Founder of Northerns football proud of his legacy
In 1975 while waiting for his turn to bat in a match that was taking place, a friend of Ferreirinho’s suggested to him, that he forms a football section at Northerns.
Manny Ferreirinho (73) is well-known in Benoni for starting the first football section at Benoni Northerns sports club.At the time he was just a cricket player for the St Patricks cricket club and committee member.
“I attended Benoni West Primary and later Benoni Technical High,” he explained.
“While in high school I played football and cricket mainly because at that time all my classmates were playing those sports.
“Denis Lindsay, who was a Springbok cricketer, was a customer of ours at our Green Grocer in Western Extension in 1962, and since then I showed an interest in cricket.
“But it was Ray van der Wagon who got me interested in playing cricket for St Patricks at Willowmorre Park, who later amalgamated the St Patricks cricket club with the Benoni hockey club to form the Benoni Northerns sports club in 1972.”
In 1975 while waiting for his turn to bat in a match, a friend of Ferreirinho’s suggested to him that he forms a football section at Northerns.
“At the time I was playing for a football club in Boksburg,” he explained.
In March 1975 he applied to the Eastern Transvaal Football Association and was accepted as the chairperson of the football section which lasted for 13 years.
“I then went on the be a part of the Easterns football committee in 1976 and I am currently still a member,” he said. “I was complying the fixtures for 40 years and referee’s appointments for the past 30 years.”
In 1988 Ferreirinho was made a life member of Benoni Northerns and in 2005 he was elected president of the club.
“After my five year stint, according to the constitution in 2010, I stepped down but stayed on the committee for a few more years,” he said. “I ensured discipline and a tight rein on the finances of the sports club and fought for the cricket section to stay alive.
“A big thanks to Dave Wilson for the finances and to Ted Jarvis and Dr Craig Wittstock for the cricket.”
Ferreirinho said it was a great honour to be president of, in his opinion, the best club on the East Rand.
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“I always felt great when all sporting members would come to me for advise,” he said.
“Another one of my aims as president was to bring all sporting sections closer to each other, thus to become one club.”
As a life member of the club, Ferreirinho can attend all of the clubs meetings.
“I am still on the committee for the football section. Next year will officially be my 50 year mark at the club.”
When at Northerns as just a member, Ferreirinho took part in playing football and cricket.
“When I retired from football and cricket in 1984 due to injury, I completed a referee course and refereed senior and ladies games,” he said.
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All in all, Ferreirinho is proud of what he has accomplished over the years and sees himself as a Benonian through and through:
• 1966 to 1973: Played cricket for St Patricks cricket club.
• 1972: Cricket committee member when St Patricks cricket club amalgamated with Benoni Hockey club to form Benoni Northerns sports club. Played cricket for the Northerns cricket section.
• 1972 to 2020: Still an active member of Northerns for 48 years
• 1975: Formed Benoni Northerns football section. Played for Northerns first side and season side as well as the fourth side.
• 1975 to 1988: Chairperson of football section. Currently still an active member of the committee.
• 1976: Voted on the Eastern local football association, still an active member for 44 years.
• 1978 Farrarmere Primary Football Club approached Northerns to be a part of the club and he never looked back.
• 1988: Made a life member of Northerns and manager for Easterns senior team.
• 1990 to 1999: Chairperson of Easterns.
• 1991: Manager of the football section that went down to Bloemfontein for the South African Club championship and came home victorious.
• 1992 to 1995: Manager of Ekurhuleni SAFA team, for Transnet tournament Port Elizabeth, Bloemfontein and Maritzburg.
• 2005 to 2010: Chairperson of Northerns. Served on the main club committee for 25 years.
• 2007: Manager of Gauteng senior team in Bloemfontein for South African games. Served on the football committee for 36 years.
• 2010: Obtained his red rose.
• 2011: Awarded Chairman’s Award for refereeing.
