, Tasmania, on 1 February 2012. His goal, however, was not enough to seal the match, as Melbourne conceded a late goal in the last minute from Gold Coast's Michael Thwaite to end in a 1–1 draw.
Kewell scored his fifth goal against Central Coast Mariners on 10 February from a cracking volley in the box which helped Melbourne get a crucial 2–1 win over the top side. It allowed Melbourne Victory a hope of making the finals with six matches remaining. On 18 February, Kewell scored two goals at Suncorp Stadium to give Melbourne a hope of drawing against Brisbane Roar in a classic 3–2 loss. He was taken off in the 77-minute which resulted in Melbourne Victory having a few less chances of scoring. He has scored three goals from two matches at Suncorp Stadium. Kewell did not continue with the club after his first season and returned to Europe to be closer to his mother-in-law as she battled cancer.
Al-Gharafa (2013).
On 6 April 2013, Kewell signed to Al-Gharafa in the Qatar Stars League for the remainder of the 2012–13 season as an injury replacement for fellow Australian Mark Bresciano. Kewell made his debut on 7 April as a substitute against Al Sadd. Kewell finished his third and final game of the season in Qatar with his only goal, against Qatar SC on 18 April. With the current terms of his contractual commitments to Al-Garafa completed, Kewell was seen back in Melbourne around 48 hours later, with his future career uncertain.
Melbourne Heart (2013–2016).
In June 2013, it was announced that Kewell would play for Melbourne Heart in the 2013–14 A-League season. Following the first match of the season against Melbourne Victory, Kewell was diagnosed with whiplash, ruling him out for three weeks. In training for his matchday 5 return, Kewell suffered an ankle injury. On 26 March 2014, it was announced that Kewell would retire from professional football at the end of the A-League season. His last match was on 12 April 2014 against Western Sydney Wanderers.
On 19 October 2016, it was announced that Kewell had been chosen as the recipient of the Alex Tobin Medal, Australia's most prestigious football honour, for his achievements during the course of his career.
International career.
Kewell became the youngest player to debut for the Australia national team when he played against Chile on 24 April 1996, aged 17 years and 7 months.
1998 World Cup.
Qualification.
In November 1997, Kewell was selected to play for Australia in the 1998 FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Iran. At the Azadi Stadium in Tehran, in front of an estimated crowd of 100,000, Kewell scored his first ever goal for his country and gave Australia a 1–0 lead. Iran eventually drew level and the game resulted in a 1–1 draw, which set up a tense return game in Melbourne.
A then-record crowd for a football match in Australia of 85,513 – at the Melbourne Cricket Ground – witnessed the second leg of the World Cup qualifier against Iran, as well as Kewell's second goal. "The Socceroos" eventually stretched their lead to two goals but Iran fought back and scored two vital away goals to finish the game 2–2 and qualify for the 1998 World Cup in France on away goals.
1997 Confederations Cup.
A few months after failing to qualify for the World Cup, Kewell joined Australia as it competed in the 1997 FIFA Confederations Cup. After advancing past the groups stage Australia faced Uruguay in the semi-final. Kewell scored the decisive goal two minutes into extra time with a golden goal, immediately giving Australia a 1–0 victory. Australia then faced Brazil in the final, losing 6–0.
2002 World Cup.
Qualification.
Kewell joined Australia as they faced Uruguay in both legs of the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification (OFC–CONMEBOL play-off). In the first leg that was played in Melbourne, Australia led Uruguay 1–0. However, Uruguay pulled away with a 3–0 win in Montevideo. This meant Kewell and Australia spent another World Cup on the sidelines.
2003.
In February 2003, Australia made headlines by upsetting England. Kewell scored Australia's second goal of the match that ended 3–1. Later that year Kewell once again added to his goal scoring record against Jamaica in a 2–1 win.
2004 OFC Nations Cup.
Kewell featured in the final of the 2004 OFC Nations Cup. He featured in the second leg of the final against Solomon Islands, scoring in the 8th minute of the first half. Australia would go on to win the leg 5–0, with an overall record of 11-1 after both legs.
2006 World Cup.
Qualification.
On 16 November 2005, Australia qualified for the 2006 World Cup after they defeated Uruguay. It was the first time Australia had qualified for the World Cup since 1974 when it was held in West Germany. Kewell was considered instrumental in "the Socceroos"' defeat of Uruguay, turning the course of the match after he came on as a substitute. After just over half an hour in the first half, a flicked pass on the left wing from Mark Viduka opened up a chance for Kewell, who then scuffed the kick. However the ball fell perfectly for Mark Bresciano who went on to score the equalizer. Kewell also scored the first penalty for Australia in the deciding penalty shoot-out, which they went on to win 4–2.
Finals.
Kewell played in Australia's opening game of the 2006 World Cup against Japan in Kaiserslautern. He did not start for Australia in their second group match against Brazil, but again came on as a substitute, missing an early opportunity when Brazilian goalkeeper Dida punched the ball out dangerously. Kewell was reported to FIFA by referee Markus Merk for verbal abuse after the match but he escaped being sanctioned.
Kewell scored Australia's second goal in the 79th minute against Croatia to equal the score at 2–2 and qualify for the round of 16 for the first time. Australia only needed a draw to qualify for the round of 16. He was also awarded Man of the Match for his performance, which made him the second Australian to win the Man of the Match award at a World Cup after Tim Cahill who had won the award earlier in the tournament for his performance against Japan. Due to suspected gout, (later diagnosed as septic arthritis – a bacterial infection in the joints of his left foot) Kewell was unable to play against Italy in the knockout stage, which Australia lost 1–0 and saw Australia eliminated from the tournament.
2007 Asian Cup.
Kewell did not play for the national team for a year following the World Cup, and made his national-team comeback in a friendly against Singapore on 30 June 2007. The match was Australia's last before the 2007 Asian Cup and Kewell came on as a substitute in the 65th minute, scoring his eighth international goal and providing a cross for the final goal in a 3–0 victory. Kewell was a key part of the Australian squad for their first Asian Cup. Kewell scored his ninth international goal for Australia in a 4–0 win over Thailand in the Asian Cup. After the group stage, in the quarter-final against Japan, Kewell was sent on to the pitch to replace Mark Viduka in the 61st minute, in a 1–1 draw. A penalty shootout was required to break the deadlock and Kewell's first penalty shot for Australia was stopped. Australia ultimately lost the shootout and were eliminated from the competition.
2010 World Cup.
Qualification.
Kewell did not play either of Australia's first two matches against Qatar and China. Kewell was made captain for Australia's qualifier against Iraq at Suncorp Stadium on 1 June 2008. He scored the only goal with a header in the 47th minute as Australia won 1–0. Kewell also scored the third goal against Qatar in Australia's 3–1 win to put them into the final qualification round. In a World Cup qualifier warm-up match against the Netherlands, he scored a penalty won by Joshua Kennedy. Australia went on to win 2–1 with Kewell playing a vital part for the national team in the first half. Australia then played Uzbekistan, winning 2–0 with Kewell scoring a penalty.
