he was a good man and also a funny man, will be sadly missed

This is a very sad day for the FootballNSW community losing one of it's most dedicated and hard working members I think this state has ever seen for a long time. The right words to express just what a fantastic man he really was eludes me as I choke back my emotions to bring you this sad news. But I will try my best.

I first came to know of Larry or Lazza as his mates would call him over ten years ago when I use to be a member of the Southern districts forum although i resided in Blacktown he was open to good ideas and I knew his heart was firmly pumping for grass roots football and he understood the game better than anyone I ever knew. The great thing about Larry was his brute honest opinion and support for the southern districts association football clubs that would later be his building blocks to succeed as the FootballNSW competition secretary and bring his big heart and brilliant knowledge of the game to a higher level to benefit state league clubs as well. Larry's passion for grass football is something legends are made of and he will go down in my memory as a man "Who was making a difference" for all the right reasons.

Jim Forrest supported Larry's appointment as FNSW competition secretary because Jim as every other person who knew Larry were fully aware he was the right man for the right job. If anyone could kick arse and straighten out the issues needed by a straight shooting no BS person Larry was that man.

Back when I was a member of the SDFA football forum I told him about the passing a long time ago of my best mate and when asked to give something worthy to be buried with my mate I gave my Champions of Champions medal because to me my mate was a champion of champions friend. Later in life I married and had a son who now loves and plays football and I wished I had my C of C medal to show him and pass onto my son to show him that hard work earns rewards but that medal was buried many years ago with my mate. Larry invited me over to his place later on that year and handed me a replacement medal that I could show my son. I couldn't believe that someone would do that for me but Larry being the big hearted man and a true testament to his nature did it out of the goodness of his own heart with the assistance of Kim Burge.

Big Lazza will be sorely missed by many people who have football pumping through their veins and many who don't. I for one will never forget the big man and everything he has done for football at grass roots level. That big moustache that reminds me of Harley Davidson handlbars will live forever in my memory.

My deepest condolences to his good wife and family. The legend lives on and forever will. They say Lazza was one in a million but to me he was one in 25 million. Lazza was the finest and most honest man with a heart of gold that pumped football that I have ever met.

Leonard Fitzgerald AKA Lenfitz

Edited by Aussiesrus: 1/12/2010 04:43:39 AM

Larry Grant Tribute


Larry Grant (1949-2010)
I’m writing to you to express my very great corporate and personal sadness at the passing today of our Competitions Secretary (Community Football), Larry Grant.
Larry was a larger than life sort of person respected by all for his what-you-see-is-what-you-get approach to all football and indeed non-football matters. This occasionally may have irritated some, but every one of us knew that an argument with Larry one day was forgotten the next. Larry was the consummate professional in this respect.

I first met Larry when I was President of North Epping Rangers at a Champion of Champions game down in Liverpool, where this Liverpool Albion Club President was vigorously urging on his team in ways only Larry could. They won! More recently, as Secretary of Sydney Branch, I came to respect Larry’s stewardship of his beloved Southern Districts Association, and not least the wonderful (and highly idiosyncratic) Association dinners in more recent years while I was President of the Amateurs and later Football NSW.

More recently, I supported Larry’s appointment as Competitions Secretary (Community Football) simply because I knew of his deep knowledge of the game at Association level, and his objectivity which I knew he would apply when it came to dealing with State League clubs. True, in times past (some) State League Clubs had not always been high on Larry’s Christmas card list. But all that changed when he was appointed to his recent position with Football NSW. Again, I have to say, he was the consummate professional.

Larry will be sorely missed at Football NSW by both staff and Associations/Clubs. To many of us, we have lost a friend as well as a former Association President and latterly State Competitions organiser.

To Larry’s wife of many years, Helen, and his four sons and their wives and to Larry’s grandchildren – all of them the apples of his eyes – I extend the condolences of our whole football family in the sure and certain knowledge that Larry will live on, affectionately, for a long time to come in our memories.

Yours very sincerely, and sadly,

Jim Forrest
President Football NSW