Golden Soft Sombrero Moment with Les Murray

Four Diegos Profile:               

SBS TV Head Of Sport and Icon of the SBS TV Soccer Generation of the 1980's and 90's.

Four Diegos Verdict:              

The omnipresent Godfather of Aussie soccer on TV. 

In one of his greatest moments, Les accepted a 1998 ARIA Rock Music award for Australian rock act, TISM, curiously giving his thank you speech in his native Hungarian.

The Diegos sensed he was ‘high’ from passive smoking the hazy stuff wafting through the room on that night. It also probably explains the standing ovation he received.

Les as products of the SBS football generation, the Diegos thank you.

Some Golden Soft Sombrero Moments with Les Murray

Les are you bitter and twisted???

Diegos: "SBS TV helped turn Charlie Yankos into a sex symbol, Gary McDowell into a head stomping WWF wrestler and Frank Arok into a raving mad dog. 

The station breast-fed and cradled Aussie soccer in its ample, loving bosom throughout the 80's and 90's, only to see it taken away by Channel 7 last year. 

Twelve months on, are you bitter and twisted or just philosophical about the situation?"

Murray: "No! Soccer is a very big game, much bigger than one particular aspect or one particular geographic region.

That’s life I suppose. We have to live with these things. SBS is very good at cultivating certain properties, certain products in sport and Australian soccer happens to be one of them. The Socceroos in particular received a certain profile partly due to what SBS has done in promoting them over the years.

There is far more competition between networks these days especially with the introduction of pay TV - competition that did not exist in the 80’s.”

Diegos:” Does your evil side want you to televise Aussie Rules, so that commercial stations buy it from SBS and like Australian soccer, make it disappear?”

Murray: “I’d like to see that. I’m afraid AFL doesn’t need SBS to give it a high profile, it already has one.”

Soft Sombrero Moment 1998

Murray on Australian soccer’s profile…

Diegos: ‘How do you think soccer’s profile is coming along?’

Murray: “If we compare soccer’s profile today with its past, an enormous amount has been achieved. Soccer has had its problems and will always have problems. However, we must realize that there is a second revolution underway in soccer at the moment, started by Perth Glory and Northern Spirit.

The first revolution was in 1957 with the breakaway and subsequent formation of the Australian Soccer Federation, on the back of a migrant boom. Now we have another revolution. It’s a natural process and we must be patient.”

Soft Sombrero Moment 1998

Murray on the fear of soccer from other sports codes in Australia…

Diegos: “It’s well documented that the biggest fear that other football codes have is the Socceroos making a World Cup Final….”

Murray: “ They have all sorts of fears - don’t make a mistake about that. I was interested to read some weeks ago that there was a summit meeting in a posh Sydney restaurant between the major executives of AFL, ARL, ARU, NBL, a meeting where soccer was not invited.

They were discussing the long-term future of their sports in this country. I think I know why soccer was not invited. It’s my hunch that it was the first item on the agenda.”

Soft Sombrero Moment 1998

Murray on the Kewell ‘No Show’…

Diegos: "Recently on the SBS ‘World Sports’ program, you interviewed Olyroo coach, Raul Blanco who was obviously irked at the Harry Kewell 'no show' to the training camp in England. 

You hung out with the 'Mad Dog' Socceroos of the 80's, a team that sacrificed a lot to put Aussie soccer on the map. 

What's your view of this latest Harry Kewell snub?"

Murray: “There are two sides to the issue. Professional footballers have an allegiance to the club that pays their salary. You can’t just drag players from clubs at any time.

But I’m starting to get a little impatient with Harry. He’s not showing me that he is enthusiastic about representing his country every time he is called to. He did represent Australia in the World Cup qualifiers, but playing in the World Cup finals is every player’s dream and you don’t knock that back.

