Almanac Book Reviews: ‘The Lancefield Football Club 1873 -2023’ – Passion personified
Book review: The Lancefield Football Club 1873 -2023
PASSION PERSONIFIED
Let volunteers loose with their passion and they will leave no stone unturned to produce a masterpiece or the equivalent with their labour of love.
So it has been with the dyed-in-the-wool Tigers who wrote The Lancefield Football Club 1873 -2023. The fascinating sesquicentennial history of a very successful central Victorian football club.
There are 240 pages in this richly colourful (mainly yellow and black) and chronological woven history of the club.
The three writers have not missed a stab kick or a short pass since ‘The Lancefield Chronicle (later The Mercury) wrote the first words on football in 1873.
The early days of the club are extensively covered by the reports of the football writers who left nothing to the imagination with their colourful reports. Such was their influence, that in 1894 , the football league acted upon an opinion of the Australasian rather than the clubs involved (Lancefield and Romsey).
This seemed to be the start of perennial antagonism between the two clubs. One chapter in the book is dedicated to these two friendly rivals.
It could be said that the local newspapers of the day would have given Rupert Murdoch and co a run for their money. The papers were really at the forefront of the antagonism that existed between the two clubs right up to and including the 1940’s. They , the papers, certainly pulled no punches. Pardon the pun.
The book is replete with photographs and drawings through the ages of every facet of a football club. The reader will be surprised if they don’t see somebody they know. I did!
Twenty two premierships speak for itself.
The legends of the club have, rightly so, been given special considerations with biographies while award winners at all levels are acknowledged along with players who made the supreme sacrifice in two world wars and untimely deaths in peace-time.
The number of people besides the authors who have been involved in the evolution of this book is a clear indication of the love of this football club, these names take up a couple of pages.
The collaboration of the Romsey & Lancefield Districts Historical Society Inc should also be acknowledged as they were a vital resource of the authors.
If you are contemplating publishing a history then this book is the prototype for you and don’t forget your historical society. All sporting clubs have a need for a history to be written before it is forgotten.
The book is an outstanding memorial to the five generations of families still involved and subsequent players and supporters who have followed the club.
I can thoroughly recommend this book to anyone interested in sport and in particular our GAME and the social fabric behind a successful football club and town supporting it
As someone who knew little or nothing about the Lancefield Football and Netball Club before reviewing the book I now feel that I have been involved in the club since those halcyon days of the eighteen seventies. A remarkable read.
No bigger compliment is necessary (even if you do barrack for Romsey).
To purchase the book details can be found below.
Bob Utber
Aka ‘Citrus Bob’
ASM, ASSA (Fellow), BA
More from Citrus Bob Utber can be read Here.
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About Bob Utber
At 84 years of age Citrus Bob is doing what he has always done since growing up on a small farm at Lang Lang. Talking, watching and writing sport and in recent years writing books. He lives in Mildura with his very considerate wife (Jenny) and a groodle named 'Chloe on Flinders' and can be found at Deakin 27 every day.
Great review and read Bob. I have purchased a copy and will be very interested to see if I can pick up some pointers for a history project I am considering with two others on my old home town country club in Tasmania. We’ve been talking about it for ages and need to get moving before some important sources are lost
See how we go!