Our condolences to the family, loved ones, friends, and teammates of Ron Lord, who died on April 8th 2024, age 94.
We were delighted to welcome him to the first Football Writers' Festival in Jamberoo in March 2019, where he entertained the audience with tales - tall and true.
We share Ron's entry from Andrew Howe's Encyclopedia of Socceroos (published by us in 2018 and 2022).
* * *
Australia’s goalkeeper at the 1956 Olympics, Ron Lord played around 400 games over almost two decades with Sydney clubs Drummoyne, Auburn and Prague. After playing junior and youth level in the outfield, with Rozelle Waratahs, he switched to goalkeeper at Drummoyne where he made his first senior state league appearance in 1949. He became the first choice keeper at Drummoyne the following year. He then moved to Auburn where he stayed until part way through the 1957 season, when he transferred from the association-backed Auburn to Prague in the new federation league. With Prague he won three consecutive NSW premierships (1959 to 1961), four state (Ampol) cups, and a premiership grand final in 1959 (W3-2 v APIA Leichhardt) before playing out his last state league season in 1964.
His national team stint commenced with four tough matches against the touring English FA team in 1951. He made an appearance for an Australian XI against New Zealand in Adelaide in 1954 (L1-3) and played another five times for Australia throughout 1955 against the representative teams of Rapid Vienna (3 games) and South China, and an A international match against South Africa in Sydney (L0-6).
In 1956 he was selected as first choice goalkeeper for the Olympic Games squad, where he played in both of Australia’s matches (W2-0 v Japan, L2-4 v India) in Melbourne. Hindered by Australia’s international suspension in the early 1960s, it was more than seven years before he made his next national team appearance, against Everton in Melbourne in May 1964 (L2-8). He also made several appearances for the NSW state side, including against Everton from England and Costa Rican club Deportivo Saprissa.
In 1999 he was inducted into the first FFA Hall of Fame intake.
- Total internationals, 1951-1964: 13