TERRY Fegan has three passions in his life — family, friends and football.
Logic says the 67-year-old would prioritise the three in that order, but even Fegan’s wife Sandra joked that football often came first at home.
In case you’re wondering, the term football isn’t referring to rugby league or rugby union, or even that aerial ping-pong sport they play down south. Football is soccer.
It is the sport that made Fegan an icon in the Mount Isa community and it is the sport which makes him a living legend to all those who have played football in this city.
Born in Birmingham, England in 1942 as the third oldest in a family of five, it didn’t take long for Fegan to take up the round ball game.
Throughout his teens and early adulthood he played in his spare time. Like all youngsters in his neighbourhood he dreamed of pulling the boots on for Birmingham one day.
However, as a 26-year-old he developed a liking for refereeing and it quickly evolved into a passion.
Fegan ran teams from a tenant’s hall and a community centre for under privileged children.
Often matches were tough and as the referee, he could cop both verbal and physical abuse (the reason why he has no front teeth today).
But it didn’t deter Fegan.
Where some people saw refereeing games as a chore, Fegan saw opportunity.
Rather than just run around and blow the whistle, he absorbed the play, watched on keenly and offered tips and coaching to players after the games.
On weekends, Fegan would referee games in both the North and South Birmingham leagues.
Often he would catch buses from one side of the city to the other to make it to his next match.
For those who know Birmingham, this mean hours of travelling.
But Fegan didn’t mind. In fact, he loved it.
So it was no surprise that when Fegan and his wife Sandra moved to Mount Isa in 1986 that he would get involved with the local football competition.
A Frenchman by the name of Fernando Perez introduced Fegan into the football community, however, no one, not even Fegan, could have predicted that he would become the backbone of football in the city.
For 23 years Fegan has been the first down to the football fields and the last to leave.
His devotion to men’s and women’s senior football, as well as the juniors, has made him one of the most devoted people in Mount Isa sport.
Sadly, the popular referee is struggling to fight off cancer.
Friends and family are preparing for the worst, but have all been able to say their goodbyes in advance.
Two months ago the Mount Isa football community paid tribute to the referee with a special dinner in his honour.
Even Football Queensland chief executive officer Geoff Foster flew to Mount Isa for the function.
“I had a few battles with Terry over the years as he always wanted better opportunities for players and referees in Mount Isa,” he said.
“He is a terrific man and a real legend of football not only in Mount Isa but in Australia.
“There aren’t too many people who have dedicated their lives to a sport and got paid nothing for it along the way.”
Close friend Tony McGrady, who nationalised Fegan as part of his mayoral duties in 1989, said he was a great Mount Isan.
“I know he’ll be recognised a lot for his work with football, but he was also a great Mount Isa citizen,” he said.
“He often wrote letters to the editor in The North West Star and was a really community person.”
But the most glowing tribute came from women’s football advocate and friend Danielle Slade.
“One of the hardest positions to play in any sport is arguably the referee,” she said.
“We are quick to let them know if they have made a mistake, and we can often forget to thank them after the game.
“They don’t get to experience the joy of a win or the drinks after the game with the team.
“They can often be resented and at times abused by players.
“But without the referees, what would any sport be?
“It has been my honour and privilege to have got to know Terry Fegan.
“Since his involvement in football in Mount Isa started in the mid eighties, Terry has turned up to every Friday night for women’s football, Saturday morning for junior football and Saturday afternoon’s for men’s football.”
Slade said Fegan was the first person to arrive at the oval, open the gates and canteen, set up the flags and get the paperwork in order for the his fellow referees.
If the fields hadn’t been marked, Fegan would get out there and start marking the field.
“Terry would always referee or be a linesman for every game, and was always the last person to leave the oval, turning the lights out as he left,” Slade said.
“Not a lot of people realise how much time and effort he has given to our sport, and I know that he has always planned his holidays around football and our presentation nights, so as not to let us all down.
“Terry in the past has always been the MC for the presentation nights; especially when the women’s presentation was separate to the men’s.
“He would often write the articles that went into The North West Star, and he never missed a zone, women’s, juniors or men’s meeting.
“I’ve seen Terry cop his share of abuse on the field, but I never in all my time at football, saw him hold a grudge or ever have a favourite team or player.
“He always gave encouragement to players after the game, and talked to players in general about what a good game it was to watch.”
Fighting back tears, Slade said Fegan showed her how much heart and courage he had when over the last couple of years he continued to referee football matches week-in, week-out, despite his battles with cancer.
“No matter how much pain Terry was in, he was always down at football,” she said.
“I don’t think anyone of us realise just how big an effort it was for him to be there, until one night he almost collapsed and we had to take him to the hospital.
“He had taken extra pain killers that night, to ensure he was able to referee if he was needed.”
Even in the last few months of this season, players tried to get Fegan to sit there and watch.
But even in all his pain, he still wanted to help and be a part of it.
“I really don’t know how you thank someone who has given us much to our sport,” Slade said. “I just hope Terry that you got as much as we got from you and that you now know much we all appreciate and love you for it.
“Terry … thanks for being there to turn the lights out.”
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