Vale Alf Small a giant of Tamworth football

The Hillvue Rovers founder and long-serving president passed away last Saturday, aged 91.

He was a revered figure in the Hillvue and wider soccer community, after dedicating more than half his life to the game.

Hillvue's president from the club's foundation up until 2018, Small also coached countless teams over the years - and rain, hail or shine he would be there on the sideline whenever the green and white were playing.

Small was part of the original Tamworth Soccer Federation. He served as its president, registrar and secretary. He also served as a judicial official and a referee, and was on the grounds and competition committees.

READ ALSO:

He was a life member of his beloved Rovers, and the club's best and fairest awards are named in his honour.

In recognition of his years of service, in 2013 he was awarded the Northern Inland Football Service to Football Award, and in 2016 he received the prestigious Bill Turner Award from Northern NSW Football.

It was a nice acknowledgement but as his son Michael said, he was "never looking for anything like that".

"He just did it for the love of it," Michael said.

He particularly loved helping youngsters, and coached a lot of the club's junior sides.

Interestingly, he "had no interest in soccer at all" before he got involved with Hillvue - he was more into rugby league, Michael said.

But that all changed when Michael's South Tamworth Public team faced being split up when the players started high school.

"We didn't want that," Michael said.

So Small, his late wife Lois and some of the other parents banded together, and in 1968 Hillvue was born.

"It was our place where the meeting was at, and Dad was made president and it just started from there," Michael reflected.

"He lived his life around it [soccer]," Michael added.

Michael said that when his father worked at the starch factory, he used to start work early so he could make it to soccer training.

He'd then be down at the fields all day Saturday, with Lois by his side.

"Mum did a lot of work too," Michael said.

"Dad sort of organised everything and Mum did all the paperwork, all the registration forms and things like that."

Rovers president Alex Barton said the club wouldn't be where it is today without Small's tireless work, and he will be sadly missed - not just by the Rovers family but the football community as a whole.

"His hard work and his passion will just always be remembered by everybody," Barton said.

People who knew Small "will remember how tirelessly he worked, whether it was for Hillvue or just the good of football in Tamworth", Barton said.

Barton succeeded Small as president in 2018. He acknowledged that he had "big shoes to fill". No-one had given more to the club.

Barton said Small "brought out the best in everyone".

"He just brought that extra bit of magic or something - just sitting there on the sideline. He would really lift the boys spirits.

"He didn't have to say much. But everyone knew when Alf was there you had to take it to another level. If you slacked off he'd tell you about it."

He also had that special knack for making everyone feel welcome.

"It didn't matter what age you were," Barton said.

"It didn't matter if you were someone who'd been at the club for 20 years and was still playing, or someone who just wanted to sign up and have a run, he treated everyone the same and greeted everyone the same way."

Small is also survived by his daughters Gail, Denise and Kerrie-Jane, and numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren.

He will be farewelled at the Lincoln Grove Memorial Gardens Crematorium on Tuesday at 10am.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: