Universal Love Lou Richards passes away (all tributes to the legend)

[liquidbilliam]

RIP Lou Richards. I was first introduced to Lou on The Sunday Footy Show during the Lou's Handballs segment, a segment which I always looked forward to. It was later on that I learned about the legend that Lou is, not only for Collingwood, but also for football. Rest easy, mate.

 

[PAFC04]

My thoughts go out to all Collingwood supporters and family members, RIP Lou Richards. A larikin and a true gentlemen.

 

[domax]

I have had the pleasure of listening to and watching Lou since the mid 60's.
A great entertainer & sportsman, as well as a great Collingwood icon in every way.
You were more than a legend and the legacy you have left will be remembered by all.
Vale LOU.

 

[cakewalk_1]

RIP Lou Richards.
You changed the way football was viewed. Your innovation and insight was trail blazing.
A Collingwood legend.

 

[Shuestar13]

A very sad day. A true legend of our game gone.

An icon. He was many things. One of them was an outstanding commentator!

As an "interstater" born in 1987, I missed all of Lou's commentary career. However, I love watching old clips from the VFL - 1970's, 1980's etc. And of the course the Grand Finals! The one thing that struck me was his ability to simply call the game. It would have been absolutely devastating for him calling all of those losing Collingwood Grand Finals. And yet, he commentated with the same passion, enthusiasm and clarity, even though his heart would have been breaking, he was the ultimate professional and that is something that you just do not see a lot of nowadays.

Never to be forgotten, he was truly one of a kind! Vale Lou

 

[Jafo]

Vale Lou. You will always were and always will be, Collingwood. I will also forgive you for the "Colliwobbles."

Be at peace and join your beloved Edna for the big dance at the G. Rest in peace Mr. Carringbush.

 

[raymond35]

One Sunday morning about 100 years ago, I was watching World of Sport and the Harlem Globetrotters were on. At the end of the segment Lou walks over and does a couple of tricks with the basketball and walks off stage doing his trade mark laugh. He was a natural in any situation, and if you watch a video of an old game ( I recently watched one from 1982 ) was a superb commentator.
Well done Lou. Brilliant job.

 

[Seagrave_Holmes]

RIP Lou, a real icon of game.

 

[donkeyballs]

Rest peacefully Legend

 

[RollsRhys]

Side by side with the great man after auskick in ~96. More than happy to take the pic, hugged me right in. RIP Legend

 

[Wosh]

The personification of a footy legend, loved him in every way..playing, commentating or media and especially World of Sport.

RIP Lou, a rich full life well lived and loved.

 

[Gibbsy]

This really saddened me, but I'm only getting emotional as I type. I mentioned in the thread on the main board that when you grow up and learn about the history of our great club and inevitably the league/game as a whole, Lou Richards is one of the first names to come to mind. I'm not old enough for his League Teams / World of Sport era but I fondly remember his handball segment every Sunday and how he loved whenever a Pie was competing. It wasn't until I read all these tributes on BF today that I realised how he transcended football – everyone from every club loved him. They loved him! He was the voice of football, and isn't it just so great that he's one of us.

I share a birthday with Lou. I always wanted to meet him and celebrate it together, alas. Every year when the 15th of March rolled around, Mum would always say to me "two great people were born today, and they both love Collingwood!" And didn't he just.

R.I.P. Louie.

 

[PonsfordMagpie]

Heartbreaking.

A little like with Muhammad Ali in that you knew it was coming but it doesn't make it any easier when you finally hear the news.

A great player, a better captain, premiership hero, all time greatest football caller (go listen to some of his old GF calls, he ate each and every modern caller for breakfast) and an icon of the game. Should have been afforded legend status 10 times over for the promotion, memorable moments and sheer entertainment he brought to the game.

I'm proud he played for Collingwood and I'm proud that I support a club that produced someone of dear old Louie's calibre.

Ali to Lou: "I get paid for being a fool. What's your reason?"

 

[Vicky Park]

One Sunday morning about 100 years ago, I was watching World of Sport and the Harlem Globetrotters were on. At the end of the segment Lou walks over and does a couple of tricks with the basketball and walks off stage doing his trade mark laugh. He was a natural in any situation, and if you watch a video of an old game ( I recently watched one from 1982 ) was a superb commentator.
Well done Lou. Brilliant job.

My husband remembers this too, was telling me about it last night. Said Lou's tricks were hilarious!

 

[Coathanger]

R.I.P. to a wonderful legend of the game and a TV great.
The laughs I had as a young fella watching him on TV,will never be forgotten.

