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.