loris wrote: ↑Sun 29 Nov 2020 4:48pm
saynta, I recall you mentioning that you as a kid used to go into the Saints rooms match day with your Dad in the 1950’s at the Junction Oval. Can you recall the the Saints head trainer at the time? Surname was Clancy.
It’s a small, small world. Yesterday I was getting tickets to see the film, The Racer (great film by the way re Tour d’ France).
Got speaking to a gent beside me. To cut a long story short. We were both Saints supporters, both were there to see, THE VICTORY 1966!! Astonishingly we only lived one street away from each other as children when we lived in North Caulfield.
His father was the head trainer at the Saints for years. He used to go into the rooms at the Junction Oval as a kid and, like you, knew Ian Drake & Graham Huggins and met many of the players of that generation.
Much to the boredom of his wife and my friend we had a wonderful time chatting & re-living those days and the years at Moorabbin. Both of us hated the years at Arctic Park and the lack of atmosphere.
His surname was Clancy, I can’t recall his Dad’s first name, Jim and Tom keep popping into my mind......... then maybe I’m confusing the Jim with the Saint player, Jim Clancy, or the Tom with the author, Tom Clancy! Oh dear, that’s what ageing does to one, I don’t remember something told to me yesterday, but can remember without error the names etc of every single player I saw in the 1950’s
So, saynta, did you get to meet the Head Trainer of years gone by?
Most likely spoke to him but was never introduced as I was just a kid. Met a lot of people in those rooms but the ones I remember the most were Graham Kennedy and his mate Joff Allen. Also got to know a very young Alan Schwab who was very impressive
Bud Annand used to sing dirty songs or ditties and and I remember him winking at me when he caught me listening.
Ian Drake was the first adult I ever heard say the word f***. I was shocked, so I think was he as he didn't know I was there. Still a vivid memory
I used to sit next to Drake in the committee area in the stand and help him with stats which tells you how things have changed. Ian had trouble picking up players on the outer side of the ground and I used to make sure my friend Leo Garlick got the odd disputed stat. Leo always asked me how did I think he went. Didn't have the heart to tell him the truth.
After the game, sometimes if we won (I think) they used to let a lot of people into the rooms and the players would mingle in all stages of dress, some naked.I remember looking up one day and seeing a very red faced young girl who must of been mistaken for a young boy by a very distracted doorman.
Verdun Howell and dad were friendly as I have told you before. In the late 50s and early 60s I was friends with some of the younger fringe players, Graeme Lee and Roy Apted as well Leo. Jimmy Ross came to our house one day for dinner and gave me a brand new football.
Unfortunately my father moved the whole family to Tasmania in early 1964 where I spent three miserable years before escaping back to the mainland. Drake used to stay with us when he was on his recruiting trips to Tassie.
My fathers job at TAA brought him into contact with officials of most VFL teams and he was friendly with Jim Caldwell at Melbourne and Ian Cowie at Carlton. Essendon wasn't on his list as friends even back then. Think they must have travelled Ansett or the then ANA
Dad even traveled to Hawaii with the Melbourne and Geelong teams when they went there to do an exhibition match.
We visited Cowie in hospital when he had a heart attack and whilst there I was introduced to big John Nicholls and Graham Donaldson. Nicholl's hand swallowed mine when we shook hands.
Once when we we in the Carlton rooms at half time during a match against St Kilda, Bob Menzies was there and I was introduced to him. Cowie then gave me a football and told me to go and have a kick on the oval. Sort of piss off , you are in the way. As we sat with the Carlton officials I had to keep my barracking for the saints low key, but we used to get thrashed anyway.
Memories Loris.
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