As Australia continues their FIFA World Cup journey, there are some diehard fans full of hope that the Socceroos will reach the finals.
Publican Jamie Warren is one of those fans who believe the Socceroos could pull off their first-ever win.
“We came really close to winning last time, so I’m never discounting the Socceroos,” Jamie tells Woman’s Day just before the Socceroos beat Turkiye 2-0 last week in Vancouver, Canada.
FAMILY CONNECTION
For Jamie, who runs the Jamberoo Pub on the NSW South Coast, his connection to the green and gold runs deeper than just being a football fanatic – his uncle Johnny Warren captained the Socceroos from 1967 to 1974.
“Before he passed, Uncle John had a famous saying that it was time Australia started thinking about winning the World Cup instead of just qualifying. That’s how much he believed in the Australian players.”
In the Socceroos’ World Cup opener, the plucky underdogs silenced their doubters with an impressive victory against Turkiye.
“It’s a dream come true,” Socceroos forward Nestory Irankunda, who was also named as player of the match, said after their victory.
“We’ve got the win now. We worked extra hard. We fought till the end, and it’s just an exciting moment.”
Nestory, 20, is also now the youngest ever Australian player to score a goal at the World Cup.
At the time of writing, the Socceroos were busy preparing to face the US squad in Seattle.
SPECIAL COLLECTION
Back home, Jamie reveals plenty of football fans are travelling from far and wide to watch the Socceroos with a cold schooner and a hot meal.
“I’ve just had a mate of mine from north of Wollongong tell me he’s coming to watch the matches,” he said.
“We always get great crowds coming into the pub to watch the games.”
But football fans won’t just be watching the TV screens when visiting the pub – Jamie has curated a museum of Socceroos memorabilia in one of the dining areas.
He says the museum that lines the pub walls started just before the 2006 World Cup with 20 family photographs.
Now, there are hundreds of photos, prints, pennants and scarves from many former Socceroos players – and the exhibition continues to grow.
FOOTBALL TREASURES
“Every so often someone will visit the pub without realising the museum is there, and they’ll look around and say, ‘I’ve got something,’ and will add it to the collection,” Jamie explains.
“One guy a few years back donated a Johnny Warren T-shirt he was wearing straight off his back. He walked out without a shirt, but we had something new to stick on the wall,” he says.
