Welcome to Riversdale SC

1978 – 1979      G. KENNON YEARS

A chance meeting of three young Englishmen in the Sydney airport lounge in January 1978 gave the present Riversdale Soccer Club its first President, first Captain and Coach and first Best and Fairest winner.

When Yorkshireman Noel Green and long time pal David “Dusty” Hirst, both in their early 20’s returned from a holiday to their native England they met by chance Dave Humphreyson, making his way to Melbourne from his home in Wolverhampton on what was supposed to be a 12-month working holiday.

Not wishing to spend the final leg of his journey alone the wee, garrulous Humphreyson struck up conversation with Green and Hirst and over a few beers between flights the three were surprised to learn that they would be living only 10 minutes from each other in Camberwell. They swapped names and addresses and promised to keep in touch.

Some months had passed when Green was casually approached by Bob Smith one Saturday afternoon in the Club bar of the Riversdale Hotel in Hawthorn. A Londoner, in his mid 30’s, Smith was working for a company called G.KENNON, a manufacturer of carpets and vinyl accessories for GMH, and looking for interested people to take part in his company soccer team. Smith, along with work mate Brian Barron, had earlier that year formed a the team and been admitted to the Amateur and Industrial Soccer League of Victoria to compete in Division 4 East.

The team had got off to very poor start losing its first three games conceding 21 goals and scoring only 1. Lamenting his team’s poor start and figuring that as a young Englishman, Green must have played before, Smith invited Green and any mates he could find to come down for a run at G. Kennon.

Green had in fact played before and not so very long ago. Over previous summers a group of friends and blow-ins met at Camberwell High School for Sunday morning scratch matches and he thought that surely some of those would be interested. Green contacted Hirst and of course Dave Humphreyson. Humphreyson had been an apprentice to Wolverhampton Wanderers in the early 1960’s  and although at 28 and above his ideal playing weight and away from even social matches for some years, was keen to develop friendships in his new temporary home via a game he knew how to play.

A week later and still without a win Green continued to contact friends asking Gregor and Gordon McCaskie to join. They in turn invited Peter Jencik, a friend from school days and team-mate when all three had played at Box Hill Soccer Club.

So, within a few weeks of Smith speaking to Green, G. Kennon had recruited six new players, five of whom would continue their connection with the Club for many seasons to come.

G. Kennon’s home ground for that first season and next was R.J. Sillitoe Reserve in Ludstone St. Hampton, at that time used only on Saturdays by Sandringham Soccer Club then in the VSF Metropolitan league.

Apart from being in Hampton, quite a distance from where the majority of players lived, it was a wide, bumpy, windswept, grassless pitch serviced by old dilapidated facilities. For Captain-Coach Dave Humphreyson it was a long way from Molineux.

The ease with which new players were recruited by Kennon that first year was due largely to two factors. Firstly, there existed a group of young people, all friends and all with an interest in soccer, who that year were not committed to playing for any particular clubs. That Bob Smith was able through Noel Green to tap into this group was sheer coincidence. But secondly and more importantly, G. Kennon, with no real administration to speak of and a general ignorance of how sporting bodies operated, paid little attention to the Industrial league requirement that all players register.

For example, Gregor McCaskie, a new recruit, had played two seasons before in the Metropolitan League and at this time harbored ideas of playing there again. Rather than go to the trouble of gaining a clearance and registering at Kennon, a straight forward enough but time-consuming inconvenience, he assumed the identity of another man. That his passport showed a swarthy Spaniard name Carlos, standing nearly six feet (rather than a pale five foot seven) seemed to make no difference. Carlos was rarely seen at the ground on match days and his passport was one of very few that was unused.

Had this practice been restricted to one or two players the eventual consequences may have differed, but in this he was joined that first season by his brother Gordon as well as Peter Jencik. How this succeeded was to the new recruits a source of ongoing amusement and at times prompted some anxious moments, with players on match days waiting furtively about the change-rooms eagerly awaiting the arrival of the referee, in the event that he may have recognized them from seasons past.

In later seasons this practice snowballed with players raising it to an art form.

The readiness with which this practice was condoned if not encouraged was to later prove the most controversial issue the Club had faced in its short history and to very nearly bring about its downfall.

By that first season’s end G. Kennon was to reach 8th place on the league table with three wins, five draws and ten losses.

