Alan Clarke began his footballing career in 1967 for Hornsby RSL Football Club. He would end up playing for 30 years through Junior and All Age teams for the club including Premier League, winning a host of awards for the club including the inaugural Presidents Shield in 1978 and was a member of the 1984 team which won the Premier League Reserve Grade Premiership. Alan also won the KDSA Cup with Hornsby RSL in 1989 and the Mens Premier League Premiership in 1991.
Alan began coaching Hornsby RSL’s younger teams during his late teenage years. Alan joined the All Age Management at Hornsby RSL Football Club in 1983-84 as the club Publicity Officer, then in 1985 he took over as Secretary and Treasurer for the next 7 years. He would go on to serve in a variety of different roles throughout his time at Hornsby RSL Football Club including Assistant Manager and was Club President in 1995. Alan was inducted as a Life Member of the Hornsby RSL Football Club in 1991.
Alan would finish playing for the all-age side of Hornsby RSL FC in 1996 and with the club’s Management Committee at the same time. He joined the Youth Committee of Hornsby RSL in 1997 after his two sons joined the club in 1996. During his time at the Hornsby RSL Football Club, Alan served as Registrar, Treasurer and President on the Club’s Committee. Alan continued as a member of the Hornsby RSL FC Youth Committee until 2008 and also coached his sons’ – Daniel and Nathan – teams at the club between 1996-2009.
Alan became a Referee for the Association in 1997. He would referee for 19 years, mostly in the Premier League, until 2015. Alan was widely respected by players and coaches as a Referee and in some ways was ahead of his time in the way he spoke to players and facilitated the flow of the game.
Alan became involved with the NSFA Management in 2006 when he became Junior Registrar. He became Referee’s Delegate to the Association’s Protests, Disputes and Disciplinary Committee (PD&DC) in 2011 then Acting Chairman of the PD&DC in 2014. Alan has been the current Chairman of the PD&DC since 2015, a very important volunteer role that ensures that our competitions continue to operate with integrity and safety for players, officials and spectators. Alan continues to work as the Bookkeeper for the NSFA, a role he has performed since 2006.
Few have contributed to the NSFA as much as Alan over the history of the NSFA, a contribution that now spans over 55 years as a player, coach, club administrator, NSFA administrator, PD&DC chair/member and referee. We sincerely thank Alan for his incredible contribution to the NSFA and in helping to grow the Association to become one of the largest and best run in the State.