This country, often at great expense to the taxpayer, educates Australian players. Harry Kewell is one of these players, educated at Westfield Sports High School. This is a State School funded by the taxpayer and the NSW state government. Due to this, I believe Harry owes us something in return.”

Soft Sombrero Moment 1998

Murray on keeping awake…

Diego: “How do you prepare for late night soccer sessions at SBS? Do you especially pick outlandish neck ties that are likely to keep your audience awake?”

Murray: “The time of the day determines the tie I wear. Sometimes I get dressed in the dark and haven’t got a clue what I am wearing. We’ve been doing late night soccer since 1981 and I still can’t get the formula right. Do I stay up all-night or go to bed and awake after a mere two hours of sleep?

A number of years ago, Johnny Warren decided to stay at my place because it was closer to the studio. We decided to have a mini ‘On the Ball’ with a bottle of scotch. Low and behold, half an hour before going to air, there was no Les and no Johnny at the studio. The SBS production team panicked and sent a search party out to find us. Thankfully the banging on my door finally woke us. Luckily we made it to the show on time.”

Soft Sombrero Moment 1998

Murray on travel…

Diegos: “We’ve watched you commentate for many years and always wondered how the hell does Les Murray travel so much and so fast in such a short period of time? Greece one day, Germany the next, happily calling games as you go.”

Murray: “Very funny you should ask that. I once commentated a game that was played in Bologna at a time of the year when it was very cold.

So the director decided I should dress in winter clothes – a hat, scarf overcoat etc. He made the cameraman shoot me in one corner of the screen to give the appearance that I was actually there.

As you can imagine, the producer of the show was not too thrilled with that particular technique so we haven’t used it since.”

Soft Sombrero Moment 1998

Murray the poet…

Diegos: "You do share your name with the legendary Australian poet Les Murray. 

Coincidentally the Four Diegos research department has uncovered a newspaper article that compares you both. 

It specifically says of you…. 'Although the words he speaks may seem un-poetic in English, at a deeper bio-linguistic level, his patterns of speech unconsciously replicate the complex assonance of Hungarian epic poetry.' 

Now when you're calling soccer, do you do so as a Hungarian poet or as a knock about SBS TV commentator?"

Murray: “I haven’t got a clue! I was brought up in Hungary until the age of 12 and was inspired to do commentating by a Hungarian caller who was an absolute legend.

In today’s terms he would be classified as the Martin Tyler of Hungarian soccer. He inspired me because his commentary was like poetry. So when I commentate I try to be as illustrative as possible.

So I suppose, there is a chance that there is a bit of epic Hungarian poetry in my commentating after all.”

Soft Sombrero Moment 1998

Les the World Cup cowboy…

The Diegos: “The SBS coverage of the World Cup in the US was highlighted by perhaps the best piece of soccer TV footage we have ever seen - you riding a horse.

We know that you have been on a fact finding mission to France and we are just wondering how you are going to top that for the 1998 World Cup?”

Murray: “Thank god I haven’t been asked by any visionary producer to ride a horse this time. l think we do things a little bit more civilized on this tour. After all the United States was part of the new world - the great frontier - France is not like that.

France is a hub of culture and history. So we indulge in a bit of gastronomy, shall we say, the sipping of the Bordeaux and that kind of thing.”

Soft Sombrero Moment 1998

Les’ ultimate footy fantasy…

The Diegos: “Everyone has their own soccer fantasy. What is your ultimate soccer fantasy?”

Murray: “When I was a little kid l used to, if l had trouble going to sleep, put myself to sleep by lining up in the great real Madrid side of the 60’s with Ferenc Puskas playing inside left number 10, Alfredo Di Stefano at number nine centre forward and me, Les Murray at number eight in side right. That’s my ultimate fantasy.”

The Diegos: “That’s amazing Les! We have that same fantasy. We are in that same team with Alfredo and Ferenc the only difference is that we are nude!”

Murray: “Well in that case I’d be on the bench.”

Soft Sombrero Moment 1998