Finals.
Kewell did not play in Australia's opening game of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, a 4–0 loss to Germany. After the loss, Kewell said that the morale of the team remained high, ahead of a clash against Ghana. During the match against Ghana on 19 June, Kewell was sent off for blocking a goal by handling the ball. Standing on the goal line, Kewell attempted to block the ball from entering the goal net with his chest, however the ball ricocheted off his arm; he received a straight red card for the offence on the 24-minute. Asamoah Gyan went on to score the resulting penalty and the game was drawn 1–1, severely damaging Australia's hopes of progressing past the group stage. This was the 150th red card issued in a World Cup match. Kewell denied rumours that he was behind a supposed rift in "the Socceroos" camp. After the match, Kewell said that he was devastated by the decision made by referee Roberto Rosetti and felt that the red card "killed" his World Cup dream.
2011 Asian Cup.
Kewell started in all of "the Socceroos"' matches in the 2011 AFC Asian Cup, scoring three times for the "green and gold" in the Qatar-based tournament. His first goal came in Australia's first match, against India, with a left-footed shot from outside the penalty area. Kewell's second goal came in Australia's quarter-final match against Iraq with a header in the 118th minute in extra-time, which gave Australia a 1–0 win and put them into the semi-finals of the Asian Cup for the first time in Australia's history. Kewell continued his fine form in the semi-final against Uzbekistan by opening the scoring in the first five minutes, helping his side to a 6–0 win and progress to the final, where they were beaten 1–0 by Japan.
2014 World Cup qualifiers.
In February 2012, Kewell scored his last goal for Australia in a 4–2 win over Saudi Arabia in Melbourne. He played his final game for Australia against Oman on 8 June 2012, the game finished 0–0.
Management career.
Following his retirement, Kewell worked with junior players through his academy in Australia for a few months, and in 2015 he successfully completed his UEFA B and A licenses.
Watford.
On 23 July 2015, Kewell was appointed head coach of the Watford Under-21 team. On 10 August 2015, Kewell coached his first game for the club, ending in a 0–0 draw at Sheffield Wednesday.
Crawley Town.
On 23 May 2017, Kewell was appointed head coach of League Two club Crawley Town, becoming the first Australian to coach a professional English side. Warren Feeney was appointed assistant manager to Kewell. Kewell's managerial debut on 5 August was a 3–1 home loss to Port Vale.
Notts County.
On 31 August 2018, Kewell was appointed manager of fellow League Two club Notts County, being officially announced three days later. On 13 November 2018, he was sacked after 14 games in charge; he had won three and the team were in 22nd place.
Oldham Athletic.
On 1 August 2020, Kewell was appointed as manager of Oldham Athletic on a one-year contract with the option to extend for a further year. He became their fifth manager in the last 12 months.
He oversaw a poor first full month in charge with the side going six games without a victory in October, later achieving a record of 11 wins, 6 draws and 15 defeats for a 32% win rate.
On 7 March 2021, it was announced by Oldham Athletic that Kewell, and his assistant, Alan Maybury, had been relieved of his duties as manager. Kewell left Oldham with the club in 16th place in League Two, above their position in the previous season and having achieved wins against promotion contenders Newport, Forest Green and Salford in his last month in charge.
Personal life.
Kewell was born in Smithfield, Sydney. He is married to English soap actress Sheree Murphy, whom he met at the Majestyk nightclub in Leeds in 2000. The couple married in Las Vegas, Nevada, on 24 May 2002 and have four children.
As of May 2008, Kewell became the face of Australian men's fashion brand Politix. He advocated the introduction of Western Sydney A-League expansion team Sydney Rovers, having grown up in Smithfield in Sydney's west. He is also a supporter of Australian rugby league club Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs of the National Rugby League.
Honours.
Club.
Leeds United
Liverpool
Galatasaray
International.
Australia U17
Australia U20
Australia
Individual.
Orders


Vince Lombardi

Vincent Thomas Lombardi (June 11, 1913 – September 3, 1970) was an American football coach, and executive in the National Football League (NFL). He is best known as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers during the 1960s, where he led the team to three straight and five total NFL Championships in seven years, in addition to winning the first two Super Bowls at the conclusion of the 1966 and 1967 NFL seasons.
Lombardi began his coaching career as an assistant and later as a head coach at St. Cecilia High School in Englewood, New Jersey. He was an assistant coach at Fordham, at the United States Military Academy, and with the New York Giants before becoming a head coach for the Green Bay Packers from 1959 to 1967 and the Washington Redskins in 1969.
He never had a losing season as a head coach in the NFL, compiling a regular-season winning percentage of 73.8% (96–34–6), and 90% (9–1) in the postseason for an overall record of 105 wins, 35 losses, and 6 ties in the NFL.
Lombardi is considered by many to be the greatest coach in football history, and he is recognized as one of the greatest coaches and leaders in the history of all American sports.
The year after his sudden death from cancer in 1970, he was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and the NFL Super Bowl trophy was named in his honor.
Early years.
Lombardi was born on June 11, 1913, in the Sheepshead Bay neighborhood of Brooklyn to Enrico "Harry" Lombardi (1889–1971) and Matilda "Mattie" Izzo (1891–1972). Harry's mother and father, Vincenzo and Michelina, emigrated from Salerno, Italy. Mattie's father and mother, Anthony and Loretta, emigrated from Vietri di Potenza, Basilicata. Harry had three siblings, and Matilda had 12. Vince was the oldest of five children, Madeleine, Harold, Claire, and Joe. The entire Lombardi and Izzo clan settled in Sheepshead Bay.
Matilda's father, Anthony, opened up a barber shop in Sheepshead Bay before the turn of the century. At about the time of Lombardi's birth, Harry, and his brother, Eddie, opened a butcher shop in the Meatpacking District of Manhattan. Throughout the Great Depression, Harry's shop did well, and his family prospered. Lombardi grew up in an ethnically diverse, middle-class neighborhood.
Church attendance was mandatory for the Lombardis on Sundays. Mass would be followed with an equally compulsory few hours of dinner with friends, extended family members, and local clergy. Lombardi himself was an altar boy at St. Mark's Catholic Church. Outside their local neighborhood, the Lombardi children were subject to the rampant ethnic discrimination that existed at the time against Italian immigrants and their descendants. As a child, Lombardi helped his father at his meat cutting business, but grew to hate it. At the age of 12 he started playing in an uncoached but organized football league in Sheepshead Bay.
High school.
Lombardi graduated from the eighth grade at P.S. 206 at age 15 in 1928. He then matriculated with the Cathedral Preparatory Seminary a part of Cathedral College of the Immaculate Conception in Brooklyn, a six-year secondary program to become a Catholic priest. At Cathedral, he played on the school's baseball and basketball teams, but his performance was hindered by his poor athleticism and eyesight. Against school rules, he continued to play football off-campus throughout his studies at Cathedral. After completing four years at Cathedral he decided not to pursue the priesthood. He enrolled at St. Francis Preparatory high school for the fall of 1932. There he became a Charter Member of Omega Gamma Delta fraternity. His playing as a fullback on the Terriers' football team earned him a spot on the virtual All-City football team.
