FRANK PARSONS SHORT BIO

Greg Stock

Born 18 June 1926
Played his junior football at Adamstown Rosebud then made his senior debut at age 17 in 1943. He spent a short period away with national service and played occasional games with Dudley but returned to Rosebud until 1946. He moved to Sydney in 1947 to attend Sydney Teachers College and signed with Leichhardt-Annandale, winning Premierships with them in 1949 & 1950 and the State Cup in 1948 and 1949. Won three consecutive golden boots in Sydney First Division including 72 goals in all competitions in 1947, 1948 (48) & 1949 (62).
His state team debut was in 1947 against South Africa and a year later was selected for the Socceroos on their tour of New Zealand (Cap No 107). Scored 26 goals in 9 tour games including six against New Zealand. Played against Hajduk Split in 1949 and went on the South Africa tour of 1950 and made two appearances against the English FA in 1951. Socceroos record – 19 games – 34 goals.
Retired from representative football in 1952 and retired from playing in 1954 age 27 frustrated at the politics of the game having scored 309 goals in eleven seasons.
An outspoken advocate that players should be given a better deal with clubs and the official body and incensed that the new migrant clubs were being held back from promotion he started holding “café meetings” with the likes of Andy Burton, Walter Sternberg, Bill Kadison and Harry Lakmaker which led to the formation of the Federation of New South Wales soccer clubs in January 1957. Frank Parsons was a signatory on the original letter of intent.
Frank was a fierce advocate for junior soccer within the NSW Department of Education in his capacity as a school principal. He assisted with the political work in establishing the Australian Soccer Federation in 1960 and ascended to the board of FNSW in 1964 as Vice President, then President in 1966 & 1967 and again as a Board Member from 1968-1971.
He was the NSW State Representative Team manager in 1964 for the tour of Everton as well as the New Caledonia Tour at the end of that year and established a relationship with the federation there which saw five tours in ten years to NSW by New Caledonian teams.
Frank was Socceroo Team Manager for the 1970 World Tour with coach Rale Rasic.
Frank retired from Soccer Administration in 1972 to concentrate on his career as an educator. He purchased a cattle farm in the late 1970s and lived outside of Kempsey till his passing.

Note - He remains the only former NSW Federation President pre 2000 that hasn’t been given Life Membership.