The following is a letter written by Jack Cooper, a Fitzroy player, from the trenches in France, which was sent to Bob King, Timekeeper of the Fitzroy Football Club on 12th June 1916.
Dear Bob,
Many thanks for your great letter written 2nd March, 1916, it was like breathing fresh air for a change. Letters sometimes take up to three months to get here, sometimes they get lost but it’s great when they finally arrive.
Glad to hear we might have a good year. I suppose it is hard to get any number of new players and losing so many old ones won’t help.
I enjoy reading about the “club” and all the players and also about the great committees who always try to do their job. From what you tell me there are still blokes there who are “talkers” and never do anything “real” for the Club, but that’s been for so many years, hasn’t it?
I see Mick Arrowsmith and Mick Green have said we finished with a bank balance of 12/9/7 ½ for 1915; that hasn’t changed either; we still seem short of funds? I am sending you a weeks’ pay 35/- for the Club fund and I have spoke to George “Yorky” Shaw and told him of this and he said I’ll send them a “quid” too, the lousy bastard. He is in the same battalion and we see each other often and talk about the wonderful days when we were home in that beaut little place – called Fitzroy. You really don’t know how important Fitzroy is until you leave it, and come what may I don’t think I will ever smile again until I see that maroon and blue flag flying in front of those 2 old grandstands.
Do hope the 35/ and the quid will help and until we meet again Bob, to you, Margaret and Lizzie, good health to all our friends at the Club, please give them all of my best regards.
Please keep writing, as your letters are a God Send. Pray for me as I’ll be praying for you and the Roys.
Your old friend
Jack Cooper
Jack Cooper was killed in action in 1917. He played 135 games between 1907-1915.
Yorky Shaw came home in 1919 and followed Fitzroy until he passed away in 1976.