Fordham University.
In 1933, Lombardi received a football scholarship to Fordham University in the Bronx to play for the Fordham Rams and Coach Jim Crowley, who was one of the Four Horsemen of Notre Dame in the 1920s. During his freshman year, Lombardi proved to be an aggressive and spirited player on the football field. Prior to the beginning of his sophomore year, Lombardi was projected to start games at the tackle position. Lombardi was only 5'8" and about 180 pounds and was classified as undersized for the position.
In his senior year of 1936, he was the right guard in the Seven Blocks of Granite, a nickname given by a Fordham University publicist to the Fordham University football team's offensive front line. In a game against Pitt, he suffered a severe gash inside his mouth and had several teeth knocked out. He missed most of the remainder of the game, until he was called in on defense for a successful goal-line stand that preserved a scoreless tie. The Rams were 5–0–2 before losing in the final game of the season, 7–6, to NYU. The loss destroyed all hopes of Fordham playing in the Rose Bowl and taught Lombardi a lesson he would never forget — never to underestimate your opponent.
Early career.
Lombardi graduated from Fordham University on June 16, 1937. The economic outlook of the Great Depression offered him few opportunities for a career. For the next two years, he showed no discernible career path or ambition. He tried his hand at semi-professional football with the Wilmington Clippers of the American Association and as a debt collector, but those efforts very quickly proved to be failures. With his father's strong support, he enrolled in Fordham Law School in September 1938. Although he did not fail any classes, he believed his grades were so poor that he dropped out after one semester. Later in life, he would explain to others that he was close to graduating, but his desire to start and support a family forced him to leave law school and get a job. He would also join the Brooklyn Eagles.
Coaching career.
St. Cecilia High School.
In 1939, Lombardi wanted to marry his girlfriend, Marie Planitz, but he deferred at his father's insistence because he needed a steady job to support himself and a family; he would marry Marie the following year. In 1939, Lombardi accepted an assistant coaching job at St. Cecilia, a Catholic high school in Englewood, New Jersey. He was offered the position by the school's new head coach, Lombardi's former Fordham teammate, quarterback Andy Palau. Palau had just taken over the head coaching position from another Fordham teammate, Nat Pierce (left guard), who had accepted an assistant coach's job back at Fordham. In addition to coaching, Lombardi, age 26, also taught Latin, chemistry, and physics for an annual salary of under $1,000.
Andy Palau left for Fordham in 1942 and Lombardi became the head coach at St. Cecilia. Lombardi stayed a total of eight years, five as head coach. In 1943, St. Cecilia's was recognized as the top football team in the nation, in large part based on their victory over Brooklyn Prep, a Jesuit school considered one of the best teams on the American eastern seaboard. Brooklyn Prep that season was led by senior Joe Paterno, who, like Lombardi, would rise to legend status in football. Lombardi won six championships, and became the president of the Bergen County Coaches' Association.
Fordham.
In 1947, Lombardi became the coach of freshman teams in football and basketball at his alma mater, Fordham University. The following year, he was an assistant coach for the varsity football team under head coach Ed Danowski, but he was arguably the "de facto" head coach.
West Point.
Following the 1948 season, Lombardi accepted an assistant's job, at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, a position that greatly influenced his future coaching style. He was offensive line coach under legendary head coach Earl "Colonel Red" Blaik. "As integral as religion was to [Lombardi's] sense of self, it was not until he reached West Point and combined his spiritual discipline with Blaik's military discipline that his coaching persona began to take its mature form." Blaik's emphasis on execution would become a trademark of Lombardi's coaching style. Lombardi coached at West Point for five seasons, with varying results. The 1949 and 1950 seasons were successful, but the 1951 and 1952 were not, due to the aftermath of a cadet cribbing scandal (a violation of the Cadet Honor Code) which was revealed in the spring of 1951. As a result, 43 of the 45 members of the varsity football team were discharged by administrative order. "Decades later, looking back on his rise, Lombardi came to regard ..." Blaik's decision not to resign "... as a pivotal moment in his [own] career" — it taught him "perseverance". After the seasons of 1951 and 1952 not much was expected from the 1953 team as it had also lost six players due to academic failure. The team of 1953 however did go on to be 7–1–1, as Lombardi had a bigger role than ever in coaching the team. Following these five seasons at Army, Lombardi accepted an assistant coaching position with the New York Giants.
New York Giants.
At age 41 in 1954, Lombardi began his NFL career with the New York Giants. He accepted a job that would later become known as the offensive coordinator position under new head coach Jim Lee Howell. The Giants had finished the previous season under 23-year coach Steve Owen with a 3–9 record. By his third season in 1956, Lombardi, along with the defensive coordinator, former All-Pro cornerback turned coach Tom Landry, turned the squad into a championship team, defeating the Chicago Bears 47–7 for the league title. "Howell readily acknowledged the talents of Lombardi and Landry, and joked self-deprecatingly, that his main function was to make sure the footballs had air in them." At points in his tenure as an assistant coach at West Point, and as an assistant coach with the Giants, Lombardi worried that he was unable to land a head coaching job due to prejudice against his Italian heritage, especially with respect to Southern colleges. Howell wrote numerous recommendations for Lombardi to aid him in obtaining a head coaching position. Lombardi applied for head coaching positions at Wake Forest, Notre Dame, and other universities and, in some cases, never received a reply. In New York, Lombardi introduced the strategy of rule blocking to the NFL. In rule blocking, the offensive lineman would block an area, and not necessarily a particular defensive player, as was the norm up to that time. The running back then was expected to run toward any hole that was created. Lombardi referred to this as "running to daylight".
Green Bay Packers.
1959.
The Green Bay Packers, with six future Hall of Famers on the roster in 1958, finished at 1–10–1 under head coach Ray McLean, the worst record in Packer history. The players were dispirited, the Packer shareholders were disheartened, and the Green Bay community was enraged. The angst in Green Bay extended to the NFL as a whole, as the financial viability and the very existence of the Green Bay Packer franchise were in jeopardy. On February 2, 1959, Lombardi accepted the position of head coach and general manager of the Packers. He demanded and got full control over the football side of the operation. He left no doubt of this when he told the executive committee, "I want it understood that I am in complete command here."
Lombardi's assertion of "complete command" applied to the players as well. For his first training camp, he instituted harsh regimens and demanded absolute dedication and effort from his players. The Packers were an immediate improvement in 1959 at 7–5, and rookie head coach Lombardi was named Coach of the Year. The fans appreciated what Lombardi was trying to do, and responded by selling out every game for the 1960 season. Every Packers home game—preseason, regular season and playoffs—has been sold out ever since.
1960–66.
