By Tania Phillips
Most of the Newtown football fans and players at the Warwick Cowboys clash with Newtown on Saturday night would have been totally unaware that there were newlyweds in their midst.
However just over 24 hours earlier the Cowboys A grade Assistant coach Mark Sullivan and Club secretary Tracy (formerly Marshall) tied the knot after four years together and more than 50 years after they were first became school friends.
The pair were determined to marry in the off season and they got there – just.
“I didn’t want to wait until the end of the year,” Tracy laughed.
However, as anyone in sporting clubs will tell you, there isn’t much of a off-season these days and with the Cowboys starting training in November, available days weren’t that easy to find but the couple, who have six adult children between them finally got there.
Tracy is the club’s secretary and registrar (among other things) while Mark, who has been connected to the club all his life, is the “reluctant” groundsman, assistant coach of the A grade, is on the executive of the Old Boys Association and a general committee member.
Both credit their love of football and fishing and other similar interests as the glue that has bound them together since meeting up a couple of years ago after Tracy returned to town from Brisbane.
“We’re old school friends and we just had a chance meeting at a Warwick Rodeo,” Mark explained.
“We share a lot of common interests – one of them being football obviously.”
“Marks friends said we knew it would have to be someone from here because he wouldn’t be able to go out with anyone who didn’t like the same things as him so your perfect,” Tracy added with a laugh.
“He taught me how to play golf but now unfortunately for him I like to play golf as well and we also like to fish.
“I wasn’t involved in the club before Mark – he’s been involved all his life and now with his three boys who all play.
“Years ago my sister was involved with the Cowboys, she was an ambassador but apart from going to the games I didn’t have a lot of involvement. I moved to Brisbane, I’ve only been back here four or five years. I didn’t have a lot to do with the Cowboys until I came back. But I did have a lot to do with football in Brisbane because my boys played. I was involved but as a mum.”
Mark was a manager of the under 18s team in their inaugural year in 1986 and he and Tracy were heavily involve with the women’s team a few years back. He has played, coached and managed – following his football mad dad into the sport.
“I really like the game, it teaches good values to young men, I just like to give back,” he said.
“I just enjoy the game and you need volunteers to keep it going. That’s why me and Trace have been on-board. We have got people onboard but I enjoyed it so much when I was playing and coaching that I thought it was time to volunteer and help out that way.”
“When I first moved back, Mark was the coach of the inaugural women’s team,” Tracy said.
“So of course I just jumped straight, sharing the managers job and I did all the photography and social media for the team.
“That was my baptism of fire, moving to Warwick, moving in with Mark and boom you’re now in charge of the women’s social media and managing the football team.”
The pair are very community minded out even outside of football – Mark is a fireman while Tracy is involved in education.
And so of course, despite getting married on Friday on Monday they were back at Warwick’s Father Ranger Football ground preparing for this weekend’s home game against Wattles – however a honeymoon to the Calgary Stampede is planned later in the year.
