Gary Cole (footballer)

Football player infobox
playername = Gary Cole


fullname = Gary Cole
nickname =
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1956|02|05
cityofbirth = London
countryofbirth = England
height =
weight =
clubnumber =
currentclub = retired
position = striker
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years = 1972-1975 1976-1983 1984-1986
clubs = Ringwood Wilhelmina Heidelberg Alexander Preston Makedonia
caps(goals) = ? (?) 177 (88) 69 (21)
nationalyears = 1975-1984
nationalteam = flagicon|Australia Australia
nationalcaps(goals) = 40 (20)
manageryears = 1996-1997 1997-1998 2000-2001 2003 2003
managerclubs = Altona Magic Bulleen Zebras Bentleigh Greens Altona Magic Victoria
pcupdate = 30 March 2007
ntupdate = 30 March 2007

Gary Cole is an Australian football (soccer) player, who played for the Australia national football team 40 times and scored 20 goals between 1975 and 1984. He is currently Football Operations Manager for A-League club Melbourne Victory FC. [ [http://www.melbournevictory.com.au/default.aspx?s=management Melbourne Victory - Board and Management] ] [ [http://www.theage.com.au/news/Soccer/The-allimportant-Cole-difference/2004/12/12/1102625590072.html The all-important Cole difference] ]

Playing career

Transferred from Ringwood Wilhelmina to Fitzroy Alexander (later called Heidelberg United) in 1976 for a transfer fee of 6,000 after 3 years at Ringwood. Cole became one of the early stars of the National Soccer League as a striker, scoring 88 goals in 6 seasons at Heidelberg. In 1984 Cole moved to rival NSL club Preston Makedonia after injuring his ankle badly in 1983, and went on to score 21 goals for the club before retiring in 1986. [ [http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/Players/C/CO.html Oz Football Stats] ]

On August 14, 1981 he scored seven times against the Fiji Isles, and set a world record for the most goals scored in a World Cup match. His record was equalled in 1997, when Karim Bagheri from Iran scored seven times against the Maldive Isles, and their joint record was broken in 2001, when another Australian, Archie Thompson scored 13 goals against American Samoa. [ [http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/Socceroo/reports/vAS2001f.html Australia 31 - American Samoa 0] ] .

Coaching career

Cole has coached at various Victorian Premier League clubs and coached the Victorian state representative team after previously working on a full time basis at the AIS in Canberra.

Honours

* Socceroo 1975-1984 40 times for 20 goals.
* Victorian Representative Honours (Playing) 1974 - 1975
* Victorian Representative Honours (Coaching) 2003

References