A continuing contribution to yellow and black
1:47 PM Sat 5 January, 2008
By Ben Broad
for richmondfc.com.au
Neville Crowe first walked in the doors at Punt Road more than 50 years ago. Today, aged 70, he still performs the role of senior account executive. In the second half of his two-part interview, Ben Broad talks to the former Tiger player about his days since he hung up the boots.AFTER 11 seasons playing in the yellow and black, Neville Crowe hung up his boots following the club’s 1967 premiership success.
Tragically, he had missed the Grand Final after being suspended for the first time in his career following a controversial incident with Carlton big man John Nicholls in the second semi final.
Richmond was about to embark on its most successful era and, with Crowe out in the business world during the premierships of 1969, ’73 and ’74, it was with great joy that the former Tigers captain got to share in the glory of the club’s 1980 flag.
Following his days at VFL level, he had spent a season with Caulfield under the guidance of Tony Jewell.
So in 1980, when the then-Richmond coach Jewell asked him to help out with the club’s ruckman and on-ball division, Crowe didn’t think twice.
“I enjoyed that immensely, especially given we won the 1980 flag,” Crowe said.
“So I sort of had half a touch of the big tin cup.”
His foray into coaching was just the start of what was to become a long stint back at the club in a variety of roles – from marketing director, to president, to his role today as senior account executive.
It was in 1987 that the club called on Crowe’s business nous and invited him to take on the role of director of marketing.
“Not much longer after that they asked me if I’d take over the job as president because there was a bit of politicking that had gone on and the club had sort of eaten itself as it has had a habit of doing from time to time,” Crowe said.
“But in this particular instance it was something that I definitely wanted to do and they were happy to have me take on board the presidency.”
It was during Crowe’s seven-year reign that he oversaw one of “the greatest team efforts” in the Richmond Football Club’s history.
The Tigers were in grave financial strife in 1990 but fought back under the ‘Save Our Skins’ campaign.
“We set a target in 10 weeks to raise a million dollars and virtually on the last day, the last dollar rolled in,” Crowe explained.
“Thousands and thousands and thousands of Richmond supporters came to the party because they realised that we were genuinely on the ropes.
“We were in serious strife and probably operated illegally for a period of time but we took that risk as directors and we’ve come out the other side.
“That was a sensational time in the roller-coaster in the history of the Richmond Footy Club,” Crowe said.
Another delicate time Crowe faced during his time as president was when the board decided club great Kevin Bartlett’s time as coach was up.
With the Tigers struggling on the field and Bartlett feeling aggrieved at a lack of resources for the football department, the Richmond board had to travel to Bartlett’s home to inform him of his sacking – resulting in a long-running feud which has only recently been put to bed.
Crowe said he, like all Tigers fans, was delighted KB had returned to Punt Road.
“I’m thrilled he’s back [at the club] because the club needs people like KB,” Crowe said.
‘The fans love him to bits, he’s one of our absolute heroes of the game so it’s terrific to have him back with the club.”
Crowe’s tenure as president ended in 1993 and, while he believed he was set for a quiet retirement five years ago, the Tigers again came calling.
“I’d actually decided to retire from work and I was going to go out and have a Jim’s Mowing round – which was going to be my method of keeping fit,” he said.
“But at the very, very last drop of the hat, the club asked me if I’d come down and help them in the marketing area, generating income and so on and so forth. I went down and had a chat with them and we came to an agreement and it took me about 20 seconds to make up my mind.”
His role in recent years has seen him generating income for the club and helping look after the Tigers’ country and interstate supporter groups.
He has been a jack of all trades during more than 50 years at Richmond, saying he has “even cleaned the toilets from time to time as well”.
But one thing has remained constant – his love for the yellow and black. And he is more optimistic than ever that Terry Wallace and his emerging crop of youngsters are on the right track to returning the club to its glory days.
“I’m like all the run-of-the-mill supporters … I’m just desperately keen for us to get in there for my kids and my grandkids and my great grandkids and all the supporters,” he said.
“I’d just love us to have another successful era because that’s what we’re all here for at the end of the day.
“We’re desperately keen to make sure that we can return this footy club to being back to where it belongs and that’s up there with the best – if not being the best – and to do that doesn’t come easy but that’s what we’re aiming at.”
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