Rabbitohs Immortal Clive Churchill hailed as a driving force before the NRL grand final

WHEN Souths last won a premiership, rugby league was played by amateurs for fun. Even Immortal Clive Churchill had to drive a taxi.

Coach Clive Churchill (L) and captain John Sattler after Souths defeated Manly in 1970 first grade grand final at the SCG in Sydney, 09/1970. Pic News Limited.

THEY have it all these days in rugby league. Players are fully professional, use state-of-the-art training facilities, enjoy full-time coaches and earn fat pay packets.

It wasn’t always like that.

When Souths last won a premiership, rugby league was a humble game, played by amateurs, for fun. Even the greatest had to work day jobs.

Rabbitohs Immortal Clive Churchill had to drive a taxi to supplement his modest income when coaching South Sydney to the club’s last premiership in 1971.

It was RSL taxi number 290 and would be seen collecting passengers daily around Churchill’s busy football schedule.

Clive Churchill represents a different era of rugby league.

Churchill was only on a yearly coaching contract of about $1500 in 1971. To support his wife Joyce and son Rod, Clive drove cabs for 16 years along with two close mates, jockeys Bob Reed and Harold Light.

That’s just the way it was then. Back in those times you didn’t play rugby league to earn a living. You were involved because you loved the game — as Churchill did.

It is terribly sad Churchill, who died aged 58 in 1985, isn’t around to enjoy Souths’ first grand final since his Rabbitohs beat St George 16-10 in the 1971 decider.

Churchill’s counterpart today, Michael Maguire, no doubt earns a handsome package. As he should. “You didn’t play or coach rugby league back in those days to make money,” said Rod Churchill, Clive’s son.

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Former Rabbitohs star Ron Coote at his day job driving brewery trucks.

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“Dad was not a person driven by money.

“He used to say you should be paid in accordance to how many people you can bring through the gate. Dad brought a lot of people through the gates but he wasn’t making a lot of money.

“But we never missed out on anything. We didn’t have an extravagant lifestyle, we lived humbly. He would drive the taxi to supplement his income.”

Churchill would work hard, day and night, to provide for his family.

“We never had big holidays but we didn’t go without,” Rod said. “Dad was a good provider and a good father. He just had to do his best. Football back then couldn’t pay for your lifestyle.”

Many stars from that era worked around football. Rugby league was truly amateur.

“Ron Coote and Graeme Langlands used to drive brewery trucks for Tooth and co,” Rod said. “John O’Neill and Gary Stevens were builders. They would be on the building site by day and training by night. I would often see ‘Lurch’ (O’Neill) arrive at training in his work boots after a long day. They all had jobs.”

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In the early 1950s, Churchill was offered 10,000 pounds to play for British club Workington Town. The ARL rejected the move, fearing our best talent would be lost to England. So Churchill just had to plough on and support his family.

Nowadays, money rules, television all but runs the game, and players don’t work.

“I think it’s a good thing,” Rod said. “The old guys aren’t dirty what the players earn these days. The game is more professional and coaches can concentrate purely on coaching.”

Asked about South Sydney being just 80 minutes from their long-awaited fairytale, Rod said: “It is marvellous for the club, marvellous for the area, marvellous for the game.

“Mum and I are happy to accept the accolades but, the fact is, Dad missed out on so much. He would have loved this week. It was a tragedy he died at 58. He lived and breathed South Sydney.”

Originally published as Rabbitohs Immortal Clive Churchill hailed as a driving force before the NRL grand final