The World (Game) According to Les Murray

Les Murray has lived and breathed football for more than three decades. Always at the heart of every football moment he has been witness to most of the greatest events in football history. His passion for soccer, in which he had been interested from an early age, was sparked after watching a replay of the 1960 European Cup Final. He began work as a journalist in 1971 and moved to Network Ten as a commentator in 1977, and SBS in 1980 where he soon turned to covering association football and rose to Sports Director. He has been the host for SBS coverage of association football including World Cups since 1986, as well as Australia's World Cup Qualifiers, most memorably in 1997, 2001 and 2005. SBS sports programs hosted by him have included On the Ball (1984–2000), Toyota World Sports (c. 1990 – 2006) and The World Game (2001–present). Murray was made a Member of the Order of Australia for services to association football in 2006. In 2006, Murray stepped down from his position as SBS's Sports Director, while his on-air role remained the same. He is a member of the FIFA Ethics Committee. In August 2011, Murray won the inaugural 'Blogger of the Year' award.