Managerial career Keith Johnson (cricket administrator)

1 managerial career

1.1 australian services
1.2 1948 tour
1.3 barnes libel case
1.4 aftermath

managerial career
australian services

during world war ii, johnson served in royal australian air force (raaf). enlisted in raaf on 13 april 1942 in sydney. johnson rose rank of flight lieutenant , deployed london, did public relations work @ raaf s overseas headquarters. in june 1945, appointed manager of australian services cricket team on tour of britain victory tests, india , australia mid-1945 early-1946. officially military unit, team s commanding officer squadron leader stan sismey of raaf, although on-field captain warrant officer lindsay hassett of second australian imperial force.

wisden cricketers almanack praised johnson s organisational work in arranging services tour: stranger country, found programme in skeleton form; , tour proved such success every point of view due hard work , courtesy. almanack reprinted johnson s message of english cricket community in full before team sailed india.

the victory tests started in may 1945 between australian services , england in celebration of allied victory in europe. in previous seasons, english cricket administrator , former captain pelham warner had organised matches between raaf , various english military teams expression of defiance against nazi air raids, , victory tests continuation of this, although matches 3 days long , did not have test status.

in first victory test, australian servicemen scraped home 6 wickets 2 balls , minutes spare. last pre-war series between england , australia in 1938 had been attritional , hard-nosed contest, in afterglow of war victory, cricketers played flamboyantly abandon in front of packed crowds. attractive, attacking style of play praised commentators , match raised £1,935 war relief charities. england levelled series winning second victory test @ bramall lane, sheffield hard-fought battle, 41 runs. australia won third victory test 4 wickets late on final day , drew fourth victory test @ lord s. have been end of series, because of record attendance of 93,000 @ lord s, match appended. england drew series winning fifth victory test in front of capacity crowd. victory tests regarded outstanding success, total attendance of 367,000 , bright , attacking play.

due unexpectedly strong success of victory tests, government of australia, acting on impetus of foreign minister h.v. doc evatt, ordered australian services delay demobilisation. team raising money war charities, government directed them travel home via india , ceylon play further matches, in order raise more funds red cross.

hassett (left) , sismey, captain , commanding officer of team respectively

johnson found himself in difficult situation during indian leg of tour. team—mostly made of raaf personnel—had been ill food poisoning , dysentery, , travelled across indian subcontinent long train journeys. airmen wanted travel air, , threatened abandon tour or replace hassett, aif member, either keith carmody or keith miller, raaf fighter pilots. however, standoff ended when sismey arranged raaf plane transport team. on playing arena, not happy tour johnson , men. lost three-match series against india 1–0 , recorded 1 victory, against south zone, in 9 matches.

johnson s team arrived in australia towards end of 1945, armed services , australian board of control ordered them play series against various australian states. johnson had sought fixtures team in australia, before evatt had added matches in subcontinent. implored administrators recognise players overworked, ignored. services performed poorly; after playing out consecutive draws against western australia , south australia, crushed innings both victoria , new south wales, before drawing against queensland , tasmania, smallest state in country.

johnson involved in administrative dispute during australian leg of campaign. cec pepper—whom teammates miller , dick whitington regarded 1 of best rounders in world , certainty australian test selection—appealed leg before wicket against australian captain don bradman in match against south australia. appeal turned down , pepper complained umpire jack scott, prompting bradman—who member of australian board of control , board of south australian cricket association—to ask scott whether pepper s behaviour acceptable. employee of saca, scott answered bradman, , lodged complaint pepper australian board of control. pepper never selected australia. cricket historian gideon haigh said johnson upset affair, , failure of [national] selection panel [bradman among them] ... send pepper, second miller cricketer in services xi, new zealand . johnson tried intercede on pepper s behalf, no avail, although other board members claimed no pressure had been placed on selectors exclude pepper.

the home leg of tour poor end long , taxing australian services campaign. military men played poorly in australia, national selectors concluded achievements against england must have been against weak opposition, , hassett , miller selected australian tour of new zealand. johnson helped arrange england s first post-war tour of australia, in 1946–47.

