THE BIRTH OF A SOCCER CLUB
The inspiration behind the founding of the Seaford Soccer Club was fostered in 1968, by Norman Jones a big man who was a competent and shrewd soccer administrator and the Secretary of the Frankston City soccer club. In many instances seemingly unrelated happenings effect decisions of other bodies; this was the case in the sequence of events that led to the founding of the Seaford United soccer Club. About 27 years ago the Frankston Soccer Club was founded and fielded they're first team in the Third Division. Local councils of this era were reluctant to recognise soccer as an up a coming sport and therefore provision of grounds and area was of a poor standard, and such was the case at Frankston. However, even though facilities were poor the Frankston Soccer club prospered and were eventually promoted to First Division. During the period of development of the local soccer club a number of junior squads were formed, with the intention of grooming junior players for promotion to the senior team. Due to lack of space these teams could not be centralised but instead played their matches at different locations throughout the shire of Frankston. When the City of Frankston was proclaimed in 1966 the Frankston club altered its name to the Frankston City soccer club. About this time the unrelated happenings occurred in the western suburbs. Polonia a state league team formed a junior soccer club know as Keilor now renamed green gully. The junior team prospered and in a few years surpassed the mother club in assets and on the field ability. The Keilor club then claimed senior status recognition. Polonia complained to the VSF which passed a resolution that senior soccer clubs were permitted to found junior clubs under a different name and that the federation would recognise both clubs as a single whole club. Players registered with the junior club were once regarded as being registered with and tied to a club. Coincidently with the resolution Frankston City council established the North Seaford reserve, built spacious changing rooms, erected goal posts and marked an Australian rules oval on this site. This reserve was intended to be allocated to the Seaford football club which would move from its ground at the intersection of railway parade and Seaford road and their ground was in turn to be let to the Frankston City soccer club. After works were completed at the North Seaford reserve, Seaford football officials viewed the facilities and elected not to change grounds and affirmed this decision by paying their rental to the council for the forthcoming year. The only interest displayed in the North Seaford oval which was reserved for the Seaford football club at a nominal annual rental. This was intended as a second ground for the football club but in the ensuing years was in fact only used about five times per year. The decision by the football club was brought to the notice of Norman Jones, who immediately recognised that the eastern end of the North Seaford reserve (the football ground being in the centre of the reserve where pitches two and three are located) together with the changing room facilities was an excellent home for the Frankston City soccer club. A committee meeting was convened and a proposal to move to North Seaford reserve was agreed to. Representations were immediately made to council which let the eastern end of the reserve to the Frankston City soccer club at a yearly rental, with the rider that the football ground must be retained for Australian rules. One soccer pitch was established on the North Seaford reserve, from east to west, but after further assessments a main pitch and a junior pitch were marked out side by side in a north to south position. Frankston City junior clubs had developed to a stage where teams in age groups from 10 through to sixteen were being fielded, teams played their matches either at North Seaford or on the pitch behind the Frankston technical school. Council favouritism to Australian rules still prevailed then. In an endeavour to increase ground space available to soccer in the Frankston area, Norman Jones came forward with a proposal to establish a junior soccer club in the Seaford area, in line with the federation resolution enacted as a result of the dispute between Polonia and Keilor. Tom Wall who had previously coached Hakoah was consulted and his concurrence to the proposal sought. Tom agreed to support the founding of a junior club and the proposal was then taken to Frankston City committee. Whilst the decision of the committee was not unanimous a motion to form the Seaford United soccer club was passed with Norm Jones being responsible to the committee for the implementation of the decision under the terms of the federation resolution. As a result the Seaford United soccer club was registered with the Victorian soccer federation in 1968. As there was no club membership Norm Jones was charged with the duty to autocratically appoint a committee to get the club off the ground. One afternoon he met Frank Menhennitt who was watching his son play with a Frankston City junior club at the North Seaford reserve. They struck up a conversation just behind the goalmouth and all aspects of the formation of the new club were discussed. Frank was enthusiastic about the idea and offered his assistance. He was appointed as the first chairman of the Seaford United soccer club there and then. Shortly afterwards after further discussions the first committee was formed: - Chairman - Frank Menhennitt Secretary - Vonnie Wall Treasurer - Maureen Menhennitt The first coach appointed was Tom Wall The administrative arrangements between the two clubs was that an elected member of the Frankston City committee was to attend all committee meetings of Seaford United whilst Seaford United were permitted to nominate a committee member to attend Frankston City meeting. These arrangements were intended to preserve the Frankston City parentage whilst the latter was to assist and guide Seaford United. With the assistance of Frankston City soccer club the Seaford United soccer club had acquired facilities and space sufficient to cater for its requirements, with the exception being a restriction on the allocation of the area within the changing rooms.