Maccabi mourns death of former Socceroo
THE Maccabi community has joined Australia's football fraternity in paying tribute to former Socceroo Ian 'Iggy' Gray, who was found dead in his Sydney apartment earlier this week.
DAVID WEINER
THE Maccabi community has joined Australia’s football fraternity in paying tribute to former Socceroo Ian “Iggy” Gray, who was found dead in his Sydney apartment on February 15.
The 46-year-old footballer is not Jewish, but was a respected part of the Maccabi-Hakoah football scene for more than 15 years.
Gray was in the midst of simultaneously training Maccabi’s State Youth League under-15 team, the All-Age Ones and Twos, while maintaining his long-standing commitment to his beloved Grand Masters, who have become some of his closest friends.
The Maccabi Hakoah Football Club has released a statement saying: “This is obviously a massive tragedy for all of us as Iggy is an incredibly close friend, mentor, coach and great bloke to everyone at all levels within the Maccabi Hakoah Football family. He will be greatly missed by everyone.”
Gray was found dead in his inner-Sydney apartment on Monday night. Police said friends who had fears for his welfare went to the apartment and forced their way in. Police said he failed to keep appointments or answer his phone over the weekend and were treating the death as suspicious.
Gray represented Australia 35 times after his 1984 debut, scoring six goals. He was a stalwart of the old National Soccer League, with stints at APIA-Leichhardt and Marconi, and was an assistant coach at Northern Spirit.
He was inducted into the Australian football Hall of Fame in 2004 and continued his involvement in the sport.
Gray was an integral part of Maccabi, having taken players of all ages to Maccabiahs, Pan America Games and the Maccabi Australia International Games. He organised junior trips to Fiji, Spain, Singapore and America. He played the Asian football circuit with the Masters. He was part of the club’s delegation to Oldham last year.
Gray coached Hakoah State League, Maccabi Premier League, Maccabi local league, junior teams and was the YDL coaching director last year.
Grand Masters’ manager Mick Swibel said: “He will be sadly missed by everyone within the football family, especially the Maccabi football family He had so much knowledge and football experience to share and was highly regarded by one and all.”