Colin (Col) Scott-Kemmis was heavily involved in Ku-ring-gai and District Soccer Association (KDSA, now known as the Northern Suburbs Football Association or NSFA) over the first decade since its inception in 1957. Col’s son Leigh wanted to play football and the family lived in Berowra. There were no local teams so Colin, along with Jack Berry, established the Mt Colah Soccer Club. Mount Colah joined the Association in its second year 1958.
It is reported in the 50th Anniversary Soccer News that Col was the first President of the Mt Colah Soccer Club. Leigh recalls his father Col being a Manager, occasional Referee and an organizer within the Club. Leigh went on to play representative football and recalls both his father and Walter de Ste Croix (another Life Member) being involved in the district.
Colin held various roles within the Association from 1962. In 1962, Col was the Chair of the first Protest, Disputes and Disciplinary Committee (PD&DC). He held this position until and including 1967. The PD&DC deals with all send-offs, cautions and incident reports from football Referees and determines any actions deemed necessary. Colin also held the position of Senior Vice President of the Association from 1963 until and including 1967.
Colin was also involved in the forming of the Ku-ring-gai United Federation. KDSA first entered representative teams in NSW Amateur Soccer Association competitions in 1959 or 1960. In 1963, Ku-ring-gai United was and entered the NSW Soccer Federation’s Amateur League. This was the first KDSA senior representative team.
Col was also known to support Women’s Football. The Ku-ring-gai Women’s Soccer Association was founded in 1974. By 1976, the competition was well established with teams spreading from Brooklyn in the north to Lindfield in the South. The 1975 Annual Report of the KDSA reports that the first trophy awarded for women’s soccer in Ku-ring-gai was donated by Col. The inaugural winner of the trophy was Lindfield and the team was awarded the trophy at the Lindfield Presentation night by Col himself.
In 1968 Colin was made a Life Member of the Association. Col can be considered to be one of the pioneers of the Association and football in our district. We thank Colin for his entrepreneurial spirit, dedication and passion in developing football in our district in its infancy.