Vince Laws named George Churchward Medal Winner
Football NSW’s State Dinner was held at the Rydges in Norwest in what was a fantastic celebration of community football with Canterbury’s well known football advocate Vince Laws awarded the prestigious George Churchward Medal.
A number of Members of Parliament were in attendance with the Shadow Minister for Sport Lynda Voltz MP, Member for Castle Hill Ray Williams MP, Member for Seven Hills Mark Taylor MP all present. Sport NSW CEO Darren Simpson and Acting CEO at the Office of Sport Karen Jones were also in attendance. While Football NSW Directors and Life Members all came together to recognise and acknowledge the elite few who have provided consistent and invaluable service at the community level.
Hosted by Stephanie Brantz, the evening kicked off with the presentation of the State Award winners.
State Award winners are nominated by their Association in recognition of their tireless efforts and service to football in their local community.
State Awards formally recognise individuals who have provided consistent and valuable service at any level – Club, Association, Branch or State.
These contributions may include services such as: committee member, coach, manager, match official, canteen manager or grounds person.
The 2019 State Award Winners are:
Sheena Storrie – Albury Wodonga Soccer Referees Association
Sonja Casagrande – Bankstown Districts Amateur Football Association
Bill Owen – Blacktown & Districts Soccer Football Association
Anthony D’Agruma – Canterbury Association & Districts Soccer Football Association
Warwick Barwell – Central Coast Football Association
Darren Ney – Granville & Districts Soccer Football Association
Regina Moran – Football South Coast
Paul Ellis – Macarthur Football Association
Michael Sestanovich – Manly Warringah Football Association
Karen Waud – North West Sydney Football
Linda Cerone – Nepean Football Association
Glenn Sheaves – Southern Districts Soccer Football Association
Brandon Doggott – Southern Tablelands Football Association
Jacky Finlay-Jones – St George Football Association
Matt Brady – Sutherland Shire Football Association
Click here to view the full bio of all our NSW State Award Winners
Fair Play
This year’s Fair Play award recognised the fair play shown by Tamara Robbins, a player of the Ingleburn Under 15 Girls team at the Macarthur Football Association.
In Round 1 of the 2019 season, the Macarthur Football Association witnessed an act that truly summarised all that community sport is about.
In an Under 15 Girls game between the Ingleburn Eagles SC and Eschol Park Wolves FC, Eschol Park goalkeeper Jemma Warburton injured her wrist just before fulltime.
Without delay, Ingleburn’s Tamara Robbins ran over to console Jemma in a true act of sportsmanship at its finest.
The image was captured by Wim Kantona and shared with the Macarthur Football Association by Jemma’s father, Andrew, so it could be posted on the MFA Facebook page.
This image remains the most popular post of the year with 374 reactions, 32 comments and 18 shares.
Comments from those that interacted with the post included:
“This is what football is about” and “Now that is good sportsmanship! What a kind young girl to do that. She has a beautiful heart.”
The MFA were proud to nominate Tamara Robbins for the Football NSW Fair Play Award as it clearly demonstrates an exceptional example of good sportsmanship and is one of the most heart-warming acts of the season. Tamara displays values parents of a 15-year-old could only hope for and her actions on the fields should be celebrated.
George Churchward Medal
The night’s final and most honoured award, the George Churchward Medal, presented annually to an individual who has exemplified an outstanding commitment to the sport was awarded to Mr Vince Laws
The 2019 season marks the 79th year of Vince Laws involvement in football.
Vince started playing at the age of 11 with the Lilyfield Wanderers Club in the Canterbury Association and eventually played football for the Pyrmont Club in the old NSW Association.
At the time of the great split in the 1950s which saw the formation of the NSW Federation of Soccer Clubs, Vince stayed with the Association and played with the Pyrmont Balmain Club. He then went and played for a number of years with the St. George Club which competed in the NSW Federation of Soccer Club’s competition.
