The death of Charles Brownlow
All those interested in football will learn with deep regret of the death of Mr C. Brownlow, the Geelong club's secretary, on Wednesday, January 23, at the age of 62 years.
Mr Brownlow had been one of the great leaders in the management of football in Victoria, his influence always being for the betterment of the game whose interests he ably served. For many years I was associated with him on the League, and can therefore speak authoritatively of the high standard he always set. It was the game all the time, club or sectional interests never appealing to him. Ever since the retirement of Mr C. M. Hickey, who represented Fitzroy for such a number of years, Mr Brownlow has been the strong man on the League. He had a thorough grasp of his subject, and his courage and integrity earned for him the respect even of those who differed from him. For 35 years he was secretary of the Geelong Cricket and Football Clubs, and no abler man could have been obtained as a representative.
He was chairman of the Australian Football Council, chairman of the permit and umpire committed, and a Vice-president of the League, filling the duties of chairman for quite a time after the retirement of Mr O. M. Williams. While Geelong will greatly feel the loss of his valuable services, his demise will be a greater bow to the league, as it was his guiding hand that saved that body from many pitfalls. The game is unmistakably poorer by his absence, but it will be a pleasure to his family and friends to know that he left an honoured name. In his early days he played for Geelong, possessing a fine turn of foot, and was a leading oarsman. He leaves a widow and a grown-up family of one son and three daughters.
The late Charles Brownlow (An appreciation by 'An Old Chum')
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The death of Mr Charles Brownlow, late chairman of the Australian Football Council, which was announced in the West Australian papers a few days ago, removes yet another of the veterans of our great national winter game, and his ‘going West’ will be received with sincere regret by a host of friends and admirers. ‘Charlie’, as he was familiarly known, not only in Geelong, his native city, but to many scores of footballers, was one of the best, and throughout his whole career commanded the respect and the admiration of all with whom he came in contact.
As a boy he was always popular with his schoolmates. The quiet, courteous demeanor and manly bearing which he showed both in the classroom and in the playground as a lad he carried to the day of his death.
After leaving school he was apprenticed to Mr H. Fischer, in those days the leading manufacturer of watches and jewellery in Geelong. For a number of years Mr Brownlow acted as an assistant in Fischer's establishment, and then opened as a manufacturing jeweller in Malop-street, Geelong, where he soon built up a prosperous business.
In early manhood he joined the Corio Bay Rowing Club, and before long came into prominence as an oarsman. A few years after the club's captain, Mr George Upward (one of Victoria's famous strokes), left Geelong to take up a position in Parliament House, Melbourne, Charlie was elected captain of the Bay Club, and during his term of office his sportsmanlike qualities shone out very distinctly. His clean living, firm rule, and unfailing common sense had a wonderful influence over the officers and members of the rowing club. He would tolerate no rowdyism or loose language in the sheds and rooms. Any approach to either was met with a stern yet kindly rebuke, and during his regime as captain the greatest harmony prevailed. As skipper of the senior eight he, on numbers of occasions, stroked his crew to victory and brought honor to his club.
But it was as a footballer that Charlie particularly distinguished himself. Geelong, in its days, has had many famous players. The names of the Wilsons, Billy Stiffe, Fairbairns, ‘Trusty’ Stevens, Ben Hall, the Cahills, Harry Steadman, Kerley, Barney Grecian, Jim Julien, and others, were names to conjure with, but Charlie, when skipper of the senior team, stood alone as a tower of strength to his side, and as a born leader of men on the football field.
Old Geelongites will recall with a smile the days when Charlie was first requisitioned for the seniors. His father, a disciplinarian of the old school, did not look with favor for his boy to become a senior player, and put stern parental objections in the way. He himself seldom attended the football matches, and as in those days there was no Saturday half-holiday kept to his shop and business. Charlie knowing this, was led to hoodwink the ‘old man’ and for a time played under an assumed name, that of Green. His name always appeared on the team of players and in the papers under that alias.
One's sins, however, are sure to be found out, and Charlie's deception was at length discovered, although his assumed name was known to his sisters who were real sports and closely kept the secret A great match was down for a certain Saturday, and excitement in ‘sleepy hollow’ ran high. The elder Brownlow was smitten by this excitement, and when Saturday afternoon arrived he wended his way to the Corio Cricket ground to see the Geelong boys do battle with a crack team from Melbourne. Arriving a bit late he had to content himself with a back seat in the stand, but as the game proceeded the brilliant play of young Green more than attracted his attention, and in his enthusiasm he barracked for all he was worth for Green. His excitement greatly amused a friend of his who knew of the alias and when Brownlow pater went frantically wild over a bit of extra brilliant play on the part of Green, he slapped him on the back and facetiously asked Brownlow if he knew for whom he was barracking so splendidly. "Green, course," answered the excited father. “No fear!”, said his friend, “don’t you know you are cheering your own son? Surely, after this you can’t forbid bid him to play senior football!” Mr Brownlow was dumfounded, but when Geelong romped home victorious, be said to his credit he was one of the first to rush to the dressing room and congratulate his erring but popular son on his magnificent play. Needless to say all opposition was removed, and to the day of his death old Mr Brownlow was a keen supporter of the Geelong Football Club.
For close on half a century the writer has known and admired the one whom death has claimed, but death cannot rob memories of "the days when we were boys together"—the days at school, the pleasant hours in the boat sheds, and the exciting days when we used to be club members and cheered the players at our football club great and honorable victory!
Footnotes
Title: The death of Mr Charles Brownlow
Author: John Worrall
Publish: The Australasian (Melbourne, Vic: 1864-1946)
Date: Saturday, 26 January 1924, p.30 (Article)
Link: http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article140747901
Title: The late Charles Brownlow
Author: An old chum
Publish: Sunday Times (Perth, WA: 1902-1954)
Date: Sunday, 10 February 1924, p.5s (Article)
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