RIP Bruce Weber

[Portia]

From press release (no link)

The Port Adelaide Football Club is mourning the loss of former President Bruce Weber, who passed away suddenly early this morning in Jakarta.

Weber, 54, was President of the Port Adelaide Football Club from 1986 until 1992 inclusive. In that time the club won four premierships (1998-1990, 1992) and with Bruce as the driving force, made moves in 1990 to play in the AFL.

During his period as President, Weber was also instrumental in the return of John Cahill as coach (1988) and the appointment of Brian Cunningham as General Manager (1992).

Weber was born in the Port Adelaide area and remained committed to the region and the football club throughout his life.

Port Adelaide President Greg Boulton, who sat on the Board with Weber from 1988 and took over his role as President / Chairman in 1993, said that he would always be remembered for his pioneering ways and passion.

“Bruce was a passionate Port Adelaide man, who had business interests in the area. He always placed his football club and its people above anything else,” Boulton said.

“Without Bruce’s vision and leadership to enter the AFL in 1990 there might not be two clubs playing in the AFL from South Australia.

“Some elements of the South Australian community portrayed Bruce as a rogue but at Port Adelaide he will forever be revered for his energy, passion and commitment to our club playing in the national competition.

“The Port Adelaide Football Club extends its sincere condolences to Bruce’s wife Keke, daughters Jodie, Rachel and Stacey and stepson Juahir.”

The Port Adelaide players will wear black arm bands in Bruce’s honour on Sunday at AAMI Stadium.

 

[Count Zero]

This is sad news. Bruce Webber stood up in the face of the most hostile and vehement attack imaginable in 1990. He did it for the Port Adelaide footy club. Let's not forget the good times as well. He was at the reins of the club through a very successful period, and without that success we would not have even been thinking about AFL membership. Condolences to the Webber family.

 

[Andre]

A great loss to the club. And SA footy in general. Without him Port would still be in the SANFL and the SANFL would still be umming and aahhhing about whether joining the VFL is a good idea.

 

[crazy_big_al]

Very sad day. RIP Bruce

 

[relapse]

A great loss to the club. And SA footy in general. Without him Port would still be in the SANFL and the SANFL would still be umming and aahhhing about whether joining the VFL is a good idea.

So true

I felt for the guy cos he was unfairly made the scapegoat for what happened in 1990.

RIP Bruce

 

[Paralowiepower]

What a shock.

RIP Bruce Weber.

 

[Ford Fairlane]

I'm genuinely shocked to read that. RIP big bad Bruce.

 

[ClintEastwood]

Don't know much about Bruce the man, but I appreciate deeply what he did for us all those years ago. 54 is not old, what a tragic end. Condolences to those who were close to him.

 

[Pinepower]

Now is the time to have an award

The Bruce Weber Medal

RIP Bruce May God grant you life eternal

Thank you on behalf of all SA footy supporters

Go the Power

 

[Steve Dore]

Thanks Bruce

RIP

 

[dreamkillers]

Very sad news indeed.

Let's hope the club has the guts to officially and formally recognise the man responsible for turning the club around in the mid 80's when it was struggling into what it is today.

Whilst the Best and Fairest Medal is taken I'd like to see Bruce's name on something like the Best Team Man or Supporters Medal given Bruce always put the club first.

 

[birdmanptr]

This world would be in better shape if we had more men like him

sad day indeed

Just another reason why i am living for now let the future take care of it self.

 

[Mitch Power]

Condolences to the Webber family. Bruce Webber was a dynamic administrator and a Port Adelaide legend. This is a sad day and a great loss to the club. Its pleasing however to read Greg Boultons's statement and I hope PAFC back it up by honouring Bruce in some way. If it was not for Bruce Webber, Port Adelaide would not be in the AFL today.
RIP Bruce.

 

[blackdiamond]

It was only this morning when I was driving to work that thought came to my mind about how lucky we are as Port Adelaide supporters (it happens often but this morning is very fresh in my memory).

Bruce is one of many visionaries the Port Adelaide Football Club has had and due to people like this its why the Club stands where it is today. It doesn't sit on its hands, its a leader both on and off the field and makes progress where other Clubs fail.

Opposition supporters shouldn't be angry with the happenings of 1990, instead they should be questioning why their Club didn't have the same vision.

RIP Bruce, a state funeral beckons or at least in the heart of Port Adelaide.

 

[captain ebert]

fortunately he got to see the fruits of his efforts when the club took its first afl flag - what a feeling that would have been for him.

rip bruce.

 

[Macca19]

Someone that was willing to put his money where his mouth was and try and always get the best for our great club.

Will always be remembered and people will talk about him (both positive and negative) as being one of the men who changed football in this state forever.

RIP Bruce

 

[PortProudWA]

It was only this morning when I was driving to work that thought came to my mind about how lucky we are as Port Adelaide supporters (it happens often but this morning is very fresh in my memory).

Bruce is one of many visionaries the Port Adelaide Football Club has had and due to people like this its why the Club stands where it is today. It doesn't sit on its hands, its a leader both on and off the field and makes progress where other Clubs fail.

Opposition supporters shouldn't be angry with the happenings of 1990, instead they should be questioning why their Club didn't have the same vision.

RIP Bruce, a state funeral beckons or at least in the heart of Port Adelaide.

Perfectly said Scott!!! Its blokes like Big Bad Bruce along with Bucky that are and have made our club what it is today. To Bruce, everything come 2nd to Port Adelaide - Born and Breed Port man - whos club - our club meant everything to him.

Another one joins the club that we have in heaven.......RIP BBB!!!

 

[Toots Hibbert]

It was only this morning when I was driving to work that thought came to my mind about how lucky we are as Port Adelaide supporters (it happens often but this morning is very fresh in my memory).

