Noel Blackburn

Carlton Football Club Treasurer 1974 - 1975 and 1977 - 1980.

Noel Ascot Blackburn was employed as an auditor at the International Harvester Corporation in the early 1960s when he first became involved with the Carlton Football Club. Future Carlton Secretary Alan Cowie was a friend and work colleague at the time, and through Cowie, Blackburn became a staunch supporter of the Blues.

In June 1974, during the reign of George Harris as President, Blackburn took over the post of Club Treasurer from John Perriman, and served two terms - in 1974-75, and from 1977 to 1980. A diligent worker who never had to be asked to roll his sleeves up, Noel was always busy during his years at Carlton, doing everything from manning ticket booths to negotiating player contracts. Among his proudest achievements was helping to assemble the 1979 Premiership team, as well as his role in securing sponsorship from AVCO Financial Services Ltd. for what was then the largest sum ever afforded a VFL club - $135,000 over three years.

Blackburn also served as a Director of the Carlton Social Club, and was a member of the planning committee for the construction of the old Hawthorn Stand (now the Richard Pratt Stand) at Princes Park.

Aged 84, he passed away at Portland on October 25, 2012.

Honorary former Carlton Treasurer dies

Noel Blackburn, the Club’s former Honorary Treasurer and Finance Committeeman through the mid-1970s and early 80s, has died at the age of 84.

By Tony De Bolfo

Oct 25, 2012, 3:34 pm

Noel Ascot Blackburn, the Carlton Football Club’s former Honorary Treasurer and Finance Committeeman through the mid-1970s and early 80s, died in Portland last Sunday at the age of 84.

Blackburn assumed duties as Treasurer from John Perriam (the former Carlton director who still serves the club’s finance department in a part-time capacity) in June 1974 during the reign of George Harris. He came in at a particularly trying time for the club’s administrators, given that the then secretary Bert Deacon - Carlton’s first Brownlow Medallist - had suddenly died whilst in office some five months previous.
 
Deacon was replaced by Allen Cowie (who himself died in office just two years later) and it was Cowie, according to Perriam, who encouraged Blackburn to join.
 
“Allen Cowie, Noel and myself all worked at International Harvester . . . that’s how we got to know eachother,” Perriam said.
 
“At International Harvester in those days there was an internal chief auditor who used to tour the states and Noel was junior auditor to the chief. He was a smart fellow and a good bloke.
 
“Noel never really followed the football until Allen first joined Carlton in the early 1960s. When Allen got involved Noel became interested and in the end he joined Carlton.”
 
Blackburn was a Carlton devotee who leant the club countless hours negotiating contracts with some of the club’s true greats of the game including Alex Jesaulenko no less.
 
At the other extreme, he manned ticketing booths at the club, selling finals admission passes to supporters who had faithfully queued at the ground for hours.
 
Notwithstanding the on-field achievements which punctuated his time in administration, Blackburn lent his energies as a director of the Carlton Football Club Social Club with the likes of Perc Bentley, Laurie Kerr and Ian Rice. He was also party to the planning for the construction of the old Hawthorn Stand (now the Richard Pratt Stand) at Visy Park.
 
He was also there when the club successfully negotiated an unprecedented naming rights sponsorship with the American-based AVCO Financial Services Ltd. for what was then the largest sum ever afforded a VFL club - $135,000 over three years.
 
Blackburn is survived by his wife Bonnie of 59 years, daughters Robyn, Debbie, Suzie and Karen and their partners, and seven grandchildren.
 
His funeral takes place this Saturday at Portland’s St Stephen’s Anglican Church, commencing at 11.00am, with a private cremation to follow.