Player, Administrator, Referee

Frank Storr was a founder member of the South Australian British Football Association in 1902 when he was 21 years old. The inaugural meeting of the SABFA was held at the E. Storr Tailor Shop, 94 Gawler Place, Adelaide in October 1902 (the family tailoring business where Frank worked). The SABFA finally established a structured competition for football in SA. Tom Holford was the leader of the SABFA and they decided to plan for the 1903 season involving three teams: North Adelaide, South Adelaide and Woodville.

The first photograph shows the tailor shop in about 1925, named E. Storr & Son by Frank’s father Edwin who established the shop and died in 1928. The second photo is earlier in 1908 with a woman standing in front of the shop on the far right. The third photograph is a button branded with their business name.

Frank’s father migrated to South Australia from Lincolnshire, England in 1892 at the age of 44 years, having acquired tailoring qualifications in England (he was an apprentice to his father who was also a tailor). With Lincoln being relatively close to Sheffield (one of the early and strong locations for association football), is it possible that Edwin was connected with football? He had moved to London to work in tailoring – is it possible Edwin produced football uniforms in England, or possibly even along with Frank in their shop in Gawler Place?

Frank was the first Secretary of the SABFA before becoming its Chairman in 1905 (aged 24 years). He also officiated as Chairman and Secretary of the Referees Association.

Frank played for South Adelaide Soccer Club in 1903 and represented South Australia as a player in the very first South Australia State team in 1904.

Frank died in March 1938.