If 1978 was not a particularly successful year on the field, it introduced to the club at least four new players and committeeman Ron Glenn, all of whom would remain at the Club in one capacity or another for seasons to come.

The 1979 season began unlike the season before. As part of the I.& A.S.L.V. restructuring its divisions, G. Kennon now competed in Division 4 Central, where only 8 teams took part, three of whom moved over with us.

Buoyed by new recruits, amongst them Steven Jencik (who similarly carried on that fine club tradition of playing under an alias), Kennon won four of its first five games and climbed to top spot on the league ladder with a round 6 win over De La Salle, the only team that Kennon had beaten twice the season before.

If 1978 looked like a failure, then on the field at least 1979 was beginning to spell success. The weekly I. & A.S.L.V. publication “League News” was now reporting our exploits not least because of the number of goals Kennon was scoring.

Whilst Kennon continued to improve on-field under the guidance and fine example of Dave Humphreyson, off-field the administration was still being handled by the same one or two. Noel Green, as well as playing fullback, held all three Committee positions that year, President, Secretary and Treasurer. If that wasn’t committment enough, Noel’s old white Valiant sedan carried in its boot almost everything the Club at that stage possessed, from strips to soft drink, footballs and slabs of beer, spare laces and team sheets. More than once it was quipped that had Noel’s car with a full boot and interior packed with players run off the road, Kennon would have been finished.

Kick-off time being 10.am Sunday mornings ensured that few supporters were around in those early days. On at least one occasion a game was held up by a referee on the grounds that other than 11 players Kennon had no other committeeman, substitute or supporter to run the line. Ron Glenn, long term committeeman and tireless Club servant, was one of very few non-players that saw Kennon play on those bleak Sunday mornings.

G. Kennon progressed steadily through the season with the aid of dual strikers Peter and Steven Jencik, captain/coach Dave Humphreyson working the midfield and Gordon McCaskie and Noel Green (later to be accused of developing a penchant for scoring own goals) in defence.

It took a controversial 2-3 loss to S.C.O.T. in the 14th round at Xavier College, in a game marred by fights and poor refeering on a glue-pot pitch, to push G. Kennon down into second spot. From here, one point adrift of the leaders, Kennon finished its second season. A disappointing conclusion to a season where the side played many of its games defending top spot, it was nevertheless a miraculous improvement on 1978.

Since G. Kennon’s continued improvement was undoubtedly due to successful recruitment, albeit from sources other than the G. Kennon company, it was only a matter of time before some original Kennon players faced with the diminishing hope of playing would leave the Club in frustration. With a fading connection to the ‘parent’ company and a continuing, although small and informal social scene planted firmly in the Club Bar at the Riversdale Hotel, it was only a matter of time before closer links between Club and Pub were established.

A meeting was scheduled to take place at the conclusion of the 1979 season in the home of player Arnold Berbers (known as “Dutchy”). The meeting, attended by about 15 players and supporters, resolved to formulate a draft constitution whereby “The Name of the Organization is Riversdale Soccer Club.”

And so, in a suburban lounge-room late one Sunday afternoon, Riversdale Soccer Club came to be. The draft constitution was developed by Noel Green and Ron Glenn covering seven points and running to just over one page.

As the curtain closed on G. Kennon some memorable events had taken place. Few clubs could boast the speed and ease with which this Club had recruited new and talented players (not all illegally). Even fewer clubs could boast a side that came to within a point of winning the league in only its second season, having scored more goals than all but three teams in a league covering eight divisions and 72 sides. (1)

1980 – 1985

By 1980 all connections between Riversdale Soccer Club and G. Kennon had been severed.

Gone were the yellow shirts and green shorts and socks for an all blue strip of sky coloured shirts and navy shorts and socks.

Through Kevin Kealey a local resident, friend of Ron Glenn and soon to be Honourary Vice President, our present home ground Frog Hollow was successfully negotiated at the Willison Park Grounds committee meetings.

By virtue of second place in 1979, Riversdale had advanced through promotion to Division 3 East and with the inclusion of some very capable new players, Robert Lewicki and Scott Patterson amongst them, 1980 promised to be Riversdale’s year.

Dave Humphreyson, 1979’s Best and Fairest as well as captain/coach returned to England in January and despite occasional visits back to this country, has never played with Riversdale since. His role was always going to be a difficult one to replace and in Steven Jencik, then still a teenager, Riversdale luckily found a player/coach of unusual ability.

