Ernesto Schiro, who has passed away in Hobart aged 93, was one of Hobart Juventus’s most successful presidents since the club’s foundation in 1956.
The club merged with Clarence United at the end of the 2019 season.
“Ernie’, as he was affectionately known in the football community, was born in Barile, Potenza, Italy, in 1929.
He arrived in Australia from Italy in 1955.
He became president of Hobart Juventus in May 1978, a position he held for eight years.
Juventus had been denied entry to the inaugural State League in 1978 and Schiro’s goal as the new president was to have them back in the top flight.
Croatia Glenorchy strongly supported the inclusion of Juventus, but their official entreaties fell on deal ears at Tasmanian Soccer Federation headquarters.
Interestingly, Northern Juventus from Launceston had also initially been excluded but the Tasmania Soccer Federation changed their minds at the last moment and included the ‘sister Italian club’ from Launceston.
The excuse for the exclusion of Hobart Juventus was their lack of a home ground.
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Schiro was determined and ultimately successful in his endeavour to get Juventus into the State League and make it a dominant power in Tasmania football.
The club had won its first Southern and State titles in 1969.
While Ernie was president, the club won 18 trophies, including a State Championship.
One of Schiro’s strategies was to recruit top quality overseas and interstate imports.
The club acquired some excellent imports during Schiro’s tenure as part of his plan to make Juventus the best team in Tasmania.
The imports came from England, Fiji and interstate.
John Monday and two fellow Fijians came from Canberra and were sensational and Hobart Juventus won promotion to the 1980 State League with John Grimsey, a former State coach, as the club’s supremo.
Schiro brought in former Middlesbrough player Peter Brine and former Manchester United player Eric Young, as well top striker Bruce Ward from the UK, and the combative Jimmy O’Donnell, an Irishman.
John Charlton, son of England World Cup winner, Jack Charlton, was another, and so was mercurial winger John Broadhouse.
Ken Morton was the player-coach come the mid-80s and Hobart Juventus, under the guidance of president Schiro, was a power to be reckoned with.
They also had talented youngsters such as Luciano Fabrizio, Angelo Ambrosino and Dominic Fraraccio.
Local products included Nick Di Martino, John Genovesi, Robbie Kent, Nick Lapolla, Frank Perri, Leon Darko, Sergio Pace, Bruce Pears, Alistair Cochrane, David Nicholls, Stephen Brown, Darren Bacon and A Di Tomasso.
I recall fondly the bus trips to George Town for State championships.
Ernie would always invite me, together with my photographer at the time, Ralph Dymond, on these trips.
The bus would stop on the way and the Italian wives of the travelling supporters would put on a feast of Italian food for the travelling fans and players.
These were the days before the mobile phone and computers, so I would wander the streets of George Town after the game looking for a phone booth to phone my report through to the paper.
Ernesto leaves his wife, Teresa, daughters Rosa and Maria and sons Don and Rocky.
Don and Rocky played for Juventus and Rocky is a current board member of the Clarence Zebras club.
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