"FOOTBALLING FATHER" GEORGE DICK DIES, AGED 81

Football, December 17: The man who showed Australian Football to the world in the lead up to its successful 2000 Olympic Games bid, respected, long serving football administrator George Dick OAM has died in Sydney.

Dick, 81, who is survived by wife Thelma sons Graham, John and Stuart and their families, passed away in the Macquarie University Hospital on Wednesday.

The Scottish born "soccer fanatic" devoted a life time to the sport he grew up playing in Aberdeen before settling in New Zealand where he played for Wellington.

The family moved to Australia in 1960 where he introduced his sons to the game he devoted his life to, watching them graduate through the ranks.

George was recognised with multiple Life Memberships at various spheres of the sport which reflected his longevity and his contribution to the overall development of Australian Football from grass roots to international level.

In 2006 George was recognised by the Australian Government for his contribution to Football with the award of an OAM in the Australian Day Honours List and in 2008 George was admitted to the FFA Hall of Fame for distinguished service.

In late 1991 George was approached by the then Australian Soccer Federation to accept the role as Project Manager the FIFA Coca Cola World Youth Cup to be staged in Australia in 1993 - the year of Sydney's successful Olympic bid.

George had the key responsibility for ensuring a proper project plan was established and executed for the event with the additional responsibility of ensuring the conduct of the tournament enhanced Australia's bid to host the Olympic Games in Australia in 2000.

The staging of the FIFA Coca Cola World Youth Championship in 1993 established a benchmark for the future conduct of FIFA Junior tournaments outside of the men's senior World Cup.

FIFA hailed the Championship as an unqualified success, the first World Youth Championships to be run at a profit by the host nation.

Sydney's Olympic bid team agreed that the successful staging of the 1993 World Youth Cup helped underpin Australia's credibility in bidding to host what would be hailed as greatest Games in history.

In his Hall of Fame submission of 2008 it was stated: "There would be few people in Australian Football who have trod the path George has. His involvement has been a lifetime commitment, even to the point where he was actively engaged by old soccer and new football into his 70's.

The Football NSW State Headquarters and Cromer Park facilities are testimony to projects in which George drove from the top. George was responsible for the development of the Cromer headquarters, taking football from Graham's Reserve in Manly to Cromer, where the sport on the Northern Beaches has developed into a professional organisation.

In a life time of dedication and hard work, George played a pivotal role in transforming soccer into football in Australia.

Among his many achievements, George Dick:

• Helped transform Australia's image from a belligerent and arrogant persona to a fully engaged and active contributor to the Oceania Football Confederation and its member countries.
• Established the benchmark for all FIFA World Youth Championships.
• Enhanced Australia's bid for the staging of the Olympic Games as a result of the successful conduct of the 1993 FIFA World Youth Cup.
• As an executive member of the Australia Soccer Federation from 1984 to 1990 worked constructively with other executive members to ensure stability within the game at a National level.
• Reversed the previous stance of NSW which was antagonistic towards the National League and supported the reforms recommended by the Bradley Report which incorporated an inclusive approach to having representation of the National League clubs and Junior Associations within the forums of the Australian Soccer Federation.
• Led the development of the State Headquarters at Parklea with the late Charles Valentine, ensuring junior players had the best available coaching opportunities.
• Played a key role in the introduction of a corporate structure which reflected the State associations transition into a business model with legal recognition.
• Encouraged the employment of the first full-time State Director of Coaching for NSW.
• Ensured the acquisition and development of a facility within the Manly Warringah Association which underpins the activities of a senior club in the NSW Premier League representing the Northern Beaches zone of the Sydney Metropolitan area.

Outside football George was also instrumental in surf lifesaving and athletics, acting as Manly Junior Life Saving Club's Superintendant from 1964 to 1972 and as team manager for Warringah Athletics Club between 1970 and 1974.

George's funeral will be held at the North Chapel at the Northern Suburbs Crematorium, at 2:15pm on Monday, 20 December 2010.

The Dick family would like to thank Dominic B. Rowe, Professor of Neurology t Australian School of Advanced Medicine, at Macquarie University for his support and direction and  request  that, instead of flowers, donations are made to the Motor Neurone Disease Research Institute of Australia https://awc.mq.edu.au/mnds/

GEORGE DICK FACT FILE:

Secretary Manly Warringah Soccer Club - NSW State League (1969 - 1974)

President Manly Warringah Soccer Club - NSW State League (1974 - 1985)

Chairman NSW State League (1982 - 1984)

Vice President NSW Soccer Federation (1984 - 1991)

Vice President Oceania Football Confederation (1990 - 1998)

Project Manager FIFA World Youth Championships (1991 - 1993)

Honorary Vice President Oceania Football Confederation (1998 - 2003)

Sent on behalf of the Dick family...