Craig Foster

For the Jamaican footballer, see Craig Foster (Jamaican footballer).

Craig Foster

Personal information
Full name	Craig Andrew Foster
Date of birth	15 April 1969 (1969-04-15)
Place of birth	Lismore, 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. † Appearances (Goals).

Craig Foster (born 15 April 1969) is an Australian former Soccer player. He is currently a sports commentator for the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) in Australia. He is renowned for his outspoken stance on the need for soccer in Australia to mature.

Early years

High school

Foster attended Kadina High School, and periodically returns to speak and motivate students.

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. At the time Portsmouth were in administration and needed to offload their biggest earners and with Foster being one of them, Alan Ball approached him about selling him, which ended in a fierce argument between the two. He played at Palace until the end of the 1999/00 season.

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

He currently plays amateur soccer in the Eastern Suburbs Premier League in Sydney, with Waverley Old Boys.

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 PR.

Post retirement

Following his retirement from professional soccer, Foster became the chief soccer analyst for the SBS soccer show The World Game, and is remembered for his passionate 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.

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. 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.

In 2007, Foster was invited to be the Australian representative to judge the Ballon d'Or, the highest award given to an individual European soccer player.

Honours

International

• Australia:
  • FIFA Confederations Cup
    • Runner-up: 1997
  • OFC Nations Cup
    • Winner: 1996, 2000

Individual

• 1997 Oceania Footballer of the Year: nominee (5th overall)
• 2000 OFC Nations Cup: Top scorer
• Australia - Team of the Century: nominee

See also

• The World Game

External links

• National Football Teams Profile
• The World Game