Tributes flow for South East United club president Glen Roland

South East United Football Club is in mourning over the passing of club president, Glen Roland.

Those fortunate enough to have spent time with Glen would undoubtably all sing the same song about the great man. Someone who wore his heart on his sleeve, who loved his family first and his football club a close second. 

The difficult task now comes, in looking for the phrases, anecdotes and fleeting comments that encapsulate the man we all knew as “Boss”. Instead, lets honour our friend in a truly Glen Roland way. Lets tell a story.

In a follow on from our previous article, in which we told of the clubs trajectory over a short space of time, we spoke of the drive from local community based people, who wanted a home for their kids to grow into the best people and players they could. Local community people like Glen. Glen always voiced his opinions, strong-willed and determined to succeed, he did not deviate from what he believed to be the right thing. He saw the very best in people, often when they did not see it themselves, or if the outside world had pushed them aside, Glen always believed in the good in people.

He believed in his club and his people so strongly in fact, he took things to the highest level in our game and made his case to the football world…. We belong in the National Premier League.

Not known for his eloquence and charm, Glen wrote to Football Australia, in the wee hours of the morning, tears flowing and emotions high, to tell them his story and the story of South East United. He wrote what can be described as a school paper written by a primary school student, littered with spelling and punctuation mistakes, oozing with heart and soul, he wrote what he believed turned the tables in our favor. A hail mary of sorts. And boy did it land right where he wanted. Despite constant pushback from those around him, encouraging him to admit defeat, move forward and take the steps needed to go again the following year, Glen knew deep in his soul, the time was now and we needed to push. And with that, he secured the clubs licence in the 2026 National Premier League competition, just 12 years into the clubs journey. A remarkable achievement.

Glen kept his circle tight, playing his cards close to his chest. He took his time to look you up and down, ascertain the person you were, what you stood for, what you believed, and what you could achieve with the 

right guiding hand. Once he made his assessment, you knew, rightly or wrongly where you stood with him. He embraced you as if you were his family. And to Glen, you were family. So proud, of his children Nick, Jasmine, Caitlin and Hayley, Glen could not (and would not) have a conversation that did not somehow bring one his beautiful children into the fold. And at every moment, you could see his face light up like a Christmas tree. It was a pleasure to be in his company as he spoke of his children. Forever his shining light.

Of course, they are not possible without the unwavering support and only true constant in Glens life, Jo. 32 years. Day in. Day out. Glen was adoring of his wife, his best friend and his true north. Jo would always be his voice of reason as Glen's emotions would begin to run away with him, Jo always kept him on the path. A shared passion in the club, no doubt Glen found ways to push Jo's buttons and test the limits, however, he loved his wife without question, and the compromise was “Let me talk to the boss” or “Jo needs to tell me what to do on that one”. In other words, he kept his circle tight, but no one was closer than Jo.

Bringing people together, made Glen happy. And what better place to bring people together than a football club. Glen's happy place. He coached the kids, the adults, the socials, the seniors. He was on the committee, on the board and on the sidelines supporting his beloved united. Even spent time collaborating on the clubs song, just because he felt we needed one. Every aspect of club life, Glen embraced. In the last few months, as he battled with his mind and his body, he could not miss a chance to touch the grass and see his boys. The brief respite he received when surrounded by those he loved and who most certainly loved him, gave him a sense of relief he needed. Even on the night before his passing, Glen was on the grass watching his family play football, referring his extended family and sharing a beer with the lads after. He just loved the game. 

He loved the game, and he loved a beer. Even better than that, he loved a beer whilst talking about the game. He tested the relationships of many a player and their wives as he told tale after tale in the changeroom after a session or match, if there was a beer, and it was cold, there was Glen's story time that never ended. He could talk the ins and outs of every play, recite the words his junior coaches spoke to him and recall the players trips and football stories of his playing days that he has instilled in the club to this day. Many a time you would walk into the changeroom with Glen, sun shining and bright, and walk out in the pitch black cover of darkness. 

A spiritual man, Glen would often say he was blessed by the big man upstairs, and he is fortunate enough to be able to give back and support so many people. His beliefs and his values are what separates the “boss” from the rest of us. Glen was guided by the powers greater than our own and he used that as his moral compass when navigating challenging situations. “If I can help make just one persons day better, that’s enough for me” he would say, smiling from ear to ear with how a simple phrase or moment with a person changed their outlook or their day. That was Glen.

Over the course of his life, he stayed true to his values, his beliefs and his family. He never wavered. He never faltered. He never gave up. And for that and so many other reasons, we grieve for our fallen friend. 

In one of my last conversations with Glen, he said this to me, which has stuck with me over these last few days. “We don’t know what the ceiling is yet mate, maybe there isn’t one”. We were talking as we did, daily, usually on his drive home from work, normally around dinner time, as the boss was always the last to leave. “We don’t know what the ceiling is yet mate, maybe there isn’t one” will stick with me forever. We will make sure there is no ceiling my friend, so you can look down on us beaming with pride. There is no ceiling. There is belief. There is love. There is strength. All the values Glen Roland held dear, we as a club and as a community will continue to uphold. For you, our “boss”, our husband, father, brother and friend. Rest easy bossman. We love you.