Louis Prospero, Mel Moffat new Football West Life Members

Football West is delighted to confirm its two newest Life Members.

Louis Prospero and Mel Moffat were inducted at the Football West AGM last week for their outstanding contributions to football in Western Australia.

Louis has been involved in Football in WA since 1967 as a player, match official, association president and board member, including Chairman of the Football Hall of Fame (WA).

Louis played junior football between the ages of four and 16, before turning to refereeing at 17. He rose from juniors through State League to the National Soccer League’s Referee Panel in 1996 to 2000.

Louis officiated in games involving visiting teams such as Singapore, Cerezo Osaka and West Ham United.

Louis was the Recruitment and Retention Officer for the Referee Commission between 1998 and 2002 before being elected as President of the Soccer Association of Western Australia, working to unite the various football bodies into the present day Football West.

Louis was the Chairman of the Football Hall of Fame (WA) between 2002 and 2020 and played an active role in the operations and organisation of numerous events at which over 150 members of the WA football community were recognised with induction.

Meanwhile, Mel has dedicated himself to championing football in WA for over 40 years, going above and beyond his role at The West Australian newspaper to do so.

From 1983, through his coverage of the State League, WA State Teams, Perth Kangaroos and Perth Glory, Mel was able to promote the strengths of football in the state and had a knack of highlighting the achievements of West Australian playing, coaching and refereeing locally, nationally and internationally.

Additionally, Mel has produced content by Football West, Soccer West Coast and Perth Glory for match programmes, yearbooks and other publications.

After leaving The West Australian, Mel has served for 20 years on the committee of The Football Hall of Fame (WA). His high-quality research skills and in-depth knowledge of the local game were integral in the assessment of over 150 individuals who gained induction into the Hall of Fame.

Additionally, Mel managed all aspects of the Fame Game newsletter, produced by the Hall of Fame, wrote extensively for the organisation’s website and was an active member of the team which organised and hosted numerous events.

Incoming Football West CEO Jamie Harnwell said: "Congratulations to both Louis and Mel on becoming Life Members of Football West. They have both made telling contributions to football in the state over a long period of time and this acknowledgement is richly deserved."

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