The Albury Football Netball Club farewelled its most loyal servant today.
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Keith "Chum" Ried passed away on September 13. He was 93.
"Chum" was Albury's oldest member after more than 70 years service.
It was therefore fitting his farewell was held on Albury Sportsground, where he had numerous roles, including groundsman and property steward.
Footy was his passion. Family was his great love.
"I think what he was most proud of was his six grandsons and, just recently, his two great granddaughters and the grandkids totally adored him," daughter Leanne said in her tribute.
"Chum" and his late wife Margaret would babysit as much as possible.
"When it was time for sport, he'd be there," eldest grandchild Simon said.
After finishing school, "Chum" had a number of jobs, before starting a 30-year stint with Albury's Farmers and Graziers Wool Store.
He won a best and fairest at South Albury before moving to Albury, where a knee injury ended his career.
In 1956, he was team manager when three-time Essendon premiership player Jack Jones led the Tigers to the premiership and a decade later when three-time Collingwood best and fairest Murray Weideman did likewise.
As the groundsman, he served with a handful of great mates, including Barney Cain.
"The scoreboard's been renowned for having wasp nests all over it, so they came up with an idea that if they rolled up newspaper and put a bit of petrol in it, they would burn the wasps nests," eldest son Ross said.
"Well, that was OK until all the wasps jumped out of the nests and it has, by correct account, two old blokes sprinting across the ground with the wasps chasing them. In their haste, they dropped the newspaper and as they turned around, the scoreboard was about to be burnt down."
It wasn't the only scheme they cooked up.
Like the time they decided to flatten the mud out with a two-tonne cricket roller. It got bogged. No probs, they'll get "Chum's" car to tow the roller out. It also got bogged.
"Chum" also loved a punt and was a part-owner of a horse which won three races in Melbourne.
When Margaret passed away in 2011, the family was worried dad would be lost.
"The one thing that amazed us most ... was that you could not stop him from talking," Leanne recalled.
"It was like when mum was alive, he couldn't get a word in and .. he was making up for lost time."
IN OTHER NEWS:
"Chum" is survived by children Ross, Dean, Leanne and their families.
And it was only fitting that the Tigers' theme song was played as much-loved life member "Chum" left the ground one last time.