1948 tour

johnson late appointment manager 1948 tour of england, taking on new south wales colleague bill jeanes, secretary of australian board of control , had managed previous australian tour of england in 1938. jeanes had become increasingly unpopular among players because of approach haigh called increasingly officious , liverish .

led bradman—widely regarded greatest batsman in history—the australians went through 34 matches without defeat, earning sobriquet invincibles. won 25 of matches, 17 of these innings, , crushed england 4–0 in 5 tests, winning games heavily.

despite australians domination of local teams, english public showed unprecedented levels of interest in cricket. record gate takings registered @ venues, when rain affected matches, , record attendance test match in england broken twice, in second test @ lord s , fourth test @ headingley. 158,000 spectators watched proceedings @ headingley remain record test on english soil. result, australia made £82,671 tour, resulting in profit of £54,172. popularity of team meant inundated invitations social appointments government officials , members of royal family, , had juggle plethora of off-field engagements, 103 days of scheduled cricket in space of 144 days. result, johnson flooded phone calls , letters, had attend himself, administrator among touring party. bradman later said worried johnson s tireless work cause health problems because worked slave day , night , tribute bulldog determination see job through . journalist andy flanagan said johnson on ball every minute of waking day, , safe half night too.

johnson again praised wisden in report on 1948 tour. indebtedness smooth running of tour , general harmony of team due largely manager, mr keith johnson, hard-working , genial, said. paying tribute loyalty of players, mr johnson said there had not been discordant note in party throughout tour. flanagan labelled johnson conscientious, reserved, dignified, extraordinarily industrious , scrupulously trustworthy . went on no organization, no body corporate, no individual ever hope have more loyal, more devoted, or more conscientious officer...although world in general praise , glory unequalled triumph tour proved goes sir donald bradman, travelled team ever have proper conception of part played in triumph keith johnson. bradman said johnson created friends , goodwill everywhere both himself , team, , no side have wished better manager . on journey australia, players presented johnson silver georgian salver, signatures engraved on memento.

in farewell message england quoted in wisden, johnson said lasting memory team s visit balmoral castle. johnson said felt going englishman s home , family heart . difficult believe being entertained royalty. personal wish in empire spend hour or king , queen. them tremendous amount of good.

barnes libel case


barnes @ age of 16

johnson s claim of tour harmony , player loyalty in 1948 thrown different light events less 4 years later. opening batsman sid barnes—a core member of 1948 team—was seeking return test cricket. barnes known being eccentric self-promoter. during 1948 tour, barnes organised multitude of business deals while not playing cricket, , avoided paying customs duties on enormous amount of goods acquired in britain disembarking @ melbourne instead of sydney.

barnes made himself unavailable first-class cricket, preferring pursue business interests instead, , ridiculed fee paid 1949–50 tour of south africa. wrote column sydney s daily telegraph, titled or lump , in lampooned administration of game.

however, in 1951–52, barnes made return cricket, , sought selection in national team play west indies during 1951–52 australian season. australia had been unable find reliable opener accompany barnes s former partner arthur morris. australia s batsmen struggled in first 2 tests, , before third test, barnes scored 107 against victoria, putting on 210 in partnership morris new south wales. sporting globe in melbourne had presciently predicted board object if selectors chose barnes.

barnes duly selected third test panel of three, chaired former captain bradman, choice vetoed australian board of control reasons outside of cricket . bradman 1 of 4 board members support barnes s selection, while 10 objected, including johnson.

the matches took place , barnes did not play. unable find out why had been excluded , resigned making appearance before board @ next meeting in september 1952 ask explanation.

in meantime, team not announced @ scheduled time due delay caused veto. journalists deduced story , barnes became cause célèbre many weeks, missing remaining tests. speculation abounded nature of supposed misdeeds. these included jumping turnstile @ ground when forgot player s pass, insulting royal family, theft team-mates, drunkenness, stealing car, parking car in else s space, or barnes had lampooned board in narration accompanying home movies made of 1948 tour. in later years, file of unknown authorship regarding barnes s behaviour deposited in nswca library. accused barnes of allowing young spectators enter playing arena field ball instead of doing himself, , of denigrating umpires cupping hands on eyes , showing dissent implying blind.

barnes continued score heavily, , during 1 match, crossed paths johnson, reportedly apologised him exclusion team. however, johnson advised barnes keep quiet , nothing , added come out of right, certainty 1953 trip [to england] .

on 24 april 1952, letter appeared in sydney s daily mirror jacob raith, baker stanmore in sydney, in response letter barnes s friend stacy atkin, condemned board vetoing barnes s selection. raith s letter said board must have had reason exclude barnes.

the board impartial body of cricket administrators made of men have given outstanding service game. must abundantly clear not have excluded mr barnes australian xi capriciously , matter of sufficiently serious nature. in declining meet request publish reasons, board may acting kindly towards him.

the board of control had granted power exclude player national team on grounds other cricket ability following poor behaviour of members of 1912 team toured england. instead, barnes sued raith libel , engaged top sydney lawyer, jack shand—described haigh foremost trial lawyer of day — represent him, aim of uncovering reasons exclusion. bradman felt raith s letter premeditated set-up give barnes pretext instigate trial. libel trial, held in august 1952, sensation, , johnson, still member of board, central figure. according haigh, board, not raith, in dock .

