It’s been a year since club patriarch Siegfried ‘Siggy’ Kramer passed away, aged 76. Romania-born Kramer dedicated his life to his beloved club, serving as a player, coach and administrator throughout Inglewood United’s six decade history.

Kramer was just 12 when he accompanied his family – father Hermann, mother Stefania and siblings Melania, Aleksander, Matilda, Anna, Vladimir, Heinrich and Elizabeth – to Perth. A goalkeeper by trade, he first played for Kiev in 1953 and across the following decade was a key figure in the clubs’ rise to the top tier of West Australian football.

Upon retirement Kramer turned his hand to coaching, guiding the club to Division One (1967) and Top Four Cup (1968) titles. Between 1971 and 2013 he was an ever-present on the club committee, serving as secretary, treasurer and president, the latter a role he held for nineteen years from 1994.

“If you have the game in your heart you can be around for a long time,” Kramer said soon after stepping down from the presidency. “You have to be passionate about the game and really care about it.” That passion led Kramer serve on the boards of the Professional Soccer League (1998-2001) and the Soccer Association of WA (2000-01).

Kramer’s passion for the game led to him being awarded the Centenary Medal, for services to the development of football, by the Australia Government in 2001. The following year he was inducted into the Football Hall of Fame Western Australia and gained Life Membership of Football West in 2013.

RIP Siggy, we’re still thinking of you.