Address: Brunswick Street, North Fitzroy
Built: 1888
Record Crowd: 34,765 - 11/8/1923 (VFL: Fitzroy v Essendon)

W.T. Peterson Community Oval (named after a 21-year veteran of the Fitzroy City Council) is better known to generations of Fitzroy Football Club supporters as the Brunswick Street Oval . It served as the club's home ground in the VFA competition, and later the VFL competition from 1883 until 1966. The Oval hosted 612 VFL home and away games, and 4 finals.

During the 1980s, the University Reds played home matches on Sundays at the Melbourne University Oval. In 1991, opposition clubs made it known that they didn't fancy playing on Sundays. The Reds wanted to play at the University Oval on Saturdays but the ground was fully booked. Brother clubs, the Blues and the Blacks, shared the ground on Saturdays. As the Reds were a distant third in the pecking order of the Melbourne University Football Club. So to Brunswick Street Oval we came.

In recent years the ground has had a new playing surface laid. In 2008 the redevelopment of the change rooms, and a new and very welcome Social Club for our use during the footy season, were completed.

The playing ground is framed by the remaining original features of the oval: the visiting members gate structure at the corner Freeman and Brunswick Streets, and late nineteenth century grandstand, gates and ticket box on the opposite side of the oval. The main grandstand is on the Victorian Heritage Register.

At its' Board meeting on 8 December 2008 the Fitzroy Football Club directors unanimously agreed to a merger agreement with Fitzroy Reds Football Club Inc.

Pursuant to the agreement five Fitzroy FFC directors resigned. These were Colin Hobbs, John Pettinella, Robert Eales, Dean McVeigh and David McMahon.

These five wonderful people have given invaluable service to the club well beyond the call of duty. All were directors in 1996 at a time when the club was under intolerable pressure. The debt that the Club owes to them is immeasurable.

The Fitzroy FC Ltd. Directors appointed five committee members from Fitzroy Reds to fill the vacancies created by the departing Fitzroy Directors. They are Craig Little, Joan Eddy, John Lagzdins, Stephen Draffin and Avril McQueen.

I believe that these appointees will serve the club well .They have served Fitzroy Reds with distinction. We anticipate that the appointments will be endorsed by the FFC members at our next AGM .

I continue as Chairman of the Club and Elaine Findlay remains as Deputy Chairman.

Craig Little, former President of the Fitzroy Reds, has been appointed President of the Club with defined duties. The directors of FFC Ltd and Fitzroy Reds are very excited about the new venture. It means that 12 years after we lost our licence to compete in the AFL we will be once again fielding teams on a Saturday.

Although Fitzroy Reds are currently in D1 Division in the VAFA, over the last two years it has had the second largest player list in the competition. As a feeder club, Fitzroy Juniors, started only 15 years ago or thereabouts by Fitzroy supporters ,is now one of the largest and strongest clubs in the powerful Yarra Junior Football League, fielding 17 teams in the competition this year. FFC Ltd has sponsored the Fitzroy Reds and the Fitzroy Juniors for many years.

Hopefully it will be only a matter of time before we are competing in A Grade.

Key components of the merger include the following:-

1. The Club will be known as Fitzroy Football Club Ltd incorporating Fitzroy Reds. (for the purpose of this memo referred to as “the Club”).
2. The football teams under the management of the Club will be known as “Fitzroy”
3. The home ground of Fitzroy will be the Brunswick Street Oval.
4. Fitzroy will wear essentially the same jumper, shorts and socks as was worn by Fitzroy in 1996.
5. The Club theme song will be the same as was sung in 1996.

My heartfelt thanks go out to our continuing directors, Elaine Findlay, Tom Sergeant, Bill Atherton and Lou Soligo.

A special tribute should go to Elaine Findlay and Bill Atherton. Elaine has been my loyal deputy since about 1993 and a director since the mid eighties. She has stood up for Fitzroy against whatever has been thrown at the club for more than 20 years. This includes being sued personally in the Supreme Court over the Fitzroy Club Hotel by the Fitzroy Administrator.

Bill Atherton who has worked tirelessly and enthusiastically to keep the Club going and to help bring about this result. Without Bill’s efforts I doubt that the Club would still exist.

Dyson Hore Lacy

For any direct debit payments, please use the following details:

Bank: Bendigo Bank
BSB: 633-000
Account Number: 136425758
Account name: Fitzroy Football Club Ltd - Football Account

Please note your name in the description / reference area and contact Bill Atherton at bill@fitzroyfc.com.au