In his second year in 1960, Green Bay won the NFL Western Conference for the first time since 1944. This victory, along with his well-known religious convictions led the Green Bay community to anointing him with the nickname "The Pope." Lombardi led the Packers to the Championship Game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Before the championship game, Lombardi met with Wellington Mara and advised him that he would not take the Giants' head coaching job, which was initially offered after the end of the 1959 season. In the final play of the game, in a drive that would have won it, the Packers were stopped a few yards from the goal line. Lombardi had suffered his first, and only, championship game loss. After the game, and after the press corps had left the locker room, Lombardi told his team, "This will never happen again. You will never lose another championship." In later years as coach of the Packers, Lombardi made it a point to admonish his running backs that if they failed to score from one yard out, he would consider it a personal affront to him and he would seek retribution. He coached the Packers to win their next nine post-season games, a record streak not matched or broken until Bill Belichick won ten straight from 2002 to 2006 with New England. The Packers defeated the Giants for the NFL title in 1961 (37–0 in Green Bay) and 1962 (16–7 at Yankee Stadium), marking the first two of their five titles in Lombardi's seven years. After the 1962 championship win, President John F. Kennedy called Lombardi and asked him if he would "come back to Army and coach again." Kennedy received Lombardi's tacit refusal of the request. His only other post-season loss occurred to the St. Louis Cardinals in the third-place Playoff Bowl after the 1964 season (officially classified as an exhibition game).
Including postseason but excluding exhibition games, Lombardi compiled a 105–35–6 (.740) record as head coach, and never suffered a losing season. He led the Packers to three consecutive NFL championships — in 1965, 1966, and 1967 — a feat accomplished only once before in the history of the league, by Curly Lambeau, co-founder of the Packers, who coached the team to their first three straight NFL Championships in 1929, 1930, and 1931. At the conclusion of the 1966 and 1967 seasons, Lombardi's Packers won the first two Super Bowls, for championships in five of seven seasons.
Packers Sweep.
As coach of the Packers, Lombardi converted Notre Dame quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Paul Hornung to a full-time halfback. Lombardi also designed a play for fullback Jim Taylor: both guards, Jerry Kramer and Fuzzy Thurston, pulled to the outside and blocked downfield while Taylor would "run to daylight" — i.e., wherever the defenders weren't. This was a play that he had originally developed with the Giants for Frank Gifford. It soon became known as the Packers sweep (or Lombardi sweep), though Lombardi openly admitted it was based on an old single wing concept.
Ice Bowl.
In 1967, Lombardi's Packers hosted the Dallas Cowboys in Green Bay on December 31 in the NFL Championship Game, a rematch of the previous season. This became known as the "Ice Bowl" because of the game-time temperature. Lombardi had a heating coil underneath the field but on this day it was not functioning. Some people believe that he turned it off on purpose. With 16 seconds left in the game and down by three points, the Packers called their final time-out. It was 3rd and goal on the Dallas two-foot line. In the huddle, with the game on the line, Quarterback Bart Starr asked Kramer whether he could get enough traction on the icy turf for a wedge play and Kramer responded with an unequivocal yes. Starr came over to Lombardi on the sidelines to discuss the last play and told him he wanted to run a 31 wedge, but with him keeping the ball. Lombardi told Starr to 'Run it! And let's get the hell out of here!' Lombardi was asked by Pat Peppler what play Starr would call, to which Lombardi replied, 'Damned if I know.' Starr returned to the huddle and called a Brown right 31 Wedge, but with him keeping the ball. Kramer blocked Jethro Pugh low and Ken Bowman hit Pugh high as Starr followed them into the end zone for the Packer lead and assured victory.
Washington Redskins.
Shortly after the win in Super Bowl II, Lombardi stepped down as head coach of the Packers on February 1, 1968, continuing as general manager. He handed off the head coaching position to Phil Bengtson, a longtime assistant, but the Packers finished at 6–7–1 and out of the four-team NFL playoffs. In February , Lombardi became head coach and general manager of the Washington Redskins. The Redskins finished at 7–5–2, their first winning record since the 1955 season. Lombardi died the following year, but he was credited to have "truly changed the culture in that one unforgettable season in 1969," laying the foundation for Washington's early 1970s success under another Hall of Fame caliber coach in George Allen.
Personal life.
Family.
In the fall of 1934, Lombardi's roommate Jim Lawlor introduced him to his cousin's relative, Marie Planitz. When Marie announced her ardent desire to marry Lombardi, her status-conscious stockbroker father didn't like the idea of his daughter marrying the son of an Italian butcher from Brooklyn, a prejudice he would face more than once in his life. Lombardi and Marie wed, nonetheless, on August 31, 1940.
Marie's first pregnancy resulted in a miscarriage. This had a terrible effect on Marie and caused her to turn to heavy drinking, a problem she would deal with on more than one occasion in her life. Their son, Vincent Henry Lombardi (Vince Jr.), was born in 1942, and their daughter Susan followed five years later in 1947.
Lombardi's perfectionism, authoritarian nature and temper, instilled in his wife a masterful ability to verbally assault and demean Lombardi when he verbally abused her. His children were not immune from his yelling. When Lombardi had not lost his temper, he would often be reticent and aloof.
Lombardi's grandson, Joe Lombardi, was named the offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions in January 2014. He was relieved of this position midway through the 2015 season. Lombardi was previously quarterbacks coach for the New Orleans Saints. In the 2009 season, he helped lead the Saints to win the trophy bearing his grandfather's name, and Drew Brees to win a Super Bowl MVP award. He is now the offensive coordinator of the Los Angeles Chargers, under new head coach Brandon Staley.
World War II deferments.
Lombardi did not serve in World War II, he was 28 when the war broke out. Lombardi obtained a series of deferments: his first was a 2-A due to his teaching occupation; in 1943, he obtained a second deferment due to parenthood (3-A); and his final deferment was labelled a 4-A and given in 1944.
Religion.
The three constants throughout Lombardi's life were his Catholic faith, his family and football. His father was a daily Communicant throughout his life and his mother's favorite picture of Vince as a child was on his Confirmation. When Lombardi was 12, while serving as an altar boy on Easter Sunday, "... amid the color and pageantry scarlet and white vestments, golden cross, scepters, the wafers and wine, body and blood ... the inspiration came to him that he should become a priest ...". When his mother, Matty, got wind of it she bragged about her son's plan to her neighbors. Lombardi attended Mass on a daily basis throughout his life.
During his tenure at St. Cecilia, Lombardi attended Mass every day and "prayed for calm and control: of his temper and ... his wife's drinking." When Lombardi became head coach of football in 1942, he would lead his team to Sunday Mass before each home game. At St. Cecilia, Lombardi shared an office with Father Tim Moore wherein it was not unusual for Lombardi to interrupt a conversation and request to go to Confession and for which Father Tim would oblige him right in the office.
During his stay at Green Bay, Lombardi once emerged from his office and appeared before his secretary, Ruth McKloskey, wearing "... all these priest robes on, and he had a miter with a tassel, everything." Each day on his way to work for the Green Bay Packers, Lombardi would stop at St. Willebrord Church and "offer a prayer in case of unexpected death: 'My God, if I am to die today, or suddenly at any time, I wish to receive this Communion as my viaticum ... '". He regularly attended Sunday Mass at Resurrection Church in the Allouez neighborhood of Green Bay's southeast side, always sitting with his wife in the middle of the ninth pew.