In 1964, Vince registered his son with the Canterbury Junior Soccer Club and was persuaded to coach a team in the Under 9 competition. Vince accepted the request to coach thinking he would do so for one year. How wrong he was, as he continued to coach teams with the Canterbury Club for 33 consecutive years. He also did a stint of 5 years with the APIA Club during this same period.
During his coaching career at Canterbury Junior Soccer Club, he coached the Premier League squad, both 1st and Reserve grades for 9 years. In that time, the reserve grade squad won the premiership 6 consecutive years and the CDSFA acknowledged this achievement in presenting the Perpetual Trophy to Vince in recognition of his achievements.
Vince also coached teams in the NSWASF Amateur Cup, winning the Tournament in 1982 when his Canterbury Junior side defeated Sylvania from Sutherland Association.
In 1994, Vince retired from major active coaching at Canterbury Junior Soccer Club after suffering a heart attack. Vince had somewhat of a reputation for being a very animated coach on the sideline when his teams were playing. So, he had to stop at the insistence of his wife Val.
From the period 1972 to 1985, Vince was the President of the Canterbury Junior Soccer Club. During this time, there were two break away clubs formed, Campsie United and Ashbury United. Throughout this period, Vince focused his energies on keeping the club strong and recruiting more junior players from local schools and other sports such as Rugby League.
Vince also coached Metropolitan Representative Teams for the Canterbury & District Soccer Football Association. Vince did this for nine consecutive years during which time the Association won a number of Metropolitan Representative Competitions conducted by the Sydney Branch of the NSW Amateur Soccer Federation.
A highlight for Vince was when his Metropolitan Representative team played a curtain raiser against Sutherland Association before the Manchester United game at the Sydney Sports Ground.
From the mid 1960’s Vince served the CDSFA on a continuous basis holding positions on the Appeals Committee, Grading Committee, Judiciary Committee, or Executive Committee of the Association. Vince eased back on his commitments to the Association in 2000, thinking it was time for some younger folks to take up roles.
When Vince ceased major active coaching in 1994, he took on the role of ground manager for the Canterbury Junior Soccer Club. Every weekend he was responsible for the two separate grounds from which the Canterbury Junior Soccer Club operates. He ensured the fields were properly marked, nets and corner posts were in order.
Over the last decade, Vince has looked after the young referees appointed to Lees Park and Croydon Park to ensure that adults do not harass or abuse junior referees. Vince still attends the park on a semi-regular basis, depending upon weather conditions.
Beginning in 1968, Vince’s late wife Val ran the Canteen for the Canterbury Junior Soccer Club and one of Vince’s additional chores, was to ensure deliveries have been received for the weekend, and where necessary, do “pickups” and keep tabs on the Canteen inventory. A role which only ceased in 2014, when Val felt it was time for someone else to be responsible for the Canteen operations.
Vince and Val both featured on the Football NSW television program “Football Stars of Tomorrow” which was shown on both Channel 9, SBS, Foxtel and One HD that ran from 2006 to 2010, which focused on community football in Associations.
In 1994, Vince was presented with a State Award by the NSW Amateur Soccer Federation. The Presentation was made by the then Chairman of the Australian Soccer Federation, John Constantine, on behalf of the NSWASF. In 2008 he received a special Soccer NSW Award for distinguished service to football.
In recognition of the contribution Vince and his late wife Val had made to their club and more broadly to the Canterbury & District Soccer Football Association, the CDSFA inaugurated the Vince and Val Laws Medal in 2013, which is presented annually at the Association’s Volunteer Recognition Dinner.
At 90 years of age, Vince feels he may have a couple of more years left in him to continue assisting the Canterbury Junior Soccer Club from time to time.
It was a fitting end of the evening as Laws received a standing ovation by the many in attendance.
It was a fantastic evening as Football NSW’s grassroots community embraced in what was a spectacular season for all involved.
-Football NSW Media Release
