Eric Lynes
Eric Lynes was inducted into the Capital Football Hall of Fame in 2002 for his services to junior and senior football in Canberra.
Eric was born in 1930 in Coventry, England. He played at a good amateur level for a variety of teams as an outside left (also known as left winger/number 11) in the then ubiquitous WM formation. Unfortunately, in the era of very physical football, he was the victim of a nasty crunching tackle which resulted in a career ending foot injury, and his playing days were cut short at the very young age of 21 years. He then served in the Royal Air Force (RAF) as a leading aircraftsman, and was awarded the Queen’s Commendation for Bravery in 1955.
Eric emigrated to Australia in 1958 and arrived in Canberra shortly thereafter following spells living in Brisbane and Sydney. In 1969, Eric founded the Downer United Soccer Club, essentially so his son would be able to play in a team. Downer United Soccer Club initially comprised two teams, and was the forerunner to today’s Majura Football Club. The club grew with Eric as the President, as he coached junior teams with the club, and refereed and ran the line on countless occasions.
In the 1970s football progressed in Canberra in many ways. One progressive step was the amalgamation of junior and senior clubs, with Downer United at the forefront. Eric was instrumental in the amalgamation of Downer United and Olympic Soccer Club, resulting in the formation of Downer Olympics in circa 1974. Downer Olympics immediately had an impact at the senior level, winning the Division One championship in 1975 with Eric serving as the team manager. Downer Olympics junior players now had a pathway to senior football, and many progressed through the junior ranks to eventually play in the senior first XI. Eventually, Downer Olympics became Canberra Olympic FC.
Eric also served on the ACT Soccer Federation Senior League Management Committee, and managed various junior ACT representative sides that competed at National Championships. He was a founder member of the Canberra City Soccer Club, which was admitted into the inaugural Philips Soccer League – PSL (later to become the National Soccer League – NSL) – for the 1977 season. Eric also served as a Canberra volunteer during the 1981 Fifa World Youth Championships, when two group matches and a quarter final tie (when eventual winners West Germany defeated Australia 1-0) were played at Bruce Stadium.
Eric and his wife Gladys left Canberra in 1985 for Mollymook, New South Wales. Eric continued his involvement with football at the South Coast when he again coached a junior team. A football highlight for Eric was when Coventry City won the FA Cup at Wembley in 1987 (defeating Tottenham 3-2) to win the club’s only major honour. This victory was made even sweeter for Eric as his son was at Wembley and witnessed the Sky Blues triumph.
Eric and Gladys returned to Canberra in 1999, and Eric could again be seen on the touchlines of both junior and senior games, in the stands at Canberra Cosmos NSL matches (which at times was a painful experience!), and also at the Sydney 2000 football matches played at Bruce Stadium . He was elated to be admitted to the Capital Football Hall of Fame in 2002 – the Presentation Night function where he received the award was one of the proudest nights of his life.
Eric passed away in 2009 but his contributions to Canberra football will always be remembered.