Tim White
Tim White was born in County Cork, Ireland.
White started his playing career as an Amateur at Coventry & North Warwickshire, England between 1956 and 1974 where he ultimately took on the roles of the club's treasurer, secretary and coach.
White emigrated with his wife Barbara and family to Melbourne in 1975 where he was head-hunted by local Melbourne second division club Springvale City. He guided Springvale City to promotion in his first season with the club in 1976, coaching them in First division until 1979.
During this time he developed his coaching skills by attending national coaching courses in Australia, making the transition from a part-time football coaching position to full-time coach when he was offered the full-time regional director of coaching role for North Queensland, based in Townsville from 1979 to 1981. The role included the development of junior and senior players throughout North Queensland.
White left Townsville and returned to Melbourne in 1981, taking up the position of Director of Coaching at the Victorian Soccer Federation, where he remained until 1993. The role involved the development and implementation of the Australian Soccer Federation coaching and development programs at all levels.
It was here that White put himself and Victoria on the map in the national coaching scene. He attended courses with Football International Federation (FIFA), the world governing body of football, and became a football instructor for the Oceania confederation and also a staff coach with the Australian Soccer Federation, having close links with the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS), where he became a satellite coach. This involved identifying young talented elite players and recommending them for a football scholarship at the AIS in Canberra.
White also coached Victoria in numerous matches against touring teams, including Watford and New York Cosmos in 1982, Dinamo Zagreb in 1988 and famously, in a 4-2 win against PAOK from Greece in 1989.
Other notable achievements include:
- initial development plan for the introduction of soccer programs to the Victorian Institute of Sport (VIS);
- identification and development of potential scholarship recipients;
- assistance to National and assistant coaches in the development of five Australian National teams;
- development and maintenance of Victorian State player development and program, including progress monitoring of young players and identification of potential elite players.
White recommended a number of players who would ultimately transition into national teams and play for the Socceroos, where he still had involvement with as adult players. Four players whom White had much to do with in their development - Mark Viduka, Jason Culina, Josip Skoko and Vince Grella - went went on to represent Australia in the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany.
Tim White spent his retirement years with his wife Barbara at Nelly Bay, Magnetic Island. White passed away after a long illness in February 2021, leaving a lasting legacy on Victoria and Australia's coaching community.
