Foreword by Brazilian soccer great, Pele. Melbourne, November 21, 2001. 90,000 screaming fans at the MCG go berserk when defender Kevin Muscat scores a penalty kick to seal a victory for the Socceroos against Uruguay in the first stage of the bid to qualify for soccer's Holy Grail, the World Cup. Montevideo, November 26, 2001. All of Australia holds its breath as the Socceroos - on the verge of making history - battle it out with Uruguay. It's been 28 years on the long road to qualifying for the World Cup. But once again, the Socceroos fail at the last hurdle. It's another false dawn for Australian soccer... Johnny Warren has witnessed every step of soccer's great journey. He captained the Socceroos for eight years and led Australia through three World Cup campaigns from 1964 - 1974, and is one of the most respected names in the sport. Sheilas, Wogs and Poofters is the story of Johnny Warren's time in soccer in this country. Rather than a goal-by-goal account of Australia's on field performance, Johnny Warren takes a broader look at the game: socially, politically, analytically and anecdotally. It's a story of discrimination against the game and the individuals who play it. Unlike many popular sporting biographies, this is not a reflection on past glories. Instead, Warren provides a fascinating, entertaining insight into soccer's social history in this country. "Acceptance for soccer in Australia has been a long time coming. The voyage has been a long and colourful one. It's a great story that mirrors Australia's social development as a nation". Soccer is widely regarded as the world game. Played by more people in more countries than any other sport, its showcase event, the World Cup Final, is bigger than the Olympic Games. So, why is it then that here in Australia, soccer plays second fiddle to sports such as the AFL and rugby?