Bob Clayton retires

[Big Phil]

Press release from the SANFL:

BOB CLAYTON OUT OF HOSPITAL BUT ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT

The Port Adelaide Magpies are pleased to announce Football Operations Manager Bob Clayton’s well publicised latest hospitalisation and stem cell transplant appears to have been successful and he is now home from hospital, though needing regular ongoing treatment and tests. However, in typical Port Adelaide and Clayton family fashion, Bob has put the Club’s present and future welfare ahead of his own, and just announced his retirement from his employment with the Club, from which his health and treatment has unfortunately kept him away from the job and its usual long hours for most of the last 5 months.



Club President John Firth praised Bob’s outstanding contribution to Port Adelaide and SA Football on and off the field from 1961 to this year, and at both SANFL and AFL levels, as well as in the country:



“Bob’s contribution to this Club and to Football has been absolutely enormous for the last 50 years. He will be sorely missed by us all, and by the thousands of football supporters, players and friends he has helped for so long. We all wish him and June and the family all the best of health and enjoyment of life in his well deserved retirement. We also look forward to gratefully accepting his typically generous offer of continued advice and assistance and generous sharing of his incredible experience and expertise, as and when his health and time permits, as the Club moves forward on and off the field without him on board. He will be very hard to adequately replace.”



For his part, Bob wishes to thank the Club for the enjoyment it has given him and his family for so long, and for the support of the Club, and especially the Board and the playing, coaching, training and office staff, and its many supporters from near and far during his recent years of serious illness and varied forms and periods of treatment:



“This has in many ways been a very difficult decision for me to make, but in the end I knew what was best both for this great Football Club and community, and for June and I and our family. My health dictates that I officially retire, but I sincerely hope I will be able to continue to assist and advise the Club as it continues its well deserved resurgence both on and off the field. I wish our new CEO and the new Football Operations Manager every success, and will make myself available to help them and the Club in any way I can.”

[aceman]

A job well done Bob, June will have you out in the garden in no time at all.

[Slots It Through]

Well done Bob. A fantastic Port Adelaide person, would do anything for anyone, and has served both Port Adelaide teams very well over a number of years.

[Dog_ger]

Well Done Bobby Clayton.

Number 10 from memory?

[on the rails]

Bob Clayton retiring from a position (Football Operations Managers) that the PAMFC President recently said was unique only to the NAFC when Greg Edwards took up his new role at NAFC. Maybe Mr Firth should see if he can get both his feet into his big mouth next time!

[topsywaldron]

A gutsy call to be point scoring about someone who's recovering from cancer I would have thought.

Football clubs are built around people like Bob Clayton, good luck to him with his health and in his retirement.

[Booney]

Well done to Bob and all the Clayton family.

Is this the spot to take another pot shot at the Magpies? Wouldn't have thought so.

[on the rails]

Well done to Bob and all the Clayton family.

Is this the spot to take another pot shot at the Magpies? Wouldn't have thought so.

What's the difference with you and a few others using any topic to have a crack at North?

[Booney]

I don't recall having too many crack's at North to be honest. They have enough problems of their own, I dont need to rub it in.

Anyway, back on topic.

[FOURTH ESTATE]

Never met the bloke but from all understanding one of the true gentlemen in the business and a fantastic role model as well on how to do business in the football world.

[Big Phil]

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/afl ... 5901540558