BIO

Harold Pitkin came into the Norwood league side as a young centreman at the start of the 1930 season while injury-wracked champion Alec Lill was still getting ready for his last hurrah.

Harold made the best players on debut, more than holding his own early against his more experienced opponent, Frank Tucker, but tiring in the second half as North Adelaide took control for a 11.13 to 8.15 victory.  Norwood won its next three games, though Harold was 19th man in two of them and not mentioned in despatches in the other.

Back in B grade, he kicked three goals in seven games, after eight goals in five games the year before, but was not a member of the 1930 premiership team.  He went on to a long career in country football, kicking a goal for West Whyalla in his last competition game in 1953. He coached the Whyalla colts that year.

Harold was born at Payneham on 4 October 1909 to Albert and Mary (Dillon) Pitkin.  He married Minlaton girl Violet Abbott at Whyalla in 1940 and they had two children, Margaret and Robert. 

Harold played good football for Minlaton in the Southern Yorke Peninsula league in the  late 1930s.

Nearly 46, he won the Whyalla Ironworkers’ Sheffield at the Eight Mile Creek picnic in 1953 and then fronted up again to take the old buffers’ race.  That same year he was named best  man on the ground in a match between Whyalla old players and current umpires to raise funds for oval maintenance.  The match ended in a thrilling draw under the expert umpiring of Neil Kerley, who for his efforts was doused with a bucket of water.  Harold’s trophy was ”six of the best”, caps removed.

Harold Pitkin died on 5 January 1992 and is buried at Centennial Park Cemetery

P Robins, D Cox, G Adams August 2020