On the morning of the dedication of Lombardi Avenue, Lombardi remarked to his 37-member entourage that he was pleased to have gotten them all up to attend morning Mass. Lombardi was a Fourth Degree in the Knights of Columbus.
Anti-Discrimination Philosophy.
In 1960, a color barrier still existed on at least one team in the NFL, but Jack Vainisi, the Scouting Director for the Packers, and Lombardi were determined "to ignore the prejudices then prevalent in most NFL front offices in their search for the most talented players." Lombardi explained his views by saying that he "... viewed his players as neither black nor white, but Packer green".
Among professional football head coaches, in the midst of the civil rights movement, Lombardi's anti-discrimination views were unusual. When Lombardi joined the Packers, they only had one black player, Nate Borden. During his time as coach the team became fully integrated: by 1967 they had 13 black players, including All-Pros Willie Davis, Willie Wood, Dave Robinson, Herb Adderley and Bob Jeter.
During his first training camp in Green Bay, Lombardi was notified by Packer veterans that an interracial relationship existed between one of the Packer rookies and a young woman. The next day at training camp, Lombardi—who was vehemently opposed to Jim Crow discrimination and had a zero-tolerance policy towards racism—responded by warning his team that if any player exhibited prejudice in any manner, that specific player would be thrown off the team.
Lombardi let it be known to all Green Bay establishments that if they did not accommodate his black and white players equally well, then that business would be off-limits to the entire team. Before the start of the 1960 regular season, he instituted a policy that the Packers would only lodge in places that accepted all his players. Lombardi also refused to assign hotel rooms to players based on their race: by 1967 the Packers were the only team with such a policy.
Lombardi was a member of the all-white Oneida Golf and Riding Country club in Green Bay, and he demanded that he should be allowed to choose a Native American caddie, even if white caddies were available. Lombardi's view on racial matters was a result of his religious faith and the ethnic prejudice that he had experienced as an Italian-American.
Lombardi was known to be volatile and terse with players during practices and games, and he insisted on unconditional respect for everyone in his organization. Lombardi demanded "Nothing But Acceptance" from players and coaches toward all people, and he would immediately terminate a coach or release a player if that particular person insulted the sexual orientation of gay players and front office staff. According to Lombardi biographer and Pulitzer Prize-winning writer David Maraniss, if he caught a coach "discriminating against a player thought to be gay, he'd be fired." Richard Nicholls, the lifelong partner of Lombardi's younger brother, Hal, stated, "Vin was always fair in how he treated everybody ... a great man who accepted people at face value for what they were, and didn't judge anybody. He just wanted you to do the job."
In Washington, Lombardi's assistant general manager David Slatterly was gay, as was PR director Joe Blair, who was described as Lombardi's "right-hand man." According to son Vince Lombardi, Jr., "He saw everyone as equals, and I think having a gay brother (Hal) was a big factor in his approach ... I think my father would've felt, 'I hope I've created an atmosphere in the locker room where this would not be an issue at all. And if you do have an issue, the problem will be yours because my locker room will tolerate nothing but acceptance.'"
Upon his arrival in Washington, Lombardi was aware of tight end Jerry Smith's sexual orientation. "Lombardi protected and loved Jerry," said former teammate Dave Kopay. Lombardi brought Smith into his office and told him that his sexual orientation would never be an issue as long as he was coaching the Redskins; Smith would be judged solely on his on-the-field performance and contribution to the team's success. Under Lombardi's leadership Smith flourished, becoming an integral part of Lombardi's offense, and was voted a First Team All-Pro for the first time in his career, which was also Lombardi's only season as the Redskins head coach.
Lombardi invited other gay players to training camp and would privately hope they would prove they could earn a spot on the team. At the Washington Redskins training camp in 1969, Ray McDonald was a gay player, with sub-par skills, who was trying to make the Redskins roster again, but this time with Lombardi as the Redskins' new head coach. True to his word, Lombardi told running back coach, George Dickson, 'I want you to get on McDonald and work on him and work on him – and if I hear "one" of you people make reference to his manhood, you'll be out of here before your ass hits the ground.'
Politics.
Although his wife was a Republican, Lombardi was a lifelong Democrat with liberal views on civil rights: he supported John F. Kennedy in the 1960 presidential election, Robert F. Kennedy in the 1968 primaries, and was also a supporter of Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson. Despite this, during the 1960s he became uncomfortable with the burgeoning youth protest movements associated with the emerging counterculture, such as the New Left and the Anti-war movement. In a speech that he first gave in February 1967 to the American Management Association, he suggested that "everything has been done to strengthen the rights of the individual and at the same time weaken the rights of the church, weaken the rights of the state, and weaken the rights of all authority". Due to Lombardi's popularity, Richard Nixon once floated him as a running mate, but dropped the idea upon learning about his Democrat leanings.
Illness and death.
Lombardi had suffered from digestive tract problems as early as 1967, and he had refused his doctor's request to undergo a proctoscopic exam. On June 24, 1970, Lombardi was admitted to Georgetown University Hospital, and tests "revealed anaplastic carcinoma in the rectal area of his colon, a fast-growing malignant cancer in which the cells barely resemble their normal appearance." On July 27, Lombardi was readmitted to Georgetown and exploratory surgery found that the cancer was terminal. Lombardi and Marie received family, friends, clergy, players, and former players at his hospital bedside. He received a phone call from President Nixon telling Lombardi that all of America was behind him, to which Lombardi replied that he would never give up his fight against his illness. On his deathbed, Lombardi told Father Tim that he was not afraid to die, but that he regretted he could not have accomplished more in his life. Lombardi died in Washington, D.C. at 7:12 a.m. on Thursday, September 3, 1970, surrounded by his wife, parents, two children, and six grandchildren. He was 57.
The funeral was held on September 7 at St. Patrick's Cathedral in Manhattan. Approximately 1,500 people lined Fifth Avenue, and the avenue was closed to traffic between 39th and 50th Street. Terence Cardinal Cooke delivered the eulogy. In attendance were team owners, Commissioner Pete Rozelle, past and present members of the Packers, Redskins, and Giants, former students from Saints, colleagues and players from West Point, and classmates from Fordham University, including the remaining Seven Blocks of Granite. Lombardi was interred in Mount Olivet Cemetery in Middletown Township, New Jersey.
Popular culture.
In 1968, Lombardi starred in a half-hour motivational film titled "Second Effort", that has been called "The best-selling training film of all time".
On December 14, 1973, ABC aired "Legend in Granite" starring Ernest Borgnine as Vince. The biographical TV drama focused mostly on his first two years as Packers head coach (1959–1960).
A service area on the New Jersey Turnpike dedicated to and named after Lombardi opened in 1974.
The high school in the 1979 movie "Rock 'n' Roll High School" is named "Vince Lombardi High School".
In 1986, CHCH aired the TV movie "Lombardi: I Am Not a Legend" starring Robert Knuckle in the title role that depicted Lombardi's life up until the NFL.
