Past Players and Officials is a group for the old timers of East Tigers to catch up tell old footy BS...
The East's Past Players’ and Officials’ Association functions as an affiliated body of the Eastern Suburbs Rugby League Football Club. We perpetuate the traditions and spirit of our times as players and officials with the Tigers. Our motto is "Proud Memories".
Each new member pays $30 for life and our main income derives from the traditional meat raffles. We provide grants annually to six local junior Rugby League football clubs (currently $1000 per club).
A newsletter is posted to each of our members at least four times a year. We have a Sunday Games Morning five times a year which features carpet bowls, darts and plenty of laughter and recollections.
During the football season, we sponsor at least two Past Players days at home games of the East's Tigers at Langlands Park. Each December we have our Annual Luncheon in the Atkin Auditorium, the main function room at East's Leagues Club. Our AGM is held in November and we have been an Incorporated Association since 1996.
We enjoy fraternising with members of kindred "Old Boys" clubs from Wests, Wynnum, Norths, Redcliffe and the Referees’ Some of us are also members of "Men of League" - a charitable organisation helping former players in their time of need.
Within our membership of around 400, there is a cross-section of former players and officials from the 1940s right through to recent retirees from footy. There are past First Grade and Representative players, others who played minor grade and/or junior fixtures, ex-coaches, team managers, committee members and other officials.
While we are sometimes referred to as "the Old Boys" we still have plenty of spirit within and we have opinions about the modern game, the current players and the direction and rules of the "Greatest Game of All". There is a certain amount of exaggerated boasting and ribbing at our gatherings ("the older we get, the better we were"), but we are interested in each others current welfare and we share information and comment about today's concerns.
The driving force behind the production of this "75 Year Anniversary" book first came from the past players (Ken Booth raised the subject in 2000). It must be acknowledged that for various reasons the book project was "on again - off again" over several years and there are now dozens of past players who have contributed significantly towards the completed product. Determination and the East's spirit have won out in the end. Our special thanks go to the East's Leagues Club and the East's Tigers RLFC for their continued support of the project.
Any past players or officials who are not already members of the Association are urged to join their mates of yesteryear. Simply contact the Secretary of the Past Players and Officials Association at P.O. Box 1208 Coorparoo DC, 4151.
2008 Games Mornings - Leagues Club from 10:00 a.m. Sunday 9th March , Sun 18th May, Sun 13th July, Sunday 21st September |
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| Annual Lunch - Sunday 16th November 2008 Annual Meeting - Sunday 20th November 2008 |
To Join Contact Col Logan(President) at P.O Box 1208, Coorparoo D.C QLD 4151 |
Newsletter - January 2008- President's Column Welcome one and all to another year and our 1st newsletter for 2008, which will outline some coming events. I would like to go on record to thank you for your concern regarding my accident, but let me assure you that I am on the mend and hope' to be back on deck in the very near future. Col Logan |
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The Loss of Two Great Players November 2007 was a sad month for the former players and supporters of Eastern Suburbs as we lost two former great players and personalities in Stan Neave on the 15'h and Ron McLennan on the 30'h. Stan was farewelled at St Stephens Anglican Church, Coorparoo by a large crowd. He would have been proud to have had so many people there. Stan played around 70 to 80 first grade games for Easts from 1957 to 1963 after playing all his junior football with Easts. He worked in the Queensland Railways as a clerk for 40 years and travelled around Australia in his job and played football wherever he was stationed. He represented Brisbane, Bundaberg, Gladstone and Wide Bay. He coached Easts juniors from 1972 to 1990 for which he was made a life member. He was the first treasurer of the Past Players & Officials and was also on the Committee at the time of his passing. He was also a member of the Golden 50's Club. In his later years with Easts he drove the courtesy bus and all the passengers loved him. Stan was married to Ellinor and they had five children, Michelle, Warren, Janet, Andrew and Sue-Ellen. Stan, we will miss you. Ron McLennan was not only an outstanding footballer, he had a wonderful personality. I would say that everyone who knew him liked him and I think he liked them. He was a country boy from Mooball in northern NSW who came to Easts in 1946 and was one of their star players until he left to go to Ayr as a player/coach. He represented Queensland and Australia while he was with Easts and was unlucky not to get a trip to England with the Kangaroos. However he once said to me, " I played representative football for Brisbane, South Queensland, North Queensland, Queensland and Australia so I consider myself lucky as a lot of good: footballers don't get that far". He was a member of the Golden 50's and the Past Players & Officials. Ron had a big gathering at Cannon Cripps Funeral Parlour, Kelvin Grove where they heard the Eulogy by his daughter, Robin Clark and long time friend Jim Gowdie and also readings by his grandchildren, Erin and Matthew. Farewell Ron, it was a pleasure to have known you. Ken Booth Where are They Now? Can you imagine a five year old boy running around the football field and being a member of the Townsville Estates Junior Rugby League under 9 football team? Well that was how Gavin Payne started his football career that spanned another 31 years, including 6 years senior coaching at Easts in Brisbane after his playing