1896 Chronology

Position: Twelfth (equal last)
Won 3, Lost 15, Goals For 51, Goals Agst 131.
Captain: Dick Kelly
Vice Captain: James Parker
Leading Goal Kicker: Dick Kelly (12 - RFC records)
Revenue: 138pounds 2s. 8d. Debit Balance: 99pounds 19s. 4d.
Membership: 233

March
Mon. 30
At Richmond’s annual meeting Jimmy Eastman resigns as secretary and is replaced through the appointment of William Maybury and Dave Chessell as joint secretaries.

April
Tue. 7
Jimmy Parker and George Sparrow are seeking clearances to other clubs. Both would stay with Richmond.

Tue. 14
William Maybury resigns as a joint secretary of the Richmond Football Club.

May
Sat. 2
Canary yellow flags, that were donated by G. De Lany, are waved by the goal umpires at the RCG.
Richmond’s George “Sugar” Sparrow kicks the winning goal against St. Kilda just before time was called.

Tue. 5
Jimmy Parker’s resignation as vice captain is tendered but it is not accepted by the committee.

Sat. 9
Collingwood holds Richmond goalless for the match but Richmond do manage a behind in the last quarter.

Tue. 12
The Richmond Football Club is notified by the Richmond Cricket Club that its funds will not allow the employment of footballers.

Fri. 22
The VFA receives a letter from former Essendon and North Melbourne player Lenny “Giant” Webb, whose applications to play for Richmond were consistently denied, accusing a permit committee member of paying him to play when he was at Essendon.

Tue. 26
Dave Chessell resigns as the secretary of the Richmond Football Club and Jack Stewart accepts this position.

June
Tue. 9
Jimmy Parker and George Sparrow call the attention of the committee to, and deny “certain rumours” about them. The committee assures them that they have confidence of the committee in the integrity of their play.

Sat. 20
With rain teaming down and South Melbourne holding an unassailable lead, Richmond’s _Lewis and __Howard retire from the field 10 minutes before time is called. It is decided not to play Lewis again until he explains his action to the committee.

July
Sat. 4
Richmond’s half-time total of 3 - 3 is annulled when it is discovered Richmond had been fielding 21 men against Essendon on the RCG.

Sat. 11
Royal is injured on the asphalt bicycle track that rings the St. Kilda ground.

August
Sat. 1
Richmond’s half-time total of 1 - 4 is annulled when it is discovered Richmond had been fielding 21 men (again!!) against Port Melbourne on the RCG.
“Follower” for The Leader writes that moves are afoot to reduce the number of clubs in the premiership.

Sat. 8
With Richmond one man short at Geelong, Alf Hill and Jack Stewart toss to see who will play as the twentieth man. Alf won the toss and he will kick one goal, his first since September 27, 1890. He is the last of the 1885 team to represent Richmond.
Three cheers and a “tiger” are given to William Malone for his “kindness in keeping the lads in ‘good spirits’.”

Sat. 15
On the North Melbourne Recreation Reserve, North Melbourne kicks a record 19 - 12 against Richmond.
Billy Clarke plays on despite a fractured jaw which he received from a punch.

Tue. 18
The club grants Jimmy Parker a clearance to play under the South Australian FA.

September
Sat. 5
_ Lewis returns to the Richmond team. It is his first game since he walked off the ground against South Melbourne on June 20.
The RCG is in a terrible state and John Egan jokes that he fears some players may drown.
Richmond’s game against Williamstown is exceptionally rough and congested. It will be described as a “travesty of football” and as “Greco-Roman wrestling”.

Sat. 12
Charlie Over, a former Richmond player and now a member of the Melbourne Cricket Club’s bowling staff, is unexpectedly called up to play for Melbourne against Richmond. Despite Melbourne’s struggle to place a full team on the ground they still win.
Richmond’s gate against Melbourne is 9d.

Sat. 19
The Richmond City Reserve hosts its first VFA premiership game.
Richmond 5 - 5 defeats Carlton 2 - 6 to win its first game since May 2. Richmond had lost a club record fifteen successive games.

Sat. 26
Richmond wins its third game of the season and its second against St. Kilda.

October
Fri. 2
Six of the most powerful clubs, Collingwood, Essendon, Fitzroy, Geelong, South Melbourne and Melbourne, meet at Buxton’s Art Gallery and resolve to form a new competition, the Victorian Football League. Carlton and St. Kilda are to be invited to join.
Sat. 3
Collingwood defeats South Melbourne and claims its first premiership.