Editing Johnny Warren (section)

==After retirement==

===Media===
Warren worked in television commentating football for the [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]] (ABC) and [[Special Broadcasting Service]] (SBS) television networks. It was at SBS where he made his mark, appearing on a number of football analysis shows including [[On The Ball (SBS television show)|On the Ball]] and [[The World Game]].<ref name="sunherald2" />

Warren wept openly on national television in 1997 when two very late goals by [[Iran national football team|Iran]] resulted in a 2–2 draw against the Socceroos in the [[1998 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC–OFC play-off)|final World Cup qualifying match]] and sent Iran to the [[1998 FIFA World Cup]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/Soccer/The-beautiful-game-ends-for-its-No1-fan/2004/11/07/1099781247730.html|title=The beautiful game ends for its No.1 fan|date=8 November 2004|newspaper=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]|access-date=7 October 2009}}</ref>

===Gold Creek===
While in Canberra, John and his business partners acquired control of the Gold Creek Function and Entertainment Centre based around the historic [[Gold Creek Homestead]] (located in present-day [[Ngunnawal, Australian Capital Territory|Ngunnawal]]). The function centre was one of the National Capital's premier function venues.<ref name="sunherald1"/><ref>{{cite book|last=Newman|first=Chris|title=Gold Creek, Reflection sof Canberra's Rural Heritage|publisher=Gold Creek Homestead Working Group|year=2004}}</ref>

During the 1980s and early 1990s, numerous international visitors including members of Brazil's Under 19s football team travelled to Gold Creek to get their first taste of Australian country life. Annual football camps were also held there under the auspices of the Australian Soccer Federation.  Over a period of ten years, upwards of 10,000 teenagers from around the nation completed the two-week training camps.{{citation needed|date=June 2010}}

===Opposition to the OFC===
Warren frequently argued for abolition of the [[Oceania Football Confederation]] (OFC), claiming that the OFC offered nothing to either the world game nor to the nations that comprised the confederation. The lack of competition for Australia in the OFC was exemplified by the [[2002 FIFA World Cup qualification (OFC)|2002 FIFA World Cup qualification]] results that featured 11–0, 22–0 and [[Australia 31–0 American Samoa|31–0]] scorelines against OFC opponents. The OFC does not have a direct qualification route to the World Cup. From 1986 to 2022, the OFC champion could only feature in an intercontinental play-off series against a team from either [[CONMEBOL]], [[CONCACAF]] or the [[Asian Football Confederation|Asian Football Confederation (AFC)]] to achieve a World Cup berth. Warren favoured a merger between the OFC and AFC that would allow the OFC nations to play in a regular qualification series. After the [[2003 Report of the Independent Soccer Review Committee|Crawford Report]] of which he was a committee member, Australia joined the AFC in 2006.

===Struggle for national success===
Warren's publicly held belief was that if Australia's strong sporting tradition was focused on the sport then Australia could be a world power in the game. One of his famous quotes on the matter was "I'm sick of us saying, 'When are we going to qualify for the World Cup'? When are we going to ''win'' the World Cup? ... Call me a dreamer."<ref name="smh">{{cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/07/09/1089000355067.html|title=Global game honours fighter Warren|last=Brown|first=Alex|date=10 July 2004|newspaper=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]|access-date=7 October 2009}}</ref> His comments came shortly after Australia had defeated [[England national football team|England]] 3–1 in a friendly featuring a full-strength English side and two [[Confederations Cup]] wins over [[France national football team|France]] and [[Brazil national football team|Brazil]] (the [[1998 FIFA World Cup final|two finalist teams]] of the [[1998 FIFA World Cup]]) when Australia took third place at the [[2001 FIFA Confederations Cup]] in a 1–0 play-off win over Brazil.

Warren claimed that these results showed that Australia was a much more powerful football nation than many gave it credit for. At the time, Australia was reigning world champion in the other international codes – [[rugby union]], [[rugby league]] and [[cricket]], in addition to being an [[Australia at the Olympics|Olympic power]] and won four [[Formula One]] world titles between the 1950s and 1980s (with [[Jack Brabham]] and [[Alan Jones (racing driver)|Alan Jones]]).

Nevertheless, Warren predicted that the Australian national team would attain consistent international success. He famously expressed a desire to say 'I told you so' to the team's detractors.<ref>{{Cite web
 |last        = Arthur
 |first       = Darren
 |title       = 2004: 'I told you so'
 |work        = WWOS presents football moments of the decade
 |publisher   = ninemsn.com.au
 |url         = http://wwos.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=924111
 |access-date  = 2010-06-13
 |url-status     = dead
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20100710185613/http://wwos.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=924111
 |archive-date = 10 July 2010}}</ref> The phrase has since become commonplace in the Australian soccer community, reflective of Warren's overarching desire to see soccer become the most popular sport in Australia.

===''Sheilas, Wogs and Poofters''===
In 2002, Warren published a best selling book, ''Sheilas, Wogs and Poofters, An Incomplete Biography of Johnny Warren & Soccer in Australia '' which traced the growth of soccer in Australia, especially in the post-[[World War II]] years. The title refers to alleged [[sexist]], [[racist]] and [[homophobic]] attitudes towards soccer exhibited frequently by many Australians and especially the major city media in Australia through this period.<ref name="sheilaswogs1" /> The term "[[:wikt:sheila|sheila]]" refers to a woman, "[[wog]]" is a derogatory term (but has since been appropriated by some) to refer to Australians of [[Mediterranean region|Mediterranean]] origin (specifically [[Southern Europe]] and the [[Levant]]), while "[[:wikt:poofter|poofter]]" is a slur for a homosexual (generally a [[gay man]]).