Almanac Book Review: ‘A View From Fine Leg: The Sporting Life Of ‘Citrus Bob’ Utber’

 

 

 

A View From Fine Leg: The Sporting Life Of ‘Citrus Bob’ Utber – Bob Utber

 

Bob, Bob Utber, CB, or ’Citrus Bob’, call him whatever you may, but one thing is for certain, Bob is a hugely admired person, a man of deep integrity, and much loved by all fortunate enough to know him. 

 

Indeed, Bob is one of those very special individuals; a one of a kind, and once met, never forgotten.  

 

What an extraordinary life Bob has led so far in his 84 years! It is one of ultimate fulfilment, moulded by the experiences life has presented and challenged him with during the roller coaster ride that life is, and his book contains it all.  It is a very passionate book.

 

Success and disappointment, love and joy and sorrow, and even the heartbreaking despair of the death of a beloved son are experiences Bob shares in his book with all the humility and grace we recognize and embrace in this wonderful man. Importantly for Bob, a critical factor in determining the makeup of the man he is, and so clearly portrayed in the book, is the critical and overriding role sport plays throughout his life, and will continue to do is an emphasis readily recognised reading the book. 

 

There are many entertaining vignettes within the book that provide snapshots of various stages of Bob’s life. From the origins of the rather unusual Utber name intrique many, and the mention of an Utber in The Diary of Samuel Pepys in the 1600s arouses further curiosity as Bob recounts his search for his forebears.

 

Bob takes readers through his early years in the Western Suburbs during the war years. Recalling ‘looking under his bed every night to see if the Japanese were hiding there’ reflects the angst and fear of the the times. Ron Casey on 3DB/LK reading out the footy teams, The Herald and The Sporting Globe devoured on Saturday nights along with the bought musk sticks enabled Bob to immerse himself deeply into the sporting world and forget the troubled world outside the home. Radio in those days, of course, had an enormous influence on households, and for Bob it was no different. Listening to footy and cricket on the radio encouraged his fertile mind and imagination. I loved the story of Bob receiving his first ‘real’ football and how he lost it on the very first day he kicked it only to discover what actually happened to it many years later. A smile never fails to come to your face as you read.

 

A move to the country with a new and different life style from that experienced in the city was paramount in Bob’s development during these formative years. Sport really took over. The paddocks became his MCG as he relived and replayed the big footy matches of the day. Cricket pitches were created and Test matches played. Running tracks, or whatever sport was the flavour of the day, you name it, and Bob was into it as his many anecdotes recount. And Bob’s approach to all these sports was full on, none of it was ever half-hearted, he committed himself one hundred percent to whatever sport or game he played.

 

Accounts of Bob’s schooling – which he generally found to be an annoying distraction taking him away from his focus on sport; his early forays into the work force, and of course his participation in footy and cricket teams are all detailed with humour, sometimes pathos, and conviction eventually leading up to Bob’s move into sports administration and the media. Roles he clearly loved and became commited to as his many stories in the book attest to.

 

One of Bob’s early jobs in the late 1950s was working in a bank which included the time he ‘nearly shot the relieving manager’ during pistol practice! Never a dull moment when Bob’s around!

 

Bob is the proud grandfather of Paddy Dangerfield, and he shares with readers his delight of watching Paddy emerge into the champion footballer he has since become. Terrific insights of the encourager, and the encouragee, and their love for each other profoundly prevail.

 

We are fortunate Bob has taken the time to put his life story to paper and to share his rich and rewarding life with his wonderful autobiography, and like me, you can also learn about this admirable human being affectionately known to many as Citrus Bob.

 

Do yourself a favour and grab a copy of Bob’s book by emailing Bob: [email protected]

 

 

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