Adrian Alston

Early career

Born in Preston, Alston was playing as an apprentice at his hometown club Preston North End where his older brother Alec Alston had made over 100 appearances before leaving in 1962. He was spotted playing a youth team match by Jimmy Kelly, who was the manager of Fleetwood and who took Alston to Fleetwood during the 1967–68. His brother Alec was already playing at Fleetwood that season. Kelly had previously spent four seasons playing in Australia and planned to return in 1968. Despite not yet turning professional, Kelly offered Alston a deal which quadrupled the wages he had been receiving at Preston to move to Australia and join South Coast United on an initial six-month loan deal. He had been playing with Preston for one year and was convinced to move after being told that the "heavy grounds" in England did not suit his playing style. Alston was due to be married at the time but convinced his fiancée Doreen to make the move with him. He settled quickly in the country, scoring the goal that won the New South Wales Soccer Federation Division One title in 1969 in a 1–1 draw with APIA Leichhardt and was chosen to play for a New South Wales representative side soon after. He later moved to St George where he won a league title and was offered a contract in Japan, along with teammate Attila Abonyi, after impressing in an Asian tournament that St George won but turned down the deal. It was during this time that Abonyi who started using Alston's nickname…

Alston was handed his debut for the Australian national team by head coach Joe Vlasits on 19 July 1969 in a 1–0 friendly victory over Greece, who were undertaking a tour of Australia, at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Alston later commented that as soon as he began playing for Australia, he was "no longer English". He won two further caps in 1969, playing in two out of three matches of a tour of Rhodesia against the national side in November, before scoring his first international goal the following year in a friendly match against Greece. Alston was instrumental in Australia's progress during the qualifying rounds for the 1974 FIFA World Cup, scoring three goals in the group stage and once during the final play-off match against Iran as Australia qualified for the World Cup for the first time in their history. He was named to the squad for the tournament in West Germany by manager Rale Rasic. In the opening match against East Germany, Alston performed a move to beat defender Konrad Weise that was used later in the tournament by Dutch international Johan Cruyff and became known as the "Cruyff Turn". He later commented on Cruyff's use of the move "I used to do this trick but not very often, [...] He must have practiced it for five days because five days later he did the same thing against Sweden". Prior to the Australia side meeting West Germany in the group stage, during a press conference, German manager Helmut Schoen stated:

We have nothing to fear from Australia....apart…

After suffering the knee injury that ended his career, Alston's son Adrian Jr was diagnosed with Legg–Calvé–Perthes disease, a hip disorder. He soon spent the majority of his earnings made during his football career and moved back to England to set up a hotel with his brother Alec in Blackpool. However, after just four months, Alston grew unsettled and decided to return to Australia, eventually moving to Illawarra. Alston signed a three-year contract with the Wollongong City in 1983. Prior to the season seven of his players were sold to rival league clubs due to Wollongong's financial troubles. Wollongong finished second last in National Soccer League and Alston left the club. In 1984, he was appointed coach of Corrimal Rangers in the second division in Illawarra regional competition after being recommended by his former Wollongong assistant Terry Hurley. After one season the side was promoted to the Illawarra Premier League, where they signed Alston's former Australian international teammate Attila Abonyi who would score 21 goals for the club in the 1985 season. Alston left the Rangers at the end of the 1989 season after six seasons in charge. After a year long break from football, Alston was approached by Port Kembla and he became head coach for the 1991 season. Alston spent 13 seasons with Port Kembla; during that period the club won 26 trophies including five league titles, seven Grand Finals, and two Bert Bampton Cups. Alston left Port Kembla at the end of 2004 after…

International

Scores and results list Australia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Alston goal.