it emerged during trial raith had no particular knowledge of workings of board. series of administrators came forward barnes had reportedly misbehaved on 1948 tour, though johnson s official report manager had made no mention of disharmony. aubrey oxlade, chairman of board , 1 of 4 board members voted ratify barnes s selection, said batsman s indiscretions childish things , not serious @ . later, frank cush, board member had supported barnes s inclusion, replied none @ when asked if there legitimate reasons excluding barnes. selector chappie dwyer said have high opinion of him cricketer ... , have no objection him man .

johnson called witness, and, under questioning shand, different story came out. johnson agreed written report of 1948 tour had said team had behaved in manner befitting worthy representatives of australia , on , off field conduct exemplary . however, in verbal report, johnson said had drawn board s attention various misdemeanours barnes that, in opinion, sufficiently serious warrant player s exclusion future australian test sides. johnson said barnes had shown general reluctance savouring of authority . misdeeds included taking pictures australian team presented royal family on playing arena during test match @ lord s, asking permission travel alone in england (barnes family living in scotland @ time), , abducting twelfth man ernie toshack play tennis during match @ northampton on court 300 yards pavilion . under cross-examination, johnson said barnes s taking pictures of royal family @ lord s serious of these misdemeanours. admitted had not known barnes had received permission mcc , royal family s protocol chief take photos. shand established barnes had shown films raise money various charities. further showed barnes had not agitated when reminded of policy against players meeting family members on tour. however, johnson believed cumulative effect of misdeeds warranted omission team , saw no problem in fact verbal advice board recommending barnes exclusion @ odds written report on 1948 tour. under pressure shand, johnson admitted don t write think . according haigh, shand effortlessly twisted him [johnson] inside out .

shand: admit 1 of 2 things: either report board or statement that state of mind, thought conduct serious left out of team—one or other deliberate lie?
johnson: no.
shand: think saying. 1 or other deliberate , wicked lie.
johnson: no.
shand: how have thought had behaved in manner befitting worthy representatives of australia , on , off field conduct exemplary if thought conduct serious warrant omission team? how reconcile two?
johnson: after lot of thought.
shand: not asking lot of thought.
johnson: have report on team whole, , opinion.
shand: admit applies every 1 of them.
johnson: yes.
shand: , yet 1 of them guilty of conduct serious in opinion warrant omission ... these reports circulated.
johnson: yes.

...

shand: , misleading report?
johnson: yes.
shand: still claim responsible person?
johnson: yes.
shand: consider reasonable mislead various state associations?
johnson: in case that, yes.
shand: depending on circumstances have no misgivings misleading people?
johnson: not mislead people.
shand: did, didn t you—the state bodies, barnes?
johnson: yes.

shand had reduced johnson tears, having caused senior police officer cry during hearing of royal commission year before. colleague of shand s recalled capacity of insinuation in tone annoy , bring witness antagonism . shand asked johnson hypothetical case of barnes being selected in future. johnson evaded matter of whether select player until shand asked him assume barnes in best possible form , best cricketer in australia , johnson replied not.

on trial s second day, after barnes had taken witness stand, raith s counsel withdrew client s defence. had been task, said, prove plea allegation in raith s letter true, , barnes had not been excluded capriciously. counsel remarked seldom in history of libel actions has such plea failed , utterly. case ended @ point; barnes vindicated, , raith s counsel issued him public apology. according fellow administrator alan barnes, johnson wide-open type of bloke vulnerable manoeuvring. colleagues advised johnson hire lawyer before case started, refused, saying libel case merely sporting matter, not legal one.

aftermath

after libel trial, johnson resigned board on 9 february 1953, , played no further part in cricket administration in australia. resigned nswca , withdrew candidature manager s position 1953 tour of england. philip derriman wrote in history of nswca johnson may said have been victim of affair no less barnes . johnson wrote australian board of control, ostensibly tendering resignation on grounds of difficulties in travelling meetings, , thanking other members courtesy, cooperation , . not mentioned again in board minutes again until death noted 2 decades later.

johnson retained support of many of players: 6 victorian members of 1948 team, including lindsay hassett, ian johnson , neil harvey, wrote herald newspaper in melbourne expressing confidence, respect , affection tour manager. derriman described johnson considerate, patient, inoffensive man whom nothing trouble. cricket official, efficient , dedicated. johnson appointed member of order of british empire services cricket in 1964 queen s birthday honours, , died in 1972 after collapsing when rising make speech @ charity lunch in sydney.