Welcome everybody to episode 38 of the Football United vs Soccer City podcast. As always I would like to sincerely thank all the interviewees, listeners and the soccer public of the Illawarra/Australia who download this podcast. Additionally I would like to say thank you to the people who contribute, comment and reminisce on the social media pages.

This episode’s interviewee was born in 1928 and has had an enormous positive impact on the Illawarra soccer landscape for over 80 years. Neville Arrowsmith has played the game for Tarrawanna, Wollongong Technical College, the Illawarra District, Bellambi and Fernhill. In the 1950s he was involved with Fernhill’s Committee before spending over two decades on the Illawarra District Soccer Association as President, Vice-President, Secretary, Publicity Officer and Committee member with numerous delegate positions. And Neville was awarded Life Membership to the IDSA in 1963.

Neville was one of the foundation board members of the Wollongong City Wolves that saw the region back in the National Soccer League in 1980. And with the hard work he contributed along with the other foundation board members, he managed the Wollongong City youth team for 9 years and is a Life Member of the Club.

Over his soccer journey he has coached and managed Illawarra junior representative teams with great success and joy. Another aspect of Neville’s contribution to the game is his recording, publication and archiving of Illawarra soccer’s history, notably his book “An incomplete history of the 100 years of association football in the Illawarra District” and the Corrimal Rangers SC centenary book.

It is impossible in this introduction and the interview to cover the entire list of positions or impacts Neville has had on our game in the Illawarra. In the brief time I spent with Neville and his son Martin it was great to talk about some of his immense soccer journey. I feel honoured and humbled to have spent time with a man who has done so much and that has been an inspiration to my Illawarra soccer history work. My sincere thanks and respect go out to Neville and Martin for allowing me into Neville’s home and giving me the time to record this interview. I hope you enjoy the interview as much as I did recording it.