Of 19 registered players (some of whom had little chance of playing) six of the regular 11 were still registered and playing under aliases.

Both Lewicki and Patterson had been known to the McCaskie and the Jencik brothers since all six had played at Box Hill Soccer Club in the early 70’s. Scott Patterson had left Box Hill and endeavouring to carve a niche for himself at a professional level, had joined Sunshine George Cross in the State League in early 1980. A falling out with the administration very early in the season saw Patterson leave Sunshine vowing to stand out of the game until he could be cleared rather than return to them.

Hearing that a player of Patterson’s ability was not playing proved too great a temptation to some of his ex-Box Hill team-mates at Riversdale. Patterson was approached and invited to play out the season at Riversdale. The problem regarding clearance and transfers would be overcome as it had so often been in the past – Scott Patterson would become Scott Dickson.

The combination of Scott Patterson with a side already doing well was to prove an almost unbeatable combination. With 17 rounds played for the loss of only two games and the luxury of a five-point gap to its closest rival, Riversdale went into its last league game of the season at home to C.B.C. Bank.

Despite a 1-0 victory, Patterson with his distinctive red hair and on-field presence was recognised by an opposing player (who was a George Cross Committee member!) as having that year played at George Cross and was reported to the League.

The bubble had finally burst.

Riversdale representatives Noel Green and Ron Glenn were summoned to the I. & A.S.L.V. tribunal to anxiously await the Club’s fate. The League tribunal stripped the Club of all points gained from games in which Patterson had played leaving Riversdale languishing in second bottom spot. Scott Patterson was also banned by the VSF from playing for the first twelve games of 1981 and the Club was fined $200.

Had the league known the extent to which this ploy had been used the consequences would have been so devastating as to financially cripple the club and undoubtedly bring about its demise.

Instead of finishing the season as proud victors, Riversdale finished disgraced in ninth spot ahead of only S.C.O.T. Only a last-minute league restructure ensured Riversdale of staying in Division 3 so that 1980 ended not with a bang but a whimper.

It was a shell-shocked and disappointed group of players that assembled on a Sunday morning in mid-March at Robinson Road, Hawthorn, for the first training session of 1981, determined to make the best of another year in division 3.

With the introduction of new blood, Guy Delon as Secretary, Tom Rowe taking over mid-year as President and the unswerving loyalty of Ron Glenn as Treasurer, it was up to Steven Jencik, reappointed to coach his second year, to get things right on the field whilst the committee toiled off it.

Not surprisingly some players were lost, such as Scott Patterson and Roman Dodig, but the Club continued to recruit new players, Mel Humphreys-Grey and Steve Clarke amongst them. Riversdale emerged from 1981 in fifth spot. If the year was overall a setback it may in retrospect be seen as a turning point. It was this year 1981, the fourth of the Club’s existence,  that training facilities for use mid-week were finally acquired.

The general feeling had been that the Club could progress only so far without some concession to training and a player poll taken that year indicated an overall approval of the idea. It was not until July 8th that training finally commenced at Burke Road South Reserve in Camberwell. Initially attendances were low, prompting coach Steven Jencik to write to all players advising that attendance was a necessary requisite to playing. Even so, numbers rarely reached double figures.

If Riversdale had ever had a traditional rival through the early season many players would probably nominate Westall Utd/Carrum Utd. as that rival. Beginning in 1981, with an incident that took place at Westall’s ground in the 8th round when a substituted Westall player invaded the pitch wielding a corner flag, both teams contested their subsequent encounters fiercely and at times unfairly. This early incident culminated after the game in Riversdale player Robert Lewicki being pursued in his car by a group of opposing players, until the chase was finally abandoned two or three kilometers away. On three separate occasions over several months Secretary Guy Delon brought this situation to the attention of the Industrial League committee and yet no action was ever taken.

When season 1981 ended Riversdale had won half of their 18 games and finished in fifth spot.

When players, committeemen and women and supporters reflect on the years 1982-84, it is with a sense of nostalgia and justifiably a sense of pride. It was between these years that Riversdale for the first time fielded two teams, established a previously unknown social dimension to the Club and employed the services of a coach drawn for the first time from outside the players ranks. Moreover, Riversdale achieved more consistent on-field success than ever before.

Still in division 3 but now compelled through League regulations to field two sides, Riversdale set about recruiting widely and registered twice as many players in 1982 as the season before: 37 to 18.