In 1996, Nike aired several commercials featuring Jerry Stiller as the ghost of Lombardi.
ESPN produced the 2005 TV movie "Code Breakers" that depicted the West Point cheating scandal and its effect on the football program. Richard Zeppieri played then-Assistant Coach Lombardi.
A play titled "Lombardi" opened on Broadway at the Circle in the Square Theatre in New York City in October 2010, following an out-of-town tryout at the Mahaiwe Theater in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. The production starred Dan Lauria as Lombardi and Judith Light as his wife, Marie. The play received positive reviews, as did Lauria's performance.
NFL Films and HBO produced a film about Lombardi that debuted Saturday, December 11, 2010.


List of Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees

The Pro Football Hall of Fame includes players, coaches, and contributors (e.g., owners, general managers and team or league officials) who have "made outstanding contributions to professional football". The charter class of seventeen was selected in 1963.
Enshrinees are selected by a 48-person selection committee which meets each year at the time and location of the Super Bowl. Current rules of the committee stipulate that between four and eight individuals are selected each year. Any person may nominate an individual to the hall, provided the nominee has not played or coached for at least five seasons prior to the nomination. Not including the charter class, 76 players have been inducted in their first year of eligibility.
In addition to the regular selection committee, which primarily focuses on contributions made over the past approximately thirty seasons, a nine-member seniors committee (which is a subset of the larger committee) submits two nominees each year whose contributions came prior to 1985. These nominees are referred as "seniors nominees" (formerly "old-timer" nominees).
In 2020, a special Blue-Ribbon Panel selected an additional 15 new members, known as the "Centennial Slate", to be inducted into the Hall of Fame to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the National Football League (NFL).
Inductees.
As of 2021, one NFL team is not represented by an enshrinee — the Jacksonville Jaguars (began play in 1995). The teams which most recently gained representation are the Carolina Panthers (Reggie White, class of 2006) and the Houston Texans (Ed Reed, class of 2019). Ray Guy was the first full-time punter inducted (class of 2014).
The hall is not officially affiliated with the National Football League (NFL), although as of 2018 all but one enshrinee participated in the NFL for at least a portion of his career; the single exception being Billy Shaw.Along with Shaw, there are 37 other inductees into the hall who spent all or part of their careers in the American Football League that merged with the NFL. Shaw was the only player not to make the formal transition to the NFL, as he had retired the year before the merger. Three players, Red Grange, Ray Flaherty, Mike Michalske, played a portion of their career in the first American Football League from 1926. The second American Football League from 1936 only has one Hall of Fame member who has played in this league, Ken Strong; Strong is also one of two Hall of Famers (the other being Sid Luckman) to play in the American Association. Fifteen inductees spent some of their playing career in the All-America Football Conference during the late 1940s. Five players played some at least one year in the Ohio League, the predecessor to the NFL. Six players or coaches who spent part of their careers in the short-lived United States Football League (USFL) have been inducted. Two coaches (Marv Levy, Bud Grant), one administrator (Jim Finks), and five players (Warren Moon, Fred Biletnikoff, John Henry Johnson, Don Maynard, Arnie Weinmeister) who spent part of their careers in the Canadian Football League (CFL) have been inducted; three of which have been or are scheduled to be inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame: Marv Levy, Warren Moon and Bud Grant. Four players, Larry Csonka, Leroy Kelly, Don Maynard, and Paul Warfield, played a portion of their career in the short-lived World Football League. Fritz Pollard is the only player to play in the Anthracite League's only season. One player (Kurt Warner) and one owner (Pat Bowlen) made significant contributions in the Arena Football League; Warner is also the only NFL Europe alumnus in the Hall. Terrell Owens played his last season of professional football in the Indoor Football League. Bill Walsh and Ken Stabler each had one season of experience in the Continental Football League.
Each entry includes the year of induction (i.e., "class"), position(s) played, team(s) each was associated with, and tenures with each team. As some inductees were both players and coaches, the position indicated here is the position indicated on the Hall of Fame website. The Pro Football Hall of Fame website does not include CFL, USFL, WFL, indoor football leagues, and other lesser known league teams. The Canadian Football League and the Arena Football League both have their own halls of fame. NFL, American Football League, AAFC, and Ohio League (listed as pre-NFL) teams are recognized in the Hall of Fame. The list is complete through the first half of the 2021 Hall of Fame class (elected in 2020, but part of the 2021 class; there was no 2020 class because of the effects of the coronavirus pandemic).
Sorting tips:
Notes:
Teams With No Inductees.
The following are NFL teams with no Hall of Fame Inductees (five seasons or more):
The following are NFL teams of less than five seasons with no Hall of Fame Inductees:
The following are NFL teams with a relocated franchise that have no Hall of Fame Inductees:
Technically the St. Louis Gunners, Hartford Blues, and Dayton Triangles do not have Hall of Fame inductees; however, each of these three teams had an inductee play at least one season with them before they entered the NFL. The Boston Yanks are also a unique case, too; such that, they also technically have had no inductees play for them. Ace Parker played for them during the 1945 season when they merged with the Brooklyn Tigers (similar to the Steagles and Card-Pitt) and were known temporarily as the "Yanks," with no regional allegiance.
Inductees Who Have Played for Non-NFL Teams.
Through 2020, Billy Shaw is the only player in the Hall of Fame who has never played in the NFL; he played the entirety of his career with the Buffalo Bills in the AFL. While the hall recognizes NFL teams which had previously been in the AFL, AAFC, or been independent/Ohio League, other professional football league's franchises are not considered primary teams to the individuals who have contributed to them. Here is a list of individuals who have played for alternate professional leagues at some point in their career. As of 2020, four players have contributed to AFL I, one to AFL II, one to AFL III, three to the American Association, three to the Arena Football League, one to the Indoor Football League, eleven to the Canadian Football League, four to the World Football League, seven to the United States Football League, two to the Continental Football League, one for NFL Europe, one for the 1960s United Football League, one for Western Pennsylvania Professional Football Circuit, and eleven played for independent teams (several of which played in the NFL at some point). The Ohio League had five individuals contribute, the All-America Football Conference had fifteen, and the American Football League which merged with the NFL had thirty-nine Hall of Famers play for the league. Bill Polian founded the Alliance of American Football, but he was inducted into the hall in 2015 and the league started in 2019. As previously stated, for CFL stars, there is a corresponding Canadian Football Hall of Fame; only one player, Warren Moon, and one coach, Bud Grant, are enshrined in both halls. Again for the Arena Football League, there is also a corresponding Arena Football Hall of Fame; similarly, one player, Kurt Warner, has been enshrined into both halls. The Indoor Football League has also established a Hall of Fame, of which Terrell Owens played one season, thus no players have been inducted into both halls.
"*" indicates that a team had at one point in their existence participated in the NFL.
The following are current and defunct professional football leagues which as of 2020 have had no Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductees play for:


Ken Lehmann

Kenneth E. Lehmann (born January 13, 1942) is a former linebacker for the Ottawa Rough Riders and BC Lions of the Canadian Football League from 1964 to 1972. He was a CFL All-Star from 1965 to 1969 and was a part of two Grey Cup victories for the Rough Riders, in and .
