From all reports as good a footballer as he was, he was also a top bloke.
in The words of Bernie Quinlan
Retired champion goalkicker Bernie Quinlan met Flower on a 1978 playing tour of Ireland and maintained a very close friendship with him thereafter, which even extended to Flower accompanying him to Brownlow Medal counts late in his career as his nominal "date".
"It enhanced my life unbelievably," Quinlan said of their friendship.
"I don't think he had a bad bone in his body, Tulip. And if he didn't like someone there was a very good reason – they must have been a terrible person if Tulip didn't like them.
"He was my hero, not because of his football but because of the way he was as a person. He was a magnificent human being. He just embraced everybody, he had time for everybody."