Pre-season training, as usual, was conducted at Robinson Road Hawthorn with all players training in a large group.  

The season started poorly with both teams managing only one point between them in the first two rounds. By season’s end however, Riversdale’s top team had lost only one game for the year, winning the last 11 straight and missing top spot by only one point.

Riversdale reserves (or “B” team as they were called) finished their first season in 9th place.

For the first time training was conducted throughout the year and this regular meeting of players provided more than just an opportunity to discuss previous games, strengths, weaknesses and tactics. It provided opportunities for players to get to know each other on a social basis and in turn make for a more unified feeling at Riversdale. As is always the case in the running and administering of any sporting Club, there arises from time to time difficulties with turning out the best team and in 1982 with two teams to field, the shortage of players at times became a major problem.

This situation was overcome to a greater or lesser extent in subsequent years by playing some players in two games – not a recommended practice but perfectly legal (except in cup games). In 1982 however, both Riversdale teams were scheduled to play at 10.00 am Sunday morning. This of course meant that both teams played at different grounds and effectively rendered impossible any likelihood of one person playing both games. In order to overcome this problem, Riversdale, like any other Club in difficult times, would call upon its less experienced players, some of whom were themselves aware that on better days they would be watching from the sidelines.

Two of these more notable characters were Chris Morgan and Ron Glenn. Morgan, now living and working in Sydney was introduced to the Club by Guy Delon and attracted to it by its social atmosphere. A South African by birth, Morgan had an interesting past training as a journalist working in South Africa and later in Beirut. A gregarious character keen on jazz music, Keith Richard and drinking, soccer was not one of his strengths and yet on many cold, hungover Sunday mornings Morgan would don the boots and be seen prancing down the flank at Frog Hollow in stops and starts like a springbok.

To anyone who’s seen Chris Morgan, there could be no confusing him with Ron Glenn. Whilst Morgan was a good Club man no one has given more of himself to the success of this Club than “Big Ron”. But Ron, like Chris, was called upon to play during that first season of fielding two teams and for those who witnessed his three games (and one goal! ) it was a rare sight.

With the knowledge that Sue Mackey (now Mrs. Steve Clarke) was working at the Leader publication “Progress Press”,  the success of Riversdale that year would be recorded for all time, albeit in a small way. Throughout 1982 about twelve articles were published in this newspaper all attesting to what a fine season the Club was having.

Of all the players recruited in season 1982 none remain to see Riversdale’s 10th Anniversary in 1988. However some, like John Pote, Ian Dixon and Dennis Irwin, left their mark on that and successive seasons.

Now that training was a part of the Club’s weekly development, a suitable location had to be found away from the muddy poorly-lit facility of the previous year. The upper oval at Highfield Park on Riversdale Road was acquired and would remain the training ground until the Club’s eventual shift to Hartwell Sports Ground in 1986.

Some players connected with Riversdale in 1982 may be able to identify the ingredients that blended to form a side that some regard as its best. Training by now was two nights per week. The extra players naturally made competition for the First team more intense and there appears to be a certain momentum that winning sportspeople and teams can develop and prolong. Whatever it was that Riversdale possessed it unfortunately was not in sufficient quantity to prevent the “A”  team finishing in second spot in three consecutive seasons. This being in spite of putting together a record number of league home games without defeat that extended from the 4th round in May 1982 until the 16th round in September 1984.  24 games in all.

Whilst the “A” team was regularly finishing in second spot the “B” team between 1982 and 1984 climbed gradually from 9th to 5th to 3rd; a fine, determined effort not eclipsed until the 1988 season’s league-winning performance.

Accompanying Riversdale’s newly-found legitimate status in the league was an increase in social activity. Whereas 1981’s presentation function was held in the back garden and lounge room of a part-time supporter and catering supplier Tony Russ, the 1982 presentation function was held in the Auburn Bowling Club, to that stage the most upmarket location and formal function held by the Club. Frog Hollow’s facilities prior to the building of the community room in July 1985 consisted of one small green tin shed, situated at the top left hand corner of the park, with little room (certainly not enough for 2 teams to change) and a sewerage and plumbing system prone to leakage. This lack of clubroom facility made the planning and holding of social functions dependant on the hospitality of players or supporters prepared enough to open their home. This led over the years to pre-season barbecues being held in back gardens and mid-season fundraising nights often being held in supporter Laurie Chapman’s home in Surrey Hills. The facilities available to Riversdale now are in sharp contrast to those of that era.

