The Grassroots Football Project
  • About
  • Gallery
  • Socceroos
  • Matildas
  • The Clubs
  • Blog
  • The Local List
  • The OS List
  • Programmes
  • Resources
  • Contact
  • "A" International Players

Conrad "Con" Purser

7/25/2017

2 Comments

 
Another of our 1956 Olympians is the latest to nominate his GrassRoots club. It's a man with a unique standing in the game and a man whose place in our football history is assured.
Socceroo #142 is Conrad (Con) Purser, the first native born Western Australian to be selected in an Australian team. 
Born in Collie in the southern WA coalfields, Con moved off the farm to Inglewood in Perth at the age of 6 but didn't start playing until 13 when he had a couple of years at with Inglewood in the mid-1940's. He then moved to Nth Perth who played at his local ground, Woodville Reserve. At 16 he was playing 1st grade & its Nth Perth that Con has named as his GrassRoots club.
He made his debut in Australian colours against the touring Sth. Africans in 1955 thus assuring him of his place in history & was part of our 1956 Olympic Games squad.
It was indeed an honour to spend time talking with him and hearing stories of the battles Nth. Perth had with the likes of Swan Athletic & Swan Valley back in the day, and it is indeed an honour to add Con Purser to the GFP family.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
2 Comments
Blayne Treadgold link
7/27/2017 10:39:41 pm

Great story Greg!

Reply
Keith Miller
10/29/2017 10:30:42 pm

My daughter alerted me to your site as she was researching her Uncle. My congratulations to you recording one of the finest footballers I had the honour of playing with during the North Perth Soccer Club days. We still meet and although his sight is not too good he is still very active. I have some more photos of Con if you are interested.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    May 2022
    January 2022
    November 2021
    September 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    September 2020
    June 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015

    the author

    Greg Werner began playing in 1965, with the GrassRoots club of Socceroo skipper Murray Barnes, a change of suburb at age 6 and a new club, one that would become the GrassRoots club of Rob Wheatley & after a 27 year hiatus came back to playing with the GrassRoots club of Socceroos Steve Perry, Richie Bell, Chris Iconomidis & Matilda, Justine Fisher, one could say that the links with the NT are ingrained.
    At age 55, when his body gave up on playing, he took up the whistle to stay actively involved. In November of 2014 he created the GFP on Facebook to fill the void left by those in control of the game & in January 2016 launched this website.
Proudly powered by Weebly