Les Manning, reputedly Richmond’s oldest supporter, has passed away at the age of 104.

Manning, who had proudly supported Richmond for the best part of nine decades, died just a few weeks after the Tigers secured their 11th league football premiership – all of them won during his lifetime.

Earlier this year, Manning, a war hero, was a special guest of the Club in the lead-up to Richmond’s big Anzac Day Eve clash with Melbourne.

He was an Anzac, who fought in the Battle of Crete during World War 2.

In 1941, together will 2500 other young Australian soldiers, Manning arrived by ship in Crete just before the German invasion.

The ship subsequently was attacked and sunk by the Germans, however Manning survived, and with the remaining members of Victoria's 2/7th Battalion, he took part in the battle of 42nd Street in Suda Bay against the Germans.

Following a brave fight against overwhelming odds, the Allied forces were forced to surrender. Manning then spent three-and-a-half years as a prisoner of war in Germany, until his repatriation by the Americans.

Manning’s great passion for the Tigers started as a 15-year-old, when he moved to live in Richmond with his family.

He befriended several Richmond supporters and they took him along to Punt Road to watch the Tigers in action.

It wasn’t long before Manning was totally hooked on the Yellow and Black.

“We used to come and watch the games when they were playing here at Punt Road and see Jack Dyer, Tom O’Halloran, George Rudolph . . . all those old players,” he said during his visit to the Club back in April this year.

“Now I enjoy watching the young players today.

“I’m too old now to get along to the games, but I certainly enjoy watching them on the television.

“I think they’re a great team.”

Manning had no hesitation in naming his favourite current-day Tiger . . .

“Dusty (Dustin Martin), without a doubt. He’s a bloody champion,” Manning declared.

There’s no doubt Les Manning would have derived immense pleasure from watching Dusty play such a pivotal role in Richmond capturing its 11th league football premiership.