About Us
In the Beginning
The St. Patricks College Sport’s Club:
“… to give all students of the College the opportunity to take part in organised sport of their choice.”
Sport, from the opening of the College in 1956, was always an important element in school life. Sports was limited in activities from 1956 to 1962 to colour competition on sports afternoon’s and weekend competition’s for a very limited amount of team’s and it was not until a meeting held in February 1963 that the Sport’s Club itself was kicked off.
`The aim of the Sport’s club was “to provide assistance to staff of St Patricks College to promote organised sport and to provide facilities for sport for the pupils of Christian Brothers College, Sutherland and allied convent schools.” Although this clause remains in the constitution of the Sport’s Club today, the aim has been extended over the years to include all ex-student’s of the College and the community of the Sutherland Shire.
Soccer:
Soccer was introduced into the Sport’s Club in 1966 and in that year entered 10 teams into the local competition. The first soccer uniform consisted of bottle-green plain shirts and black shorts. The first committee was as follows;
President: John Stevens
Secretary: John Mc Innes
Delegates: Kevin Lewis, Colin Wallace, Mr Van Earp
The club shared its home ground, Forest Road Oval, with Rugby League in the opening season and Mrs Lorna Lewis operated a canteen from a tent. Premiership success came in that first year with the 9C’s team.
The Soccer Club has built it’s foundations on being “the family club” and this is evident by the fact that the Club still boasts registered players from the families of the founding members. It also always welcomes new families each year and retains the ties with families that return year upon year. There is nothing like a Saturday morning in winter at St Pat’s Soccer Club, the smell of the b-b-q, a hot coffee, a welcoming smile and the sounds of children having fun.
Our thanks to Darren McDonald (Club Historian) for contributing this summary
Honorary Life Member: MR FRANK LAWRENCE
“Although small of stature, a man with the biggest heart of all” is how the nomination form by the Sutherland Shire Junior Football Soccer Association for a special award to be presented to Frank Lawrence at the Annual State Dinner on 2nd November 1996 starts.
To meet Frank Lawrence is to meet the spirit of St Patricks Soccer club face to face. He is a man that from 1969 (just three short years after the club had formed) to 1994 coached and managed no less than 30 teams, won premierships, knock-out comps, and during the 70’s and 80’s remained as one of the major forces in coaching within the Sutherland Shire with teams in semi-finals in a majority of those years.
He continued his association with St Pat’s from 1995 by acting as the club’s representative to the SSJFSA until 2001. For the next 6 years until 2007 he dedicated his Saturday’s and Sunday’s helping out in any way he could at Forest Road Oval and could often be seen behind the helm of the b-b-q cooking up a storm.
I had the privilege to sit with Frank on a Sunday afternoon and discuss some of the things he remembered about the club. Frank recalled how he started his coaching days with the swimming club, which is still part of the Sport’s Club today, and how he was asked to help coach some of the boys whom at that stage were playing with the Kirrawee Club. He coached the U6B in 1967 and in that year were undefeated winners. The next year, still at the Kirrawee club, the U7A team were runners up, Raynor Cup and White Wings Knockout Winners.
In 1969 Frank started coaching at St Pats and remembered the first shirts his team wore, which were yellow shirts with a blue band and a shamrock on the chest, donated by the Como Club. How they moved onto white shirts with a green band until the team was provided with the green and black stripped shirts, the first official colours of the club.
He recalls the people who made a difference to the club, William (Bill) Smythe – Club President 1969 – 1972, Trevor Chater – Club President 1973, G Thomas – Club President 1974, Brian Chesworth – Club President 1978 – 1980, and of course the biggest supporter the club had amongst the brothers, Brother Moss. He also remembered people such as Tony and Judy Parker, with whom he has had such a long standing friendship and many others associated with St Pats Soccer.
Frank remembers with a grin, the “Thirsty Five” Club and regaled in stories of printing the “Forest Whisper” on a Friday night down at Forest Road Oval and then how they would go to the brother’s house at St Pat’s College as they knew the fridge would have some grog in it and sneak in one at a time so as not to get caught.