Bruce is one of many visionaries the Port Adelaide Football Club has had and due to people like this its why the Club stands where it is today. It doesn't sit on its hands, its a leader both on and off the field and makes progress where other Clubs fail.

Opposition supporters shouldn't be angry with the happenings of 1990, instead they should be questioning why their Club didn't have the same vision.

RIP Bruce, a state funeral beckons or at least in the heart of Port Adelaide.

I can only echo this sentiment and that of the other people who have posted in this thread.

RIP Bruce Webber.

 

[thesouthernend]

A legend of the club, he needs to have a suitable memorial established by the club, why not call the newly renovated rooms at Football Park "The Bruce Weber Room ", it would honour the person who with others pushed SA into the AFL. RIP Bruce, thanks for all of the memories

 

[JuniorBurger]

54 years old is way too soon. Sad news indeed. RIP Bruce.

 

[Mr Magoo]

Condolences to his family. A port adelaide man through & through & he will be missed by those people that knew him.

 

[Powerstufff]

Heaps of very good posts here. I too never met the man but am deeply appreciative of what we did. He saw what he tried to start come to fruition in 2004, and perversely in 1997 and 1998. I think the idea of a Bruce Webber Medal is a great one.
RIP Bruce Webber.

 

[Santos L Helper]

As Scott said.....

A true visionary! RIP.

 

[Ford Fairlane]

How sad to see though that the bitter old vampires at SANFL headquarters had nothing to say ... not even in death, not even at Easter. Enjoy those hot cross buns and chocolate eggs old men ... and don't let the true meaning of Easter escape you ...

Port mourns loss
By MICHELANGELO RUCCI
14apr06

BRUCE Weber is either a hero or rogue. He is either the man who gave SA two teams in the AFL or the man who threatened to destroy football in Adelaide.

In life, Weber was the black-and-white of his beloved Port Adelaide Football Club which he sought to take from the SANFL to the AFL in 1990.

In death - brought on by a heart attack in Jakarta yesterday morning - opinions on 54-year-old Weber are very much black and white.

There is no middle ground.

At Alberton, Weber yesterday was remembered as a saint who became a martyr for his vision of putting SA on the national football map every week rather than once or twice a year with State-of-Origin football.

At West Lakes - home of the SANFL which took Weber to the Supreme Court to stop his 1990 ambitions and the Adelaide Football Club they created - Weber is still a sinner. Sadly, to the point that the SANFL yesterday could not even recognise his death with condolences to his family.

Weber's daughter, Jodie, yesterday recalled how her father walked away from football in 1992 "deeply, deeply cut to the core".

"He took a lot of hits," she said.

"Only his family knows of the hurt and despair he suffered. No-one will ever understand what he went through. But he never carried any grudges. He moved on."

It appears others, particularly at football headquarters, will never forgive Weber.

Weber, it will surprise many, did celebrate Adelaide's rise to the AFL premiership in 1997 - and certainly Port Adelaide's entry to the big league that year and flag in 2004.

"Dad's passion was Port Adelaide but he also wanted SA to be a force in Australian football - and he delighted in SA becoming a double force with the Crows and the Power," Jodie Weber said.

Opinions will always differ on Weber's vision in 1990. Those who felt the SANFL was procrastinating on SA's involvement in the national competition will admire Weber for forcing the issue. Others say Weber only hurt SA's cause by rushing the formation of the Crows.

Weber was ostracised from SA football. This was evidenced in the early 1990s when SANFL officials refused to stand alongside him at state games. He was forced to take his engineering business to Queensland. He lost his wife Carol to cancer. He avoided a return to sport even when Queensland rugby league clubs sought his expertise.

He left Alberton with Port Adelaide financially stronger, winning SANFL premierships with coach John Cahill and appointing Brian Cunningham as club chief executive to secure SA's second AFL licence.

Weber was to have returned from Jakarta this year with both the Power and Magpies seeking to usher him back to their fold. They will not forget him - and always fondly remember him. Others can't.

 

[Ford Fairlane]

Another tribute from the tiser, another snub from the SANFL acolytes - apparently not even St Bill of the crows could offer a word of condolence. Hey Bill, planning the destruction of any more SANFL teams - your lasting legacy to local footy?

Footy 'visionary' dies
By MICHELANGELO RUCCI
14apr06

BRUCE Weber, one of South Australia's most controversial off-field football figures, has died at the age of 54.

The former Port Adelaide club president suffered a heart attack in Jakarta, where he was working as an engineer, early yesterday.

There will be starkly contrasting memories of Weber, who split SA football in 1990 when he tried to have Port leave the SANFL to join the AFL. The fallout was the formation of the Adelaide Crows as SA's first AFL club.

Port's AFL and SANFL clubs yesterday paid glowing tributes of Weber, who was to return to SA in the winter for a construction project in Whyalla. The Power will honour the man who was club president from 1986-1992 during Sunday's AFL clash with Fremantle at AAMI Stadium by having its players wear black armbands.

The Port Magpies will wear black armbands next weekend when they resume play in the SANFL.

At the SANFL, which fought a bitter battle in the Supreme Court to stop Weber's national plan, there was no comment on his death yesterday.

Adelaide chairman Bill Sanders said it was difficult to comment because of the deep wounds Weber had left on SA football in 1990.

Port Adelaide president Greg Boulton yesterday noted he had "always placed his football club and its people above anything else."

Port legend John Cahill remembered him as "a very strong leader who was prepared to take risks".

Weber is survived by wife Keke, daughters, Jodie, Rachel and Stacy, and stepson Juahir.

A funeral will be held in Adelaide next week.