days and he is still involved with Easts Juniors. Gavin is our newest member on the Past Players & Officials committee and we are lucky to have him. He joins Ian Stains as the two youngest members of our committee and they bring a bit of young blood into the club. Gavin was born in Townsville on the 20 of August 1962 and attended Hermit Park Primary School. He was only 5 years old when he began playing football with Townsville Estates under nine years and continued to play under age football with them until he finished his football in Townsville in the under 18's with Townsville University. He attended the Townsville State High School.In 1978 he was selected and played for the Australian school boys rugby league football team. His first job after leaving school was with his father who had an army disposal store in Townsville, until he later became an apprentice fitter. Easts heard of Gavin's football ability from his brother Mark who was playing in Brisbane at the time and they came looking for him and signed him up for the 1981 season. He started playing reserve grade on the wing. The coach was John Payne (no relation). It wasn't long before he was playing outstanding football in first grade and on his way to an outstanding career with Easts that spanned 10 years which was in two sections, 1981 to 1986 then 1989 to 1992, with a recorded 187 first grade games to be proud of. After 1986 he decided he needed a change and signed on with Ipswich Jets for two years, but found the travelling back and forth twice a week to training and also to play at the weekend too much so he decided to return to Easts in Brisbane in 1989 and played to 1992, winning the Premiership in 1991. He considers 1991 the best team he played with. It was captained by Ian Stains and coached by John Lang. Gavin preferred playing fullback but could handle any position in the back line with confidence as he had that all round ability. Easts gave Gavin a Testimonial year in 1992. He says it is very hard to name the best player he played with as there were so many good players around at the itme but if he had to name one it would be Wayne Lindenberg. "He was a great player". The same was to be said about the best player he played against, naming Wally Lewis as the best. When he finished his playing career he took on coaching Easts reserve grade in 1993 and 1994 and then stepped up to A grade and coached them from 1995 to 1998. He is still involved with Easts Juniors of which he is a life member and is also on the management committee and coaches the under 14 football team. He is now a Property Services Manager at the Greenslopes Hospital and he lives at Tarragindi. His family consists of his wife Narelle and four children. Gavin and Narelle met at Langlands Park through Narelle's Uncle and were married in 1986. Their four children are Corey, 19, Tenelle, 18, Tyson, 15 and Geordie, 13. All the children play volleyball and all the boys play cricket. Corey played junior for Easts Rugby League but is now Congratulations Gavin on your years of service to Eastern Suburbs and Rugby League.
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Weekly Raffles We are always looking for people to help out with our weekly raffles Wednesday evenings and Sunday afternoons. All Members... If you are changing address or know someone who is let us know. We have about 12 members who didn't get any correspondence because their letters are returned. Col Logan Home Col Logan is home after a long stint in Greenslopes Hospital after a wall around his swimming pool fell on him, damaging his hand and breaking his pelvis. He had a short time in Mount Olivet for physiotherapy and walked out with the aid of a walking stick on the 13th of December. Now it is only a matter of time before he is 100% fit again. It will be great to have him back.Annual Christmas Lunch The Annual Christmas lunch was held at the Leagues Club in the Jack Atkin Room and about 160 attended and had a good time. It's great to be able to meet at least once a year and renew old friendships and have a chat and a drink. Word has got around that the Annual lunch served was first class, probably the best of all the years we have been having our Christmas there.Steve Farquhar In and Out Steve, one of Easts top players in the 70's entered the Holy Spirit Hospital in early December for a bowel operation that took around six hours. Wife Kelly says he was doing well after the operation and he has since rang me to say he is doing fine and started his chemo. Ken Booth Our annual award of the Arthur Sparks Shield for 2007 went to Keith Phillips from Eastern Suburbs Juniors, Scott Park. He has been with that club for many years where has carried out numerous jobs and continues to do so, even though he has been President for the last nine years. We also congratulate the other nominees, Barry Jiggins from Easts Bulimba Stars and Wade Core from Easts Carina, but there can only be one winner. Once again, Marj Sparks presented the Shield to Keith and it was wonderful to see her there. She is advancing in years (90+) but is a lovely lady who is proud to represent her late husband Arthur in presenting the shield. Ken Booth The A.G.M. was held on the 18'' November 2007 and had about 40 members in attendance. There were very little changes with Gavin Payne to be added to the committee and Henry Gauci on stand by. New Life Member Ken Booth had the honour of an "Arthur Sparks Badge" (life membership) bestowed on him to join Wally Reynolds, Mick Rooney, Ron Rogers and Bruce Scott as our life members. Ken is one who has given great service to Eastern Suburbs over the years both as an excellent footballer and a dedicated member of the Past Players & Officials. He played for Easts from 1948 to 1950 as a junior and from 1951 to 1956 as a senior club Captain in 1954 and represented Brisbane in Bulimba Cup and against the touring England side. Congratulations Ken for the years of service you have given to the P. P. & O. and the years you have assisted Mick Rooney in producing our newsletter. Bruce Scott
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