Christopher Francis Lethbridge (24 May 1890 – 25 March 1970) was an
Australian rules football
Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an oval field, often a modified cricket ground. Points are scored by k ...
er who played with
Fitzroy Fitzroy or FitzRoy may refer to:
People As a given name
*Several members of the Somerset family (Dukes of Beaufort) have this as a middle-name:
**FitzRoy Somerset, 1st Baron Raglan (1788–1855)
** Henry Charles FitzRoy Somerset, 8th Duke of Beau ...
in the
VFL.
Family
The son of Christopher Montague Lethbridge (1852-1906), and Alice Maud Lethbridge (-1922), née Emmerson, Christopher Francis Lethbridge was born in Brighton East on 24 May 1890. The family moved to
Wagga Wagga
Wagga Wagga (; informally called Wagga) is a major regional city in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. Straddling the Murrumbidgee River, with an urban population of more than 56,000 as of June 2018, Wagga Wagga is the state's la ...
in New South Wales very early in his life.
He married Bertha Lillian White (1893-1974) on 18 March 1916.
Football
Lethbridge was originally from New South Wales and played in defence for Fitzroy.
Granted a clearance from Y.M.C.A. Sydney on 23 May 1913, he made his debut, against South Melbourne, on 7 June 1913; and was a member of Fitzroy's premiership side that year.
In 1921 he took over the captaincy from
Percy Parratt and in 1922 he captained Fitzroy to another flag before retiring at the season's end, thus becoming one of the few players in league history to be a member of premiership sides in his first and last season.
Non-playing coach
Lethbridge returned to the Fitzroy in 1925 and — replacing
Vic Belcher
Victor George Belcher (24 August 1888 – 3 January 1977) was an Australian rules footballer, coach and umpire in the (then) Victorian Football League.
Early life and family
Belcher was born at Hall's Track (now known as Lebrina) north e ...
, who had gone to coach the
City Football Club in Launceston — served as its non-playing coach for the 1925 season.
::The announcement of his appointment caused genuine pleasure, for few players enjoy the popularity that Lethbridge does. It was in 1922 he led the Fitzroy team to the premiership, made his fearless play as a half-back made him famous wherever the Australian game was played. Lethbridge is a renowned footballer, and he has the reputation of being one of the toughest men the game has known. A fighter of great courage, it is a wonder his fearlessness has never cost him serious injury, but he generally emerged unscathed. (''The Sporting Globe'', 22 April 1925.)
Fitzroy Prepare: Lethbridge Coaching, ''The Sporting Globe'', (Wednesday, 22 April 1925), p.10.
/ref>
Footnotes
References
Fitzroy's Vice-Captain, ''The Herald'', (Saturday, 30 July 1921), p.5.
Popular Half-Back: Career of Chris Lethbridge, ''The Herald'', (Saturday, 30 July 1921), p.5.
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External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Lethbridge, Chris
1890 births
1970 deaths
Australian rules footballers from New South Wales
Australian Rules footballers: place kick exponents
Fitzroy Football Club players
Fitzroy Football Club premiership players
Fitzroy Football Club coaches
VFL/AFL premiership players
Sportspeople from Wagga Wagga