Max Wharton joined the Ku-ring-gai and District Soccer Association (KDSA) in the late 1960’s and soon became involved in many aspects of the Association. He was from the St Leo’s College Club which had joined the Association in 1966. Max also owned a company called K&H Sports and was soon selling gear to many of the local clubs.
In 1970, Max was the coach of the Ku-ring-gai Under 8 Representative Team. Under Max’s coaching the team won the State Championship. This was the first success of a Ku-ring-gai Representative side. Max’s son Mark was a member of the team and was selected for State Representative honors in 1972. Max managed or coached Ku-ring-gai representative teams over a number of years.
Max became Secretary of the Association in 1971. This role included the management of Soccer News, Coaching and Representative football. From 1972, these roles were split from the Secretary role and moved under the control of Management Committee Chairman. Max continued in the Secretary role until the end of the 1973 season.
Max was known to represent the KDSA at the New South Wales Amateur Soccer Federation (NSWASF) meetings in the early 1970’s. The NSWASF was a State organization which included all Associations within the state (excluding Northern NSW) whose purpose was to promote the code and preserve the interests of the players and clubs, whether they be from city or country.
Max was also the Secretary when some of the Northern Suburbs Association teams started to compete in the KDSA competitions in the early 1970’s. This eventually led to the merger between the Associations and was endorsed by the NSWASF for the 1973 season.
In 1974, Max became the Senior Vice President of the KDSA. This is a role that he held until the end of the 1979 season. In the 1970’s, Max was often the KDSA nominee to the Kur-ring-gai Soccer Club Ltd (KSC) Board of Directors and in 1974 Max became the Chairman of the KSC. In the late 1960’s and the 1970’s, it was proposed that KSC would have club licensed premises which would provide a source of finance for the promotion of football within the district and lower the cost of registration for all players. The original premises were in Merriwa Street Gordon, however the KSC were unable to obtain a liquor license. When these premises were sold, the KSC purchased the Peacock Palace Restaurant in Dural Street Hornsby in 1980. The 1982 Annual Report reports that after exhaustive investigations and long deliberations the proposal to develop licensed club premises at Hornsby was abandoned.
Max was the editor of Soccer News in 1975 and again in 1978. Soccer News was a publication that was published and distributed to every player in the Association several times during the playing season. It contained the draws, tables as well as other information and news in the Association, providing an ongoing information service to parents and players. How far we have come since the introduction of the internet and technology! Soccer News was unique to the KDSA district and did not have a counterpart in any other soccer area for several years.
Max was made a Life Member of the Association in 1978. Max passed away on the 17 June 2010. We thank Max for all his outstanding contribution to the Association and football in our district.