 

[TW Sherrin]

a mates dad played a lot of vfl footy and started when Lou was playing. early on (may have been in his first few games) he played against Lou at Vic park. Lou sat him on his ass and said this is a mans game sonny. he was a tough little bugger as well as a comedian.

rip Lou.

 

[Vicky Park]

a mates dad played a lot of vfl footy and started when Lou was playing. early on (may have been in his first few games) he played against Lou at Vic park. Lou sat him on his ass and said this is a mans game sonny. he was a tough little bugger as well as a comedian.

rip Lou.

He was tough, and mouthy, and irritating to the opposition. Wish we still had him.

 

[CFC2010]

 

[Mkcaptain]

 

[12kilos]

R.I.P champion and legend!
The AFL and it's crap committees may not have made him a legend.
But his on thing that 99 percent of AFL hall of fame inductees will never be, and always wanted to be.
He is the people's champion! The people's legend!

 

[Meow]

When you read so many stories about how someone made people laugh/smile, you know they've left a lasting impression. Myself and countless others grew up with WOS and Lou's wit, where he certainly left this lasting impression. Always provided a chuckle and brightened the days of many. Condolences to Lou's family and Collingwood.

 

[Garlic muncher]

Some of Lous sayings are etched in my mind.

Jack Hill the blind miner could see that.

I will walk to the back of Bourke.

Probably old Collingwood sayings Lou picked up as a kid, Collingwoods population around the 1880,90's was filled up with people returning from the Victorian Gold fields seeking jobs in the industrial area that Collingwood was, his parents or neighbours parents etc were probably old goldfields people, there was quite a flow of people back to Melbourne from the Goldfields.

My Grandfather and his father were Collingwood born and bred, but my great great grandfather was not born in Australia and moved to Collingwood in the 1890's from around Bendigo where he went to earn his fortune.

There probably was a miner called Jack Hill and he probably was blind.

 

[hilly]

His media exploits surpassed his superb on-field achievements.

His enduring love of the game shone in everything he did.

We could be back here next week

 

[doodles98]

Lou you will always be dear to me.
You are one of the greatest AFL characters of all time as well as one of the greatest Collingwood people of all time. Your personality and kindness cut through the fact that you are a Collingwood man and made you a favorite among all supporters.
Yours was a wonderful life well lived and fondly remembered.

 

[76woodenspooners]

I'm too young ...

(I don't get to say that much anymore! )

... to have seen Lou play, but my formative years overlapped when he was at the peek of his journalistic powers.

It was funny back then, because the fact that he was a Collingwood man seemed to a young kid as significant a detail as we might observe today that Mark Robinson is an Essendon supporter, or Mike Sheehan is a Melbourne supporter or Caroline Wilson is a Richmond supporter ...

... and it was only when I got older that it started unwinding that he actually had been a player, and later that he hadn't been just any player but he'd been a captain ...

(that was an Era when Channel 9 had only employed Australian ex-Captains to commentate the cricket - Kerry gave us nothing but the best!)

... and then later it registered that he'd played 250 games. As a young kid, 250 games is a pretty abstract concept. And then lastly it dawned on me the preciousness of him having been a Premiership captain. Again, to a kid, the concept of a Premiership wasn't as grand as it seems to an adult. Collingwood had played in 5 Grand Finals (6 if you add the drawn one) by the time I was 12, and although we hadn't won any of them, they didn't seem that difficult to win. Back then they actually weren't - there were only twelve teams in the comp, and a bunch of them were rubbish so they didn't count, and there was no equalisation to make the rubbish teams any good.

All through that period Lou (mostly) kept his dignity. And when he lost it, he lost it doing something fun and silly like cleaning the Bourke Street mall with a toothbrush because he lost a bet

He epitomised the lovable larrikin.

Of course we didn't have footy forums back then, and now that we do, footy's journo's cop a fair whacking on them. Robbo this ... Caroline that ... Newman blah blah blah. If we had footy forums back in Lou's day, I just couldn't imagine anybody from that era would have posted an unkind word about him. No matter who they supported. He transcended and was loved and admired across the AFL in a way that very few folks, let alone Collingwood folks, would have ever done before or since.

It would not escape the notice of any avid Collingwood supporter of my generation or older, the symbolism and context of Lou's passing around the 125 year celebrations. The 125 year celebrations were what they were - the club commemorating a milestone with noble intent. The contrast with Lou's passing was stark. With Lou's passing the gravity has shifted at Collingwood.