When Steven Jencik finally stood down from the coaching position at the end of 1982 after three consecutive seasons of service, the committee set about looking for a replacement. After advertising in the local press and “Soccer News” (and after a false start whereby the club nearly appointed an applicant whose background on investigation pointed to some financial irregularities at his former club), Ron Glenn the Treasurer and Gregor McCaskie arranged to interview Jack Fleming who, for want of a better location, was instructed to meet them at the Riversdale Hotel Club Bar and ask the barmaid for “Big Ronnie”. Fleming, a local resident, golf enthusiast and ex-player in his youth at Glasgow Celtic was appointed and held the position for two seasons. He had inherited a confident, well-performing group of players and over the next two seasons Riversdale “A” would drop only six games out of 36 played.

By finishing Runners up in 1983 Riversdale was promoted from Division 3 East to Division 2. During this time games were still played on Sunday mornings as they had been since the Kennon days and with A & B squads divided and playing at different locations, Fleming would find it impossible, as any coach would, to see how all his charges performed. He did however manage to preside over the Riversdale side with the best cup run to date. In Fleming’s second season, Riversdale “A” began their cup campaign with a first round bye and continued with three draws at home before meeting eventual Division 1 champions Leeco Holdings at a neutral ground in the semi final on September 2nd. On a huge park, against a more experienced ball-playing side Riversdale went down to Leeco Holdings 2 – 0.

When Jack Fleming bowed out on a high note, taking the Club to successive promotions and a semi-final berth in the Black Douglas Cup, his replacement was not going to be easy to find. As was usual the 1985 committee advertised widely for players pre-season and also for a coach. As a telephone contact for enquiries Gregor McCaskie received a call from a Miron Blieberg and not wanting to play favourites, duly requested he meet Gregor and Treasurer Ron Glenn at the Club Bar of the Riversdale Hotel. Blieberg arrived on time with his wife and the negotations began. It appeared that he had quite some experience in the game and performed some training function with the Israeli army in the not-so-distant past. If he was surprised to be interviewed in a suburban hotel bar he did not show it. Prior to this no Riversdale coach had ever been paid for his services, this year was to be the first. As discussion turned to money we could see that there was some problem. Finally, mentioning he had other offers to consider, Blieberg left and promised to keep in touch. He did so, to inform us of an appointment in the National League and to thank us for our time. Miron Blieberg went on to coach in both National and State Leagues.

With the 1985 season less than a month away the club received a call from Michael Bevis and he was invited to attend and observe a practice match against RAAF Frognall. Having watched the game and gone through some preliminary discussions, Bevis happily accepted the post as the ‘Dales new coach.

The Riversdale Firsts and Reserves, now playing in a tougher league than ever, finished the season in 7th and 8th spots respectively.

In a previous season Riversdale had Robert Lewicki from amongst its ranks chosen to respresent the I. & A.S.L.V. against other leagues in a “round robin” competition played every year over the Queen’s Birthday weekend. In 1984 Riversdale recruited Adrian Harvey some few weeks into the season. Youthful, small and finely-built Harvey looked a good few years younger than his 22 years. To opposition players he may have resembled a promising junior promoted to the senior ranks. On the field however, Adrian Harvey gave the Riversdale side some of its finest moments. It seems ridiculous in hindsight that he should have played his first 3 games in the “B” team before satisfying the coach of his merit as an “A” team player, but that is what he did uncomplainingly before making his mark both that year and the following. In 1985 Adrian Harvey likewise was chosen to represent the  I. & A.S.L.V. in the round-robin carnival. Moreover, he won Riversdale’s Best and Fairest and Top Goalscorer award that year and to top it all off remarkably won the I. & A.S.L.V. player of the year from nine leagues and 90 teams. He is still regarded by many as the best player to have pulled on a Riversdale shirt.

Fundraising has always been a major concern to most amateur sporting club administrations and Riversdale to this extent is no different. A variety of methods have been employed to meet this need and it was some years before the combination of enjoyable social function for players, members and supporters had been successfully married to financially profitable ones. 1985 saw the Club host a wine tasting night, a disco night, and a gambling night and in following years the annual and very popular Trivial Pursuit function and Cocktail night became regular events on the social calendar. The challenge always remains to continue to provide an atmosphere where all people connected to the Club can feel comfortable, mix and enjoy themselves.

