Unsung hero hangs up her boots

For the last 21 years, one person has been involved with almost everything that has happened in local soccer. Julie Clifford has been the backbone (and all the other bones) that has enabled Football Far North Coast to run the biggest sporting competition in this region.

Now after all those years where she constructed countless draws, rescheduled thousands of postponed games and smoked way too many cigarettes to calm her nerves, Julie is leaving.

It is almost impossible to imagine soccer without her and having been like her “wayward child” for the past 18 months after starting as general manager, I now find myself finally in charge (but do not tell her). She has done her best to mentor me into reality with her dry and very direct manner, where she has told me to “get back in my box” more than a few times. This is just one of the many great qualities that Julie has, in that she does not beat around the bush with what she thinks.

When I first arrived, brash, confident, enthusiastic and wanting to work 24 hours a day, Julie in her glib way promptly told me to “slow down” and stop trying to do so much (and why are you wearing that awful tie?). This is quite ironic coming from someone who has to be almost locked out of the office to stop them coming in on weekends and who simply will not go home unless told to leave.

Julie transcends being just an employee and behind the tough, no nonsense persona is the most caring and diligent person that you could meet. She has been a friend to countless people, sharing stories of happiness, heartbreak and troubles. Julie has been someone whose preparedness to listen to the litany of complaints and problems has made her feel at times like she was working at the Crisis Centre rather than a soccer office.

Her role has been like working on a jigsaw, often in the dark, which can never be completed, only to be repeated over and over every season. Notwithstanding this, finding solutions to problems when players, coaches or parents used to ring her (sometimes after hours) wanting answers, is what she prided herself in doing. Never complaining (at least not publicly), Julie remembers one time when a man rang her in a real panic one Saturday morning asking, “Can you tell me where my six-year-old son is playing?”

Julie asked, “Who does he play for?” (remembering that this is one of more than 5000 junior players) and the man replied, “I don’t know.”

“Well, what made you think that I would?” Julie responded with a tone that said, “another rookie parent.” Despite this, Julie finally worked it out and said that she has been amazed over the years how many parents can go through a whole season and not even know what team their child plays for or even who their coach is. Julie says that there have been numerous examples of the bizarre, awkward, frustrating and funny, but like the true professional that she is, has said that those matters will remain “in the vault”.

On a more reflective note, Julie says that she will miss the involvement with so many people and feels pretty satisfied with how well soccer is doing. Asked if one thing stands out more than any other as the greatest challenge for the sport locally, Julie said that this is no doubt the fact that we are trying to increasingly run a more professional organisation, but 99% of people involved are volunteers.

“Football Far North Coast is like a small business that struggles every year to exist and most people in the clubs expect everything to be organised to their satisfaction,” Julie said “The reality is that we rely heavily on the club volunteers to communicate with their players and work more closely with FFNC if we are to truly become more efficient.”

It will be very difficult to come to terms with life without Julie and I know that I for one will keep her mobile number in a very handy place for those many occasions when I will likely need to “call home” hoping that “mum” will help me out of a jam.

Julie, EVERYONE in the football family extends its heartiest and warmest thanks to you for the stellar service that you have given over such a long period. They say that nobody is irreplaceable but we know that we would be wasting our time trying. You ARE one of a kind and we only hope that our efforts in the next 21 years can reflect something close to what you have given us during your time. If we get a wet weekend again this season I know that you will be able to lay in bed with a wry smile on your face, roll over and make sure that your phone is definitely switched off.