One of Australia’s greatest goalkeepers

One of the luckiest times in the career of one of Australia’s greatest soccer goalkeepers, Ron Lord, was the day in 1951 when he sat on the sidelines of a Sydney Cricket Ground mud heap and watched England thrash Australia 17- nil, their worst defeat in Australian football history.

Lord, who has died at 94, was supposed to be in the Australian team and make his Test debut aged 22 against a star-studded England touring side in the Second Test at the SCG on June 30, 1951.

Ron Lord: One of Australia’s all-time goalkeeping greats.

His replacement, who picked the ball out of the back of the net 17 times, was the talented, world-class Norman Conquest, who had intended to end his illustrious career after playing in the First Test in Melbourne.

Australia lost the first Test 4-1 to England’s touring professionals, a respectable result against such an illustrious team. Lord, Conquest’s protégé, was certain to play in the Second Test, but Conquest talked the selectors out of picking him when he learned the English players planned to teach Australia a lesson after hearing derogatory remarks about them only scoring four goals against a team of amateurs.

Ron Lord makes a timely intervention to deny Gordon Nunn in front of goal while playing for NSW in 1950.

Conquest feared a heavy defeat, which turned out to be the case in the SCG quagmire, could damage the confidence and morale of any young goalkeeper playing in his first international match. The selectors agreed and named Lord as a reserve, the young keeper watching the match from the sidelines. It was just as well.

After heavy rain and a thorough trampling from the studded boots of players in a curtain-raising junior match that shouldn’t have been played, the slippery Bulli soil used on the cricket pitch in the centre of the field became a sea of mud. The far more skilful Englishmen were used to playing under such conditions, but the Australians couldn’t handle them, sliding and floundering all over the place trying to get the ball.

Former Australian international Ray “Tugger” Bryant, analysing the game for The Sydney Morning Herald, wrote: “It became farcical. Our players spent more time on their backs in the mud than on their feet. One spectator said the only time they were on their feet was when the band played God Save the King at the start of the match.”

Even though he was faced with a hopeless task as the Englishmen peppered him with shots for much of the 90 minutes, Conquest played one of his best games and made many fine saves. He joked later he almost got a sore back picking the ball out of the back of the net 17 times.

Ron Lord said later: “It’s every sportsman’s ambition to represent his country, but this was one time I was pleased I was sitting on the sideline as reserve goalkeeper and not out playing in the mud.”

Conquest also got his wish. It was his last game: in the dressing room, throwing down his muddy gloves in disgust. Lord replaced him for the remaining three Test matches against England.

Many regard Lord as Australia’s best goalkeeper. His brilliance between the sticks drew big crowds every time he played in a career spanning nearly 20 years. One of his proudest moments was being selected as one of two goalkeepers to represent Australia in the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne, along with his lifelong mate and fellow keeper, Bill Henderson.

Canterbury centre-forward John Watkiss dives past Sydney Prague’s Jack Pettigrew (right) and flattens goalkeeper Ron Lord in a desperate attempt to score at Arlington Oval, 1961.

Ron played two matches: the first, a 2–1 win over Japan and the second, a 4–2 loss to India that put them out of the knockout competition. Bill recalled the thrill and honour of marching in the opening ceremony at a packed Melbourne Cricket Ground. “It was so exciting it gave me goosebumps,” he said.

Born in Balmain on July 25, 1929, Ron Brian Lord was the second of five children. The family lived at Rozelle. Like most families in those working-class areas, they struggled during the years of the Great Depression. Things were so tough Ron could remember his father, looking for work, walking 8km into the city to save a threepenny tram fare.

He had fond childhood memories of playing football with his mates in winter and park cricket in summer using a bat made out of a fence paling. The gymnastics he did from the age of 10 at the Balmain Police Boys Club were the base for his athleticism, although, at that age, he was both the swimming and athletics age champion for the Balmain district.

Ron attended Drummoyne Boys High School. As a teenager, he played Podevin Grey Shield cricket and was a champion water polo player. His big hands and ability to throw a polo ball long distances made him an asset as a soccer goalkeeper, which happened by chance when he was 17.

