Vale Cliff Biggs
Andrew Thomson
Sherwood Football Club sadly acknowledge the passing of Cliff Biggs, who passed away during September at 74 years of age after a battle with prostate cancer.
Cliff was the Sherwood Social Club President for eight years in two stints- 1992 to 1996 and from 1999 to 2001.
Cliff was also instrumental in Sherwood reforming under the banner of the Western Magpies in senior football in 1999.
Cliff moved from Melbourne to Brisbane due to health issues with one of his daughters and it was thought Brisbane’s warmer climate would be beneficial for her.
A fortuitous meeting with Sherwood doyen Kevin Kluver one day brought him into the Sherwood family.
Cliff left a job as a senior manager and accountant at the Dick Pratt Visy company in Melbourne and obviously Cliff was so good at his job that Pratt was so concerned about him joining another company that he gave Cliff a stipend for two years to make sure he didn’t join any rival firms while in Brisbane. So with a bit of time on his hands Cliff became the Sherwood Senior Team Manager in 1990. Kluver was coach and Don Lougheed Football Club President and both saw a quality person to help the club and convinced him to became the President of the Social Club. He had not even been on the committee before he stepped straight into the President’s role. It was an inspired choice as Cliff made the Social Club a success during his tenure.
Under his guidance the Social Club returned to profit and was able to pay off debt to the club’s guarantors in the vicinity of $500,000 which was a magnificent effort. As was often the case with the Social Club when he took over it was struggling but under his tenure was able turn the club around.
After his two years on Dick Pratt’s stipend had ended, Queensland just happened to allow poker machines and Cliff was appointed as Queensland General Manager of the Aristocrat Poker Machine company. He was so good at his job the company grew quickly to the point he did not have the time needed to be involved in the Social Club and resigned as President.
Later on he said he regretted leaving as he thought with one or two more years in charge of the Social Club he could have set it up for permanent success.
Cliff grew up in Melbourne in the Heidelberg district in the Olympic Village precinct which is pretty tough district.
He had involvement with three footy clubs in the district - Heidelberg, YCW and West Heidelberg. Some of his contemporaries and friends were Collingwood’s great goalkicker Peter McKenna as well legendary players who carved out successful careers in the country In Jack Clancy at Albury and Ron Best at Bendigo and he was a great mate of John Wise, who was a Collingwood rover and who went on to become Collingwood Past Players Association President.
His business acumen was recognised only early this year when he was inducted into the Gaming Industry Hall of Fame as only the second person to be so inducted after the owner of Aristocrat, Len Ainsworth.
Unfortunately Cliff and his loving wife of 49 years , Annette, did not quite reach their Golden Wedding Anniversary. Annette was a great support to him and he had four daughters in Rachael, Melanie, Donna and Jemma.
Cliffs connection to Sherwood remains strong with his daughter Melanie marrying Craig Nipperess who was Sherwood Senior Team Manager this year and was inducted as a Life Member himself three years ago. His legacy lives on with two grandsons in Jai (Under 9s) and Finn (Under 8s) playing footy at Sherwood.
The life of Cliff Biggs was celebrated on Friday, September 24 at Saint Joseph’s Catholic Church at Corinda afterwards fittingly back to the Sherwood Australian Football Social Club.
Vale Cliff Biggs