College.
Lehmann graduated with an Economics degree from Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Ottawa.
Ken Lehmann played middle linebacker for the Ottawa Rough Riders from 1964 to 1971. A mainstay of the Ottawa defense, Lehmann participated in a total of three Grey Cup games with the Rough Riders, winning back to back championships and and losing one in .
In 1965, Lehmann won the Hiram Walker Trophy and was selected to the Eastern Football Conference All Star Team. Lehmann was chosen as an Eastern All-Star five times throughout his career and All-Canadian four times. In 1966, Lehmann was the Eastern finalist for the Schenleys Most Outstanding Linemen Award and subsequently won the award in 1968. In 1968, Lehmann was named CFL Lineman of the Year. He remains tied for the CFL record for the most blocked punts by a player in a game with 2.
Post-football honors.
Lehmann was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2011. The city of Ottawa declared Sunday, October 23, 2011, Ken Lehmann day to honour Ken's contribution to football in Ottawa.


Archie Knox

Archibald Knox (born 1 May 1947) is a Scottish football player and coach. He was most recently the assistant manager of Aberdeen until leaving the club in March 2013.
Knox worked with Alex Ferguson as an assistant manager at Aberdeen and Manchester United, and with Walter Smith at Rangers and Everton.
Playing career.
As a player, Knox played in his native Scotland, featuring for Forfar Athletic (twice), St Mirren, Dundee United and a short spell with Montrose. During his time with Dundee United, Knox was a runner-up in the 1974 Scottish Cup final, his only honour as a player.
Managerial career.
Knox's first managerial role came in a player-manager capacity when he returned to first club Forfar in 1976, spending four years in the dual role. In 1980, Knox became assistant to Alex Ferguson at Aberdeen, helping the team to two Scottish Cups, the European Cup Winners' Cup and subsequent European Super Cup in his three years with the Dons. In 1983, Knox returned to management with Dundee, where he would spend two-and-a-half years, with a best finish of sixth place in 1984–85 and 1985–86, narrowly missing out on UEFA Cup qualification. A short spell back at Aberdeen followed, before following Ferguson to Manchester United in 1986, where he stayed until April 1991. At this point, Knox came back to Scotland, becoming assistant to Walter Smith at Rangers, where the pair would enjoy six titles over the next seven years together. In July 1998, both men moved south to Everton, although their time was ended by March 2002.
It was at this point that Knox's association with the national team began, with a three-year spell assisting then-manager Craig Brown. Short spells followed at Millwall and Coventry City (as assistant to Mark McGhee and Eric Black respectively) before returning to Scotland as Richard Gough's assistant at Livingston in November 2004. Knox again assisted the national team as a coach, helping at the Kirin Cup in May 2006. Knox was appointed Scotland under-21 manager in July 2006 following Rainer Bonhof's departure. In August 2007 he was appointed as Bolton's Assistant Manager by Wanderers manager Sammy Lee. When Lee left Knox was made caretaker manager for two games (against Arsenal and in the UEFA Cup against S.C. Braga) before Gary Megson took over. Knox remained at the club under Megson.
Two days after Bolton Wanderers secured their premiership status he was axed by Megson with six other members of the coaching staff at the club. The club denied it was due to cost-cutting measures and stated it was due to Megson wanting to bring in his own staff.
On 4 July 2008 Knox was appointed as the first-team coach of Blackburn Rovers by Paul Ince. They had previously worked together at Manchester United. He became the second member of the backroom staff to be appointed by Ince; his appointment followed that of Ray Mathias as assistant manager. On 18 December 2008, Knox was relieved of his duties along with Ray Mathias following the sacking of Paul Ince and the subsequent arrival of Sam Allardyce as the new Rovers manager.
On 29 December 2009, he was appointed as the assistant manager to Craig Brown at Motherwell. On 10 December 2010, after Brown moved to Aberdeen, Knox followed him back to his former club. After three years with Brown, it announced that he and Brown would leave the club at the end of the season. Though leaving the club, Knox reversed his decision to retire, insisting he "not retiring now. I still feel young and I've plenty to offer."
In October 2013, Knox returned to Scottish Championship side Dundee as a playing scout role. Knox will be reunited with manager John Brown, whom he signed whilst manager at Dundee.
In November 2017, he was one of four inductees into the Aberdeen "Hall of Fame".
Honours.
Assistant manager.
Aberdeen
Manchester United
Rangers


Warren Moon

Harold Warren Moon (born November 18, 1956) is an American former gridiron football quarterback who played professionally for 23 seasons. He spent the majority of his career with the Houston Oilers of the National Football League (NFL) and the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League (CFL). In the NFL, Moon also played for the Minnesota Vikings, Seattle Seahawks, and Kansas City Chiefs.
Moon began his professional career with the Eskimos in 1978 due to not generating interest from NFL teams during that year's draft, where he would go unselected. His success during his six CFL seasons, five of which ended in Grey Cup victories, resulted in him being signed by the Oilers for 1984. Over his 17 NFL seasons, Moon was named to nine Pro Bowls, received first-team All-Pro honors in 1990, and made seven playoff appearances. He spent ten seasons with the Oilers and had brief stints with the Vikings, Seahawks, and Chiefs before retiring in 2000.
At the time of his retirement, Moon held several all-time professional gridiron football passing records. Although relatively unsuccessful in the NFL postseason, his five consecutive Grey Cups from 1978 to 1982 remains a CFL record and he was twice named Grey Cup MVP. Moon was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006, becoming the first African-American quarterback and the first undrafted quarterback to receive the honor. He is also the only player inducted to both the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.
Early years.
Born in Los Angeles, California, Moon was the middle child amongst six sisters. His father, Harold, was a laborer and died of liver disease when Moon was seven years old. His mother, Pat, was a nurse, and Warren learned to cook, sew, iron and housekeep to help take care of the family. He decided early on that he could play only one sport in high school because he had to work the rest of the year to help the family. He chose to play football as a quarterback since he found that he could throw a football longer, harder, and straighter than anyone he knew.
He enrolled at Alexander Hamilton High School, using the address of one of his mother's friends to gain the advantages of a better academic and athletic reputation than his neighborhood high school could offer. He had little playing time until his junior year, when he took over as varsity starting quarterback. In his senior season in 1973, they reached the city playoffs, and Moon was named to the all-city team.
College career.
Moon attended two-year West Los Angeles College, and was a record-setting quarterback as a freshman in 1974, but only a handful of four-year colleges showed interest in signing him. Offensive coordinator Dick Scesniak of the University of Washington in Seattle, however, was eager to sign the rifle-armed Moon. Adamant that he play quarterback, Moon considered himself to be perhaps a slightly above-average athlete who lacked either the size, speed, or strength to play other positions.