Ron Lord and Wally Lachowisz

He was playing fullback for Drummoyne reserves when he stood in for their injured goalkeeper. He remained in goal for the rest of his football career, playing a combined total of 339 first-grade games for Drummoyne, Auburn, and Prague.

He played 10 internationals for Australia between 1951 and 1964 and represented NSW many times in interstate fixtures and North versus South and Sydney-South Coast v Newcastle matches, often vying for the goalkeeping position against his old mate Bill Henderson.

Playing for Sydney Prague was the crowning glory of his club career. Bristling with wonderfully talented former FK Austria players, including Leo Baumgartner, who stayed in Australia after their club tour, Prague, and other nationality-based clubs, such as Hakoah, ultimately played a major role in breaking away from traditional association football and forming Football Australia.

Ron’s greatest supporter was his wife, Kathleen. They were married for 65 years and had three children, Brian, John and Jennifer. They initially lived in Sydney but moved to Oak Flats in the Illawarra district. Kath died in 2017, aged 86. Among Ron’s many community contributions was becoming a lifeguard at the Shellharbour Council swimming pool.

In 2000, he was given the honour of carrying the Olympic torch in recognition of his service to football and the local community. Ron was one of Football Australia’s inaugural inductees to their Hall of Fame.

Brian attributed part of his father’s success in sports and life to wanting to achieve the best in everything he did. “Dad had natural ability in spades,” Brian said.

“He instantly excelled without training, His great strength was the pursuit of better technique, iterative improvement, and the will to succeed and be the best.”

Ron Lord at full stretch in 1963.

Lord was also known for his uncanny reflexes, amazing agility and great physical strength, which he owed to his job as a fitter and turner from the age of 15.

He was also renowned for his innovative, long throws from the goalmouth to his teammates, turning defence into attack, an ability that stemmed from his water polo days. But like all international soccer players in his day, Ron was paid a pittance, around five pounds a match, to play for Australia.

Asked if he ever felt jealous about the huge amounts earned by modern footballers, he replied: “Never. Good luck to them. I had a wonderful life and wouldn’t change a thing. The only thing, with extra money, I wouldn’t have had to work so physically hard in my job.”

The Australian Soccer Association was notoriously penny-pinching, to the point that socks worn by Australian players often had holes in them or had been mended because the association was too mean to buy new ones. Players weren’t allowed to keep their shirts – they had to be given back after matches, under the threat they wouldn’t be picked again if they kept them.

Bill Henderson recalls the occasion when he and Ron “souvenired” a ball each after a training session for an international match, only to be warned by the manager the next day: “Two balls have gone missing. We know who has them. If they don’t give them back, they will never play for Australia again.” Bill said: “Ron and I returned the balls, feeling like naughty schoolboys.”

Ron was unlucky not to tour South Africa in 1950, but like others considered for the trip, he couldn’t afford to go. The weekly spending allowance of less than £4 wasn’t enough to support players’ families while they were away. Many of those who finally toured had to rely on chook raffles to raise funds to go on the tour.

The association’s meanness led to a player revolt when the touring team members returned “stony broke.” Ron was in the NSW team lined up to play a “welcome home” match at the Sydney Sports Ground, but the Australia team went on strike in the dressing room and refused to take the field until the association agreed to give them some of the gate-takings from the match, which had attracted a large crowd.

On retiring from football, Ron became a pioneer of goalkeeping coaching, conducting clinics across Sydney for representative goalkeepers as well as those in local clubs. As a fitter and turner, he made his own portable full-size goalposts and transported them to the clinics on his home-built trailer.

Brian, who often accompanied Ron on his training sessions, said: “One of the most fascinating things for me was his pursuit of the best technique and hearing him always say ‘perfect practice makes perfect’.”

Always modest and showing absolute courtesy to everyone, Ron was admired by all who met him. In retirement, he loved golf and played regularly with friends. A high point was when he and his best soccer mates, Bill Henderson, former international Doug Wendt, and the author of this tribute, won the Johnny Warren Golf Classic and played at Jamberoo, defeating teams of golfers half their age.

Ron is survived by Brian, Jennifer, and John; Brian’s wife Joyce and their children David, Angela, Jemma, and Christopher; and three great-grandchildren, Jordyn, Aiden, and Aria.