While November 16 marked the tenth anniversary of the Socceroos’ win over Uruguay (which booked them a spot at the 2006 FIFA World Cup after a 32-year absence), the event also recognised 50 years since Australia’s first attempt to qualify for the World Cup.

Aberdare Rangers juniors Bill Rorke and John Roberts were part of this squad.

In fact, the pair were the only Australian-born members of the team that took on North Korea in the qualifying matches, which were held on neutral ground in Cambodia.

Roberts played goalkeeper in the first game, in which the Socceroos went down 6-1, and Rorke was in goals for the second game, which they lost 3-1.

Rorke, who was 20 at the time and the youngest member of the Australian squad, says the Socceroos underestimated the ability of the North Korean side.

“We thought they were going to be a pushover, but they kicked our butts,” he said.

North Korea went onto make the quarter-finals of the 1966 World Cup in England.

Rorke, who now lives at Toronto after many years in Sydney, said last Monday’s event was a terrific acknowledgement for the ‘65 team, and that it was great to catch up with his old teammates.

“We were pioneers of the game in Australia,” he said.

Rorke grew up in Kearsley and Roberts at Aberdare, and both went on to play for Sydney club APIA Leichhardt.

Roberts, who now lives in Victoria, played for English clubs including Chelsea, Blackburn Rovers, Chesterfield, Bradford City, Southend United, Northampton Town and Bath City in the 1960s and ‘70s.

Rorke and Roberts are among nine international soccer players in the Cessnock City Hall of Fame, and have also been inducted into the Hunter Region Sporting Hall of Fame.