After vanishing 69 years ago an Australian sporting treasure has been discovered in mint condition in a suburban garage.
The unlikely find of the Anzac “Soccer Ashes” trophy has sparked calls for the long-lost prize to be used for future trans-Tasman football clashes.
The small wooden trophy – housed in a silver-plated razor case carried at Gallipoli – was contested by the Socceroos and New Zealand’s All Whites until it mysteriously disappeared in 1954.
Inside it are ashes of cigars smoked by the Socceroos captain Alex Gibb and the All Whites skipper George Campbell after the first trans-Tasman match on Australian soil in June 1923.
Relatives of the former Australian Soccer Football Association chair Sydney Storey found the item packed away in a garage while clearing out his estate.
“Amongst trunks we found this well-preserved historical soccer trophy and guess what, it’s turned out to be the ANZ soccer Ashes trophy,” Peter Storey said. “It was quite extraordinary with engravings on it and a soccer ball motif on the top … we knew it was significant but we didn’t know how significant.”
Trevor Thompson, a historian whose book Burning Ambition traces the genesis of the first Australia and New Zealand national teams, said the trophy was “quite possibly the greatest domestic treasure there is in the game”.
“It’s packed with so much imagery about the unity of the two countries and the razor case that had been to Gallipoli referenced the recent experience of fighting shoulder to shoulder during the first world war,” Thompson said.
Football Australia’s chair, Chris Nikou, said the find was important to preserving and celebrating the history of the sport in Australia.
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“Its journey is a symbol of the courage and camaraderie of the Anzacs, where this shared spirit continues to be demonstrated every time Australia and New Zealand take to the sporting arena,” Nikou said.
New Zealand Football’s chief executive, Andrew Pragnell, said the discovery was a huge moment for trans-Tasman football. He suggested the trophy could once again be part of the sport.
“We know how much the trans-Tasman rivalry means to football fans in both countries so we would love to bring the Ashes back into circulation at some point,” he said.
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