Mark Frowde

Mark Frowde was known as the “Father of Football” in Dorset, despite being born in neighbouring Devon. His first involvement with football was at school in Exeter when he played the rugby code of the game before switching to the Association version. He moved to Weymouth in 1890 and three years later helped found the Weymouth Football Club. He was not only a speedy winger for the club, but also served on the club’s committee.

Frowde trained as a draughtsman and climbed to the top of profession over 50 years with the Weymouth engineering company Cosens and Co., and went from the works department to managing director before ill-health forced his retirement in 1942.

As a footballer, Frowde played 47 games and scored 25 goals for Weymouth. He also played for the Dorset County team three times before receiving a hip injury in a cup tie in 1892. His career was curtailed after that, and he hung up his boots in 1894. Frowde became a referee and the two most important games he was involved in were both as a linesman. The first was in 1907 when he ran the line in the FA Cup final between Sheffield Wednesday and Everton at Crystal Palace. The following year, he also ran the line at the London Olympics, for the round one match between Great Britain and Sweden.

Frowde became secretary and treasurer of the Dorset County Football Association in 1896, and in 1901 represented them on the FA Council. In 1921 he became president of the Dorset Association, and in 1925 was the assistant manager of the FA touring team to Australia. The side won all 25 matches it played and scored 139 goals. That same year he became an FA vice-president and chairman of the Amateur Cup Committee. In 1929 Frowde became the FA Council vice-president.

As a youngster, Frowde was a very good swimmer and a keen member of the Weymouth Rowing Club. He was also the honorary secretary of the Weymouth Royal Lifeboat Naval Institute from 1904-15. When he died, the FA Cup final “anthem”, Abide With Me was sung at Frowde’s funeral.