Happy 125th Birthday to usrichmondfc.com.au
By Tony Greenberg
Fri 19 February, 2010
Richmond Football Club will celebrate its 125th birthday tomorrow (Saturday, February 20).
It was at a public meeting on the evening of February 20, 1885, at the Royal Hotel, directly opposite Punt Road Oval, that the Club was formed.
Richmond entered the premier football competition in the State, the Victorian Football Association, that year, but had to wait until the turn of the new century to become a force.
The Tigers finished third in 1900, runner-up in 1901, and broke through for their first premiership in 1902. A second VFA premiership for the Club was to follow in 1905.
In 1908, Richmond was invited to join the stronger Victorian Football League (VFL), which started as a breakaway group from the VFA in 1897.
Although the first decade in the VFL was fairly lean for Richmond, the appointment of former Collingwood captain Dan Minogue as the Club’s captain-coach in 1920, paid instant, handsome dividends.
The Tigers won their first league premiership that year, and made it two in-a-row in 1921. That famous “Eat ‘em Alive” spirit was born . . .
Over the years, Punt Road has been home to many of the true greats of Australian Football - Vic Thorp, ‘Checker’ Hughes, Jack Titus, Percy Bentley, Roy Wright, Bill Morris, Tommy Hafey, Kevin Bartlett, Francis Bourke, Royce Hart, and the list goes on.
Notwithstanding the fact it’s now been 30 years since the last of the Tigers’ 10 league football premierships, Richmond is a club with a mighty proud, successful history.
As sure as night follows day, the Tiger will rise again and rule the AFL jungle.
In the meantime, let’s toast the bold Tigers of Old, and the exciting next generation of Yellow and Black heroes . . .
http://www.richmondfc.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/6301/newsid/89709/default.aspx
