Craig Foster

Not to be confused with Craig Foster (Jamaican footballer). For other uses, see Craig Foster (disambiguation).
Craig Foster
Personal information
Full name Craig Andrew Foster
Date of birth (1969-04-15) 15 April 1969
Place of birth Lismore, New South Wales, Australia
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Playing position Midfielder
Youth career
1986–1987 AIS
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1988–1989 Sydney United 39 (2)
1989–1990 Sunshine Georgies 33 (0)
1991 Avala
1991 Singapore
1992 Avala 6 (0)
1992–1993 Ernest Borel
1994–1996 Adelaide City 50 (16)
1996–1997 Marconi Stallions 26 (4)
1997–1998 Portsmouth 19 (4)
1998–2000 Crystal Palace 52 (3)
2000–2003 Northern Spirit 43 (2)
National team
1985 Australia U-17
1996–2000 Australia 29 (9)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.


Craig Foster (born 15 April 1969 in Lismore, New South Wales) is a retired Australian association football player, and is currently a sports colour commentator for the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) in Australia.[1] He is renowned for his outspoken stance on the need for soccer in Australia to mature.[2][3][4]

Early years

High school

Foster attended Kadina High School, and periodically returns to speak and motivate students.[5][6]

Playing career

Club career

Playing as a midfielder, Foster debuted with Sydney Croatia in 1988, playing in a losing grand final in his first season. He moved to Victorian club Sunshine George Cross in 1989 before returning to Sydney to play for Avala in the NSW Super League. In 1992, Foster moved to Ernest Borel in Hong Kong before returning to Australia to play for Adelaide City and Marconi in the NSL.

As a 28-year-old he moved to England, linking up with Terry Venables firstly at Portsmouth, before moving to Crystal Palace as a free agent. He played at Palace until the end of the 1999–2000 season.

He returned to Australia to play with Northern Spirit until his retirement from the game in 2003.[7]

He currently plays amateur football in the Inner Western Suburbs of Sydney, with Belmore United Football Club.

International career

Foster earned 29 caps with the Australian national football team, scoring nine goals and represented Australia at under 16 level reaching the quarter finals at the 1985 FIFA U-16 World Championship in China.

Post retirement

Following his retirement from professional soccer, Foster became the chief soccer analyst for the SBS show The World Game, and is remembered for his commentary during the World Cup Qualifier in November 2005 against Uruguay. He is also renowned for his advocacy of a more Spanish/South American style of play, as opposed to the constant use of the long ball in soccer.[1][4][8][9][10][11]

Foster has been a strong advocate for player’s rights, having served for five years on the Australian Professional Footballers' Association Executive, as a Director of the APFA’s commercial wing, PFAM (PFA Management), and formerly as Chief Executive of the Player’s Association.[1] Foster is a life member of the APFA and a member of the APFA Technical Committee.

He writes for The Sun Herald and the Sydney Morning Herald.

He was a coach for Nerds FC in their second season.[1]

In 2007, Foster was invited to be the Australian representative to judge the Ballon d'Or, the highest award given to an individual football player.[1]

Honours

International

Individual

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Profile – Craig Foster". The World Game. Retrieved 23 September 2009.
  2. ↑ "Kicking goals at SBS". Courier Mail. 2 October 2008. Retrieved 23 September 2009.
  3. ↑ Huxley, John; Timms, Aaron (17 June 2006). "We're improving at a rate of knots". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 23 September 2009.
  4. 1 2 Dasey, Jason (15 July 2008). "Foster: Australian for football". ESPNsoccernet. Retrieved 23 September 2009.
  5. ↑ "Local heroes go back to school". The Northern Rivers Echo. 2006. Retrieved 23 May 2010.
  6. ↑ "Foster back again for the Corey New Cup". The Northern Star. 23 February 2008. Retrieved 23 May 2010.
  7. ↑ "Australian Player Database – FO". ozfootball.net. Retrieved 23 September 2009.
  8. ↑ Lessons to be learnt from our Asian boot in the backside
  9. ↑ Time to end the English cringe
  10. ↑ Butcher, Terry (19 October 2006). "Foster's expert opinion will be welcome at training". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 23 September 2009.
  11. ↑ Foster defends Arnold comments
  12. ↑ Oceanian Player of the Year 1997 The Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation
  13. ↑ Australia – Team of the Century The Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation
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