By mid-season 1985, plans had been set in train to have Riversdale Soccer Club registered as a legally incorporated entity.  The motive was wise and promoted successfully by ex-committeeman and long term Club servant Tom Rowe. The legal work was attended to by local Solicitor, Barry Kenna and a new constitution drafted. Riversdale Soccer Club (incorporated) came into effect on 18th December, 1985 thus limiting the Club’s legal liability. To many players this technicality may appear obscure and of little consequence to the day-to-day running of Club affairs. It does however protect individual members from legal liability in the event of the Club administration incurring any legal damages. To a Club hoping to be around into the next century it was seen as the only choice.

Just as Riversdale boasted a new identify and new home ground in 1980 and promotion in 1983-84, the changes that took place between incorporation in 1985 and 1988 were no less significant.

In 1985 the Club’s application to the Victorian Soccer Federation, requesting membership to the Provisional League was accepted for season 1986. For some time there had been growing disenchantment with competing on Sunday mornings, and although the “B” team was now playing at the same ground as the “A” team and had been since 1984, it was felt that a Saturday league administered by the V.S.F. as opposed to I. & A.S.L.V. was the way ahead.

1986 – 1988         PROVISIONAL LEAGUE

Beginning our first season in Provisional League Division 4 also meant removal from home ground Frog Hollow in order to facilitate a Council plan to improve the ground’s notoriously poor drainage. Mike Bevis was in his second year as coach and with a side that saw a fair few changes managed to see us finish an acceptable 10th and 9th respectively in a division with 14 sides. Photographs from that year suggest Riversdale Firsts fielded what was probably the tallest side in the league with the likes of Chris Clegg, Jon Wilkie, Paul Henderson, Steve Clarke and Gordon McCaskie. Just the same it isn’t hard to recall a day when the smallest man afield, an opponent from Kensington, took on the tallest man afield in Chris Clegg and scored 4 goals. Riversdale lost 6-2.

As Mike Bevis’s Reserve Team coach, Jimmy Lovie seemed to get the best out of his team and when Bevis decided to move on to continue his coaching with Karingal, Lovie was the popular choice for season ’87. 

For whatever reasons and many have been discussed, Riversdale Firsts finished the season with only three wins, leaving the team last, the lowest it had been in ten seasons. The Seconds under the coaching of Peter Jencik completed the year a creditable sixth. As the losing pattern became obvious it became more difficult to arrest the slide and despite trying a variety of players in a variety of positions the solution remained elusive.

Despite this disastrous turn of events, the A.G.M. of 1987 was attended by more members than ever before and the election of a committee took place amidst eager competition. Once elected, the new committee headed by President Gordon McCaskie approached the task at hand and turned season 1988 into both a footballing and financial success. 

With a reappraisal of priorities and a sound, well organised and disciplined approach, the Riversdale Soccer Club emerged from season 1988 a different team to the one that started it. Much of the credit for this must go to coach Dave Dixon. Although obviously disappointed at the First team’s failure to win the league or gain promotion he must be attributed in a large way with the turn-around in team fortunes over only one season. If any lesson can be learned it must be that despite the abject failure of the Club in one season, given the right attitude, analysis and effort, positive changes can be effected.

Off the field, it was this year’s committee who brought about some innovative changes amongst them the by-laws providing for life membership (3), automatic on ten years of playing service, five years of committee service, or other exemplary service, and the establishing of a players fund.   

We wouldnt be doing this history justice if we failed to congratulate all the players who contributed to Riversdale’s first major honours. After finishing as runners-up and being denied a  League Championship by slim margins a number of times, the Reserves in 1988 were historically our “First Team” as they took out the Club’s first official Championship.

In a project such as this it is always the case that not enough attention is paid to some of the Club’s finest characters and most selfless contributors through the years. Hopefully, photographs from seasons past will help to indicate who these people are.

In conclusion we trust that all this emphasis on the past will in no way diminish efforts to keep Riversdale on a successful course in the future. Part of our history has been told, and it remains for the Club to continue shaping a brighter more successful future in years ahead.

As a Club, Riversdale has always somehow seemed to attract a steady flow of conscientious, intelligent and committed people. Let us hope that this continues long into the future and that we continue to do the Club and each other justice.

Life membership has been bestowed upon the following individuals:
Ron Glenn (87) Steve Clarke (88), Guy Delon (88) and Gordon McCaskie (88).