Under new head coach Don James, Washington was in Moon's first two seasons as a starter, but as a senior in 1977, he led the Huskies to the Pac-8 title and a upset win in the Rose Bowl over Michigan. Moon was named the game's Most Valuable Player on the strength of two short touchdown runs and a third-quarter 28-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Robert "Spider" Gaines.
Professional career.
Canadian Football League.
Despite his collegiate success, Moon was led to believe he would only be a late-round NFL pick and was fearful that would lead to a limited opportunity to make it in the NFL. Six weeks before the NFL draft, Moon signed with the Edmonton Eskimos, where he and Tom Wilkinson shared signal-calling duties and helped lead the Eskimos to a record five consecutive Grey Cup victories in 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, and 1982. Moon won the offensive Grey Cup Most Valuable Player award in the 1980 and 1982 games, and became the first professional quarterback to pass for 5,000 yards in a season by reaching exactly 5,000 yards in 1982.
In his final CFL season of 1983, he threw for a league-record 5,648 yards and won the CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award. The season was not as successful for the Eskimos however, as they finished 8-8. Having barely made the playoffs (which they would have missed altogether if not for a loss by the Calgary Stampeders to the last place Saskatchewan Roughriders in the last week of the regular season), Moon's Eskimos were throttled in Winnipeg by the Blue Bombers in the West Semi-final.
In his six years in the CFL, Moon amassed 1,369 completions on 2,382 attempts (57.4 completion percentage) for 21,228 yards and 144 touchdown passes. He also led his team to victory in 9 of 10 postseason games. He was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2001 and the Eskimos' Wall of Honour. In 2006, he was ranked fifth on a list of the greatest 50 CFL players presented by Canadian sports network TSN.
National Football League.
Moon's decision to enter the NFL touched off a bidding war for his services, won by the Houston Oilers, led by Hugh Campbell, his head coach for his first five seasons in Edmonton. Gifford Nielsen—the starting quarterback in 1983—retired after Moon joined the team, stating that Moon becoming the starter was inevitable. Moon had a difficult adjustment period, but threw for a franchise-record 3,338 yards in his first season in 1984, but Campbell was just at the helm and did not finish the 1985 season. When new head coach Jerry Glanville found ways to best use Moon's strong arm in 1986, the team began having success. In the strike-marred 1987 season, the Oilers posted a record, their first winning season since 1980. In his first postseason game in the NFL, Moon passed for 237 yards and a touchdown in the Oilers' overtime win over the Seattle Seahawks in the wildcard round of the playoffs.
Prior to the 1989 season, Moon signed a five-year, $10-million contract extension, which made him the highest-paid player in the NFL at that time. In 1990, Moon led the league with 4,689 passing yards. He also led the league in attempts (584), completions (362), and touchdowns (33), and tied Dan Marino's record with nine 300-yard games in a season. That included throwing for 527 yards against Kansas City on December 16, 1990, the second-most passing yards ever in a single game. The following year, he again led the league in passing yards, with 4,690. At the same time, he joined Marino and Dan Fouts as the only quarterbacks to post back-to-back 4,000-yard seasons. Moon also established new NFL records that season with 655 attempts and 404 completions.
In 1992, Moon played only 11 games due to injuries, but the Oilers still managed to achieve a 10–6 record, including a victory over the Buffalo Bills, in the final game of the season. Two weeks later, the Oilers faced the Bills again in the first round of the AFC playoffs. Aided by Moon's 222 passing yards and four touchdowns in the first half, Houston built up a halftime lead and increased it to when Buffalo quarterback Frank Reich's first pass of the third quarter was intercepted and returned for a touchdown. The Bills stormed back with five unanswered second-half touchdowns to take a lead with time running out in the final period. Moon managed to lead the Oilers on a last-second field goal drive to tie the game at 38 and force overtime, but threw an interception in the extra period that set up Buffalo kicker Steve Christie's game-winning field goal. The Bills' rally from a 32-point deficit was the largest comeback victory in NFL history and is now known in NFL lore simply as the Comeback. Moon finished the game with 36 completions for 371 yards and four touchdowns, with two interceptions. His 36 completions was an NFL postseason record.
The 1993 season was the Oilers' best with Moon, but was his last with the team. Despite a drama-filled 1–4 start and early struggles from Moon, Houston went and won the AFC Central division crown, but lost to Joe Montana and the Kansas City Chiefs in the divisional round of the playoffs.
Moon set a franchise record with Houston for wins with 70, which stood until Steve McNair broke it in 2004, long after the team had become the Tennessee Titans. He also left the Oilers as the franchise leader in passing touchdowns, passing yards, pass attempts, and pass completions, all of which still stand today.
Moon was traded to the Minnesota Vikings after the season, where he passed for over 4,200 yards in each of his first two seasons, but missed half of the 1996 season with a broken collarbone. The Vikings' starting quarterback job was given to Brad Johnson and Moon was released after he refused to take a $3.8-million pay cut to serve as Johnson's backup. Moon then signed with the Seattle Seahawks as a free agent, made the Pro Bowl, and was named Pro Bowl MVP. After a two-year stint in the Pacific Northwest, an aging Moon signed as a free agent with the Kansas City Chiefs as a backup in 1999. He played in only three games in two years with the Chiefs and announced his retirement at age 44 in January 2001. His 291st (308th, including postseason play) and final touchdown pass was an 8-yard pass to Troy Drayton against the Rams on October 22, 2000, a game in which the Chiefs defeated the defending champs, 54–34.
Combining his NFL and CFL stats, Moon's numbers are nearly unmatched in professional football annals: 5,357 completions in 9,205 attempts for 70,553 yards and 435 touchdowns. Even if his Canadian Football League statistics are discounted, Moon's NFL career numbers are still exceptional: 3,988 completions for 49,325 yards, 291 touchdown passes, 1,736 yards rushing, and 22 rushing touchdowns. Warren Moon also held individual NFL lifetime records for most fumbles recovered (56) and most fumbles made (162), but this was surpassed by Brett Favre in 2010. Moon was in the top five all-time when he retired for passing yards, passing touchdowns, pass attempts, and pass completions.
Moon was named to 9 Pro Bowl games (1988–1995, 1997). He worked as a broadcaster for the Seattle Seahawks on both TV and radio until 2017. He was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006, becoming both the first Canadian Football Hall of Fame player, first undrafted quarterback, and first African-American quarterback honored; he was elected in his first year of eligibility. The Tennessee Titans retired his number at halftime on October 1, 2006 vs the Dallas Cowboys. Moon won his first Super Bowl ring in 2014 as a broadcaster for the Seattle Seahawks.
Moon has mentored Cam Newton, the first overall pick of the 2011 NFL Draft, alluding to their common experiences as prominent African-American quarterbacks. He was suspended indefinitely from his sportscaster position after he was sued, in December 2017, for sexual harassment.
Career statistics.
Franchise records.
Moon remains statistically one of the best players ever for the Oilers/Titans franchise. 's NFL off-season, Moon still held at least 37 Titans franchise records, including:
Personal life.
Moon married Felicia Hendricks, whom he had known since they were 16 years old, in 1981.They divorced in 2001.