Simon Hill who wrote the piece went on to stipulate that “Some in Australia persist in calling it ‘soccer’ - it doesn’t matter. They can call the game what they like - but this underlines that they have no right to impose THEIR name on our sport.”

It’s a beautiful turn of phrase and Hill (not for the first time) is right.

However, in the new branding of the game which came in the aftermath of the Crawford report, Football Federation Australia’s re-emergence and the A-League’s launch all and sundry involved in “old soccer” were swept out the door.

In my opinion that’s been a mistake.

On The Alchemy Football Show on Saturday I played an interview I did with football icon, Les Murray. I spoke to him after Friday’s Hall of Fame luncheon and he reminded me of where the game’s roots were. He pointed out that Harry Kewell and Mark Viduka, arguably the games greatest exports, were all bought up in the Old Soccer world.

It’s proof that we shouldn’t just paint all of the past with one brush and stick a ‘best forgotten about’ sign out front.

Let’s take the example of Aurelio Vidmar. On Friday, he was inducted into the Hall of Champions. However, he’d admit an even bigger achievement came two days beforehand when he coached Adelaide Untied in the Asian Champions League final. Of course they were outplayed and exposed in that game but that’s for a different time and place.

The point is, this is a man who led the Socceroos attack for half a decade. A man who reached the highs of club football in Europe, Asia and at home. A man who many tip could be the Socceroos next Australian coach. And he is old Soccer through and through.

He was taught a love of the game from migrant parents, bought up through local leagues, developed in the NSL and went on to success from there. He’s proven he has the passion, the understanding and the skills to learn, succeed and even accept (as he so humbly did after the 5 nil aggregate loss to Gamba Osaka) when he’s been bettered.

A shining example of the good foundation that Old Soccer has left the game.

Yes, in the past there were those in the game who were corrupt, naïve and self-involved. In fact some of those still hold on to small bastions of power within the outskirts of the game but the truth is more often then not they are and were the exception.

New Football might be the future but Old Soccer is the past. While some of it has been regretful and should be learn't from, some was truly great and should be rejoiced in and remembered. That is the rule.