LOOKING Back sparked a series of letters, emails and phone calls when we recently asked for more information on the Mark Frowde Cup, a football tournament often won by Weymouth Central Boys’ School in Westham.

And we now have a picture of Mark Frowde himself, who played a key part in the inception of Weymouth FC.

Gerald Mabb has written to tell me that Mark Frowde was general manager of Cosens and Company, one of the three founders of Weymouth Football Club and also became secretary of the England Football Association.

Nigel Biddlecombe, chairman and secretary of Weymouth FC, has since come forward to pay his own tribute to Mark Coker Frowde.

He said: “It is all too easy to brand someone as a ‘legend’, but Frowde is one man who fully earns such a label – both at Weymouth FC and throughout the town itself.

“He was born in Devonport in 1871 and came to Weymouth in 1890 to work for Cosens and Co. as a draughtsman, continuing with the company until retiring as managing director in 1942.

“He was one of the three men, along with R. Bennett and J. Newport, that were the prime movers in forming Weymouth Football Club in 1890.

“He acted as secretary for Weymouth FC as well as playing regularly, having made his debut on October 4 1890 in a friendly against Depot Dorset Regiment.”

Frowde became treasurer and secretary of the Dorset FA in 1896, remaining in place until 1920.

Nigel said: “In 1901 he added the role of FA Council Representative for the county. In 1921 he was elevated to the role of president of the County FA whilst he was elected chairman of the DCFA in 1923 and in 1925 became an FA vice president and chairman of the FA Amateur Cup committee.

“He was awarded the DCFA long service medal for his efforts on behalf of the Dorset FA.”

And Frowde’s selflessness was what kick-started the cup competition named after him, Nigel said.

“In 1922 the Dorset FA presented Frowde with a cup in recognition of his services to county football and he immediately returned the cup, with the sum of £100, to allow it to be used as a trophy for a boys’ knock-out cup competition.

“Since then the Mark Frowde Cup has been used for schools’ football.

“In the 1980s the DCFA had this cup valued at £12,000.

“The cup was one of two originally commissioned to replace the FA Cup, which had been stolen.

“The ‘other’ having been chosen as the replacement, this one was placed in the vaults until the Dorset FA took ownership of it.”

In Dorset the Mark Frowde Memorial Trophy is played for at adult level. In 1925 Frowde travelled to Australia in joint charge of the England team.

As a referee Frowde was to officiate at many top matches, including the 1907 FA Cup final when he was a linesman in the tie between Sheffield Wednesday and Everton at Crystal Palace.

Frowde was also secretary of the RNLI from 1904 to 1915.

Sadly problems with a hip injury received in the match against the Staffordshire Regimental Band in a Middleton Cup tie on March 19 1892 curtailed his appearances for the club.

He made 47 appearances and scored 25 goals before the injury forced him into playing retirement in 1894. He also played on three occasions for Dorset FA. He died – in his beloved home of Weymouth – on Christmas Eve 1949.