\u201cI was elated when I received the award,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have dedicated my life to football and I think it was well deserved.\u201d<\/p>
Fran is a born-and-bred Germiston woman and has lived in her Hazeldene home for the past 40 years.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was always interested in football and played from a young age,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy father, Geoff Jones, was a great sportsman who played football and was also an SA veteran tennis champion, as well as a veteran golf champion, so I think I got my sporting talent from him.\u201d<\/p>\n
As a young woman, Fran played football for then Eastern Transvaal for 10 years.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was selected for the national team, but due to apartheid we couldn\u2019t really play many international matches,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
While with the team she was instrumental in setting up the first multi-racial women\u2019s football league for then Eastern Transvaal.<\/p>\n
https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/germiston-city-news\/7019107002-melissa-germiston-fran-hilton-smith-soccer-coach<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was difficult with regard to us finding venues to play at,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cToday finding facilities for women\u2019s football is still an issue.\u201d<\/p>\n
In 2010 she was selected as the coach for national women\u2019s team Banyana Banyana and held the position for two years.<\/p>\n
She then became the manager of both Banyana Banyana and the u-20 team, which she held for 10 years, before moving into administration and the development of coaches for SAFA (South African Football Association).<\/p>\n
She worked for SAFA for a total of 21 years before her retirement earlier this year.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have been passionate about developing women\u2019s football in the country,\u201d Fran said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn my time with SAFA I was instrumental in Banyana Banyana qualifying for two Olympic Games, as well as the FIFA Women\u2019s World Cup this year.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
ALSO READ:<\/span><\/p>\n Luso\u2019s youngsters lift the cup<\/a><\/p>\n Local tournament thrills football fans<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n On the developmental side Fran has helped develop 27 women CAF (Confederation of African Football) coaches and 87 FIFA-qualified women administrators.<\/p>\n In recent years she worked as the assistant technical director of SAFA, as well as the head of women\u2019s football.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was hard work, but I loved it,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n In both 2013 and 2015 Fran received the trophy for Outstanding Sports Administrator at the Ekurhuleni Sports Awards.<\/p>\n Off the field, Fran is also an avid musician and she has played for a number of bands, the most notable of which is Basadi (Women of Jazz).<\/p>\n \u201cI play the drums and bass guitar mainly, but can play most other instruments, including the piano,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cMy mother, Hilda, played the organ in church.<\/p>\n \u201cShe was extremely talented, and my dad was a singer,\u201d said Fran.<\/p>\n \u201cSo my musical ability comes from them.\u201d<\/p>\n Although Fran has now hung up her football boots and retired, she is not slowing down.<\/p>\n \u201cI will still be working on the development of women\u2019s football and be in contact with the coaches.<\/p>\n \u201cI also still have my high-performance centre for girls in Pretoria, which I started 13 years ago, so I am still in touch with that, as well as being a trustee of the South African Women in Sport Foundation, where we develop the skills of sportswomen in the country,\u201d Fran said.<\/p>\n \u201cDuring my years I have always tried to train Bayana Banyana players or graduates from the high-performance centre into administration to make sure that the players have a future in football.\u201d<\/p>\n Now that Fran is retired she is also enjoying spending time with her grandsons, Tyler (12) and Tristan (10) Benn.<\/p>\n \u201cI spend most of my time with them,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hav<\/strong>e a story?<\/strong><\/p>\n Contact the newsroom by emailing: Melissa Hart (Editor)\u00a0<\/span>germistoncitynews@caxton.co.za<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>or Leigh Hodgson (News Editor)\u00a0<\/span>leighh@caxton.co.za.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Also follow us on:<\/p>\n
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