By Stuart Newman
June 21 – The first ever captain of Australia’s national football team, the late Alex Gibb, has been honoured in a special ceremony during the recent FIFA 2014 World Cup Asian qualifying match between the hosts and Japan in Brisbane, which ended 1-1.
Gibb’s grandson, Alexander Gibb, was on hand to accept the number-one cap from Jack Reilly, Football Federation Australia (FFA) director and a former Socceroo.
Scotland-born Gibb (pictured above) – a winger who turned out in seven matches for his adopted country from 1922 to 1923, and represented Queensland and the state city of Ipswich – played in Australia’s first ever international football match in 1922 against New Zealand on a tour across the Tasman.
The presentation also honoured Gibb’s son, the late Lex Gibb, a utility player who appeared eight times for Australia between 1938 and 1948, as well as representing Queensland and teams in Brisbane and Ipswich.
Lex Gibb’s grandson, Dean, was presented with cap number 77 on behalf of his grandfather.
A guard of honour featuring former Socceroos was organised to pay tribute to the Gibb family’s contribution to Australian football.
“FFA is delighted to honour Alex and Lex Gibb as true pioneers of football in Australia,” said FFA chief executive Ben Buckley.
“Our contemporary programme of awarding caps to national team representatives is now delving back into the very origins of the national team.”
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