I've just been reading "Tigerland" by Brian Hansen and thought this little piece was worth typing out for those who haven't read it or weren't around at the time.
The hairs bristled on the back of the neck when the legend himself, Jack "Captain Blood" Dyer stalked to the rostrum to stir the emotions and put his heart and soul behind the crusade declaring:
"SAVE OUR SKINS!"
There were tears, there were cheers, there was a swell of emotion and the sport's greatest orator poured his heart into the appeal.
The Richmond Football Club prepared well for the big day. They had topped up the well of emotion. They had the club's greatest personalities on parade and the entire sporting populace behind them. Jack Dyer personified the spirit of the day.
He stormed at the big fat cats of the League declaring they were sitting and smirking in their super boxes while they plotted the death of the club that belonged to the people.
"They don't care about history. They don't care about you who have stood in the outer year in and year out and made the game the game it is today. It's you who have built their stadiums and made them rich.
"Yet they would kill our club . . . Like hell they will."
The Captain told me he had never felt so emotionally fired up.
"It just tears at me to think that these people get into high office and don't bother to understand the mentality of the people. The game was made by the people and belongs tot he people yet they would sell it to corporate bodies and television. God...there is a time when you down tools, pick up rocks and fight."
He stirred the crowd as he recalled the greats of the past who were spinning in their graves at the threat to their club.
"There's no way we will let them kill this club . . .we’ll fight them to the death."
********************************
Richmond-Forever.
************************
The hairs bristled on the back of the neck when the legend himself, Jack "Captain Blood" Dyer stalked to the rostrum to stir the emotions and put his heart and soul behind the crusade declaring:
"SAVE OUR SKINS!"
There were tears, there were cheers, there was a swell of emotion and the sport's greatest orator poured his heart into the appeal.
The Richmond Football Club prepared well for the big day. They had topped up the well of emotion. They had the club's greatest personalities on parade and the entire sporting populace behind them. Jack Dyer personified the spirit of the day.
He stormed at the big fat cats of the League declaring they were sitting and smirking in their super boxes while they plotted the death of the club that belonged to the people.
"They don't care about history. They don't care about you who have stood in the outer year in and year out and made the game the game it is today. It's you who have built their stadiums and made them rich.
"Yet they would kill our club . . . Like hell they will."
The Captain told me he had never felt so emotionally fired up.
"It just tears at me to think that these people get into high office and don't bother to understand the mentality of the people. The game was made by the people and belongs tot he people yet they would sell it to corporate bodies and television. God...there is a time when you down tools, pick up rocks and fight."
He stirred the crowd as he recalled the greats of the past who were spinning in their graves at the threat to their club.
"There's no way we will let them kill this club . . .we’ll fight them to the death."
********************************
Richmond-Forever.