Memories of how they built the St Pats Sports Club at Waratah and the “buy a brick” campaign to help raise funds for the new clubhouse which is still standing today. How Frank was made a council ranger as part of the 527 Committee and would water and cater for Forest Road Oval. The monies he received from this were entirely donated to the club to provide the lighting still used today at Forest Road Oval. How Allen Darley ordered 500 cans of beer which were sold as part of the “Golden 500” fund raiser and sold for a $1 each. “Turned out they were able to sell a lot of the cans more than once” says Frank.
A list below shows Franks documented achievements at the club. What it does not show is the magnificent legacy he has left with the club. His son’s grew up with the club, still play for the club and are playing life members in their own right. His grandchildren remember the times they would go and visit “Franky” at Forest Road Oval and I don’t know a single person at St Pat’s who has been there for more than five minutes who doesn’t remember “Cranky Franky”. If you take the time and talk to the players this man has coached, he forged these men’s lives by some very simple rules. Work hard, keep your mind on the job, and never give up.
Throughout the years his wife Emily has been by his side being just as much a part of the club as Frank. She has dedicated her life to Frank, her family and the Soccer Club. Both Frank and Emily have received the St Pat’s “Saint of the Year” Award, Frank receiving it in both 1978 and 1981, which is given to the person who has dedicated and provided outstanding service to the club.
Frank was awarded St Patricks Sports Club Life Membership, St Patricks Soccer Club Honorary Life Membership, 1996 was presented with a Special Award from the SSJSFA and in 1998 honoured with a Special Award Certificate from the NSWASF.
The St Pat’s Soccer Club has built its name as the family club mostly due to men and women such as Frank and Emily. When Frank talks to you now, you still see the same passion in his eyes for the club as he had when he first started. His reverence when he talks about the men and women he worked with and the young men he coached, a testament to Frank’s character and nature. Values and rules he passed on.
Although Frank doesn’t get to a lot of games these day’s, if you listen close enough on a cold, wet evening, you can still hear his spirit being coached to the young boys and girls of today, getting them into shape for another season at St Pat’s.
FRANK LAWRENCE: - CLUB HISTORY
1966 Kirrawee Committee
1967 Kirrawee U6B Coach Undefeated Winners
1968 Kirrawee U7A Coach Runners Up – Raynor Cup and White Wings Knockout Winners
1969 St Patricks Committee
1970 St Patricks U7D Manager Knockout Comp Winners
1971 St Patricks U8C Manager Premiers (first Club to win Sun Sportsman of Year Award)
1972 St Patricks U9B Manager Premiers
1973 St Patricks U10A Coach Semi Finalist
1974 St Patricks U14C Coach Minor Premiers, Premiers, Most Improved
1975 St Patricks AL & U15B Coach
1976 St Patricks U15B Coach Minor Premiers, Premiers, Most Improved
1977 St Patricks AL4 Coach Semi Finalists
1978 St Patricks AL4 Coach Semi Finalists
1979 St Patricks AL4 Coach Semi Finalists
1980 St Patricks 21D Coach Semi Finalists
1981 St Patricks 21D Coach Semi Finalists
1982 St Patricks 21C Coach Semi Finalists
1983 St Patricks 21C, 8A Coach 21C Semi Finalists
1984 St Patricks 9A, 21C, AL6 Coach 21C & AL6 Semi Finalists
1985 St Patricks 21C, AL5 Coach 21C Semi Finalists
1986 St Patricks U13, AL5 Coach / Manager
1987 St Patricks AL4 Coach Senior Club Coach
1988 St Patricks AL4 Coach
1989 St Patricks AL3 Coach
1990 St Patricks PL3 Coach
1991 St Patricks PL3 Coach
1992 St Patricks PL3 Coach
1993 St Patricks PL3 Coach
1994 St Patricks U6F Coach
1985 SSJSFA Merit Award Recipient
1994 SSJSFA Association Management Committee
1995 – 2001 SSJSFA Point Score Recorder
1998 NSWASF Special Award Certificate