Jim Tansey

NSL Career: Heidelberg, Footscray 172 (5) / 1977 - 1984

Socceroos Career: 20 (0) A Internationals / 24 (0) B Internationals

One of the best English-born defenders to have represented Australia, Jim Tansey was one of the best left-backs in Australia during the late 1970s and early 1980s. A consistent defender, Tansey made up for a lack of pace with composure, an excellent reading of the play and was a sound distributor.

Son of English defender Jimmy Tansey who played for Everton in the 1950s, Tansey was born and bred in Liverpool and started his career with South Liverpool, making his first team debut at the age of 18 in the Northern Premier League (non-League). During his time at South Liverpool, Tansey made over 100 appearances for the club and had an unsuccessful trial with First Division club Liverpool. During the 1973/74 NPL season, Tansey was approached by a spectator after a league game with an opportunity to play in Australia. 

The 20 year old defender tried his luck and moved to Melbourne where he joined Victorian State League side Prahran Slavia for the 1974 season. Following his second season at Prahran, Tansey earned a Socceroos call-up, making his full international debut in a friendly loss to USSR.

Tansey became one of the best defenders in the country during 1976, playing in a number of B internationals against European clubs such as Bologna and Sunderland, and was named the VSL Player of the Year. Phillips Soccer League foundation club Fitzroy signed the Socceroos defender for the inaugural season where he formed a solid back four with Prahran team mate Jim O'Reilly, Scottish centre-half Bobby Provan and uncompromising full-back Arthur McMillan.

Fitzroy finished the season in third place and reached the NSL Cup Semi-Finals, losing three-two to Marconi. Fitzroy narrowly missed out on qualifying for the inaugural Play-Off Series in 1978, finishing fifth, before changing their name to Heidelberg for the 1979 season. 

The club strengthened it's stocks during the 1979 season as Tansey became a Socceroos regular. Heidelberg signed Essendon Croatia keeper Yakka Banovic, who had spent two years in the North American Soccer League with Toronto and Marconi's 1977 PSL Player of the Year Jimmy Rooney. 

When defender Jim O'Reilly left for Footscray during the season, the club paid Prahran over $20,000 for centre-half John Yzendoorn, who had started his career in England with Preston North End, and  1978 VSL Top Scorer Jamie Paton. The strong Heidelberg side, whose defensive record improved, finished runners-up to Marconi in the league and finished third place in the Play-Off Series. Heidelberg's strong form led to Yzendoorn, Banovic and Theo Selemidis joining Tansey in the national team set-up.

Heidelberg narrowly missed out on their first PSL trophy in the 1980 season, finishing runners-up to Sydney City by a point after giving up a one-nil lead against Newcastle KB in the second-to-last game of the season. Tansey played in both the final and final replay of the NSL Cup, losing to Marconi, before playing a key role in getting Heidelberg in to the Play-Off Series Grand Final, setting up Paton in a four-one victory over South Melbourne in the preliminary final.

The composed defender played in the grand final in which Heidelberg defeated Sydney City four-nil to claim their first piece of silverware in the NSL. Tansey started the 1981 season well and played in two of Australia's 1982 World Cup qualifiers against New Zealand and Indonesia before succumbing to an injury in late June that kept him out of action for the remainder of the season.

Tansey returned midway through the 1982 season and cemented his spot in the side but was unable to regain the left-back position in the national team which was occupied by former Wolverhampton Wanderers junior Alan Niven. Tansey nullified talented young APIA forward Marshall Soper in the NSL Cup Final but was unable to help the side maintain a one-nil lead as APIA came from behind to win two-one. In the last seven games of the 1983 season, Tansey became player-coach of Heidelberg after the sacking of Ken Morton.

As player-coach, Tansey helped the side finish sixth in the league and reach the NSL Cup Final (lost two-nil on aggregate to Sydney Olympic). Disappointed with the recruitment drive at Heidelberg leading up to the 1984 season, Tansey moved to Footscray and helped the side reach the NSL Cup Semi-Finals.

Following the 1984 NSL season, Tansey retired from the top flight and joined VSL side Croydon City. Tansey helped the side win back-to-back championships in 1985 and 1986 before hanging up his boots at the end of 1987 season at the age of 34. Tansey became Heidelberg's head coach during the 1988 VSL season, guiding them to promotion and remained in charge for the first 11 rounds of the 1989 NSL season before being replaced by Miron Bleiberg.