Glory to bask in Fremantle Oval ‘glory’

Article posted by Coliseum, September 15^th, 2021

Image: City of Fremantle

An agreement between the City of Fremantle Council and the Australian professional soccer club Perth Glory FC (Australia) could see the historic Fremantle Oval become Glory’s administrative headquarters and a training facility for Glory’s A-League, W-League and youth teams. Perth Glory would also seek to deliver women’s league games, a pre-season men’s game and a family open day.

The ‘Australasian Leisure Management’ stated that Fremantle Council’s Finance, Policy, Operations, and Legislation Committee has endorsed the terms of a licence agreement that could see Glory occupy the ground floor of the City of Fremantle’s current administrative building for three years with an option to extend for a further two years.

The Perth Glory Football Club is an Australian professional soccer club based in Perth, Western Australia. It competes in the country’s premier competition, the A-League, under licence from Australian Professional Leagues.

The 17,500-capacity Fremantle Oval, also known by naming rights sponsorship as Fremantle Community Bank Oval, is a stadium in the center of Fremantle, Western Australia, located on Parry Street.

The ‘Australasian Leisure Management’ further stated that the Fremantle Council has endorsed a $37 million Fremantle Oval Redevelopment Masterplan, which includes new clubrooms and grandstands, improved spectator facilities and lighting upgrades.

Fremantle Deputy Mayor Andrew Sullivan said Glory moving to Fremantle Oval would strengthen the case for the redevelopment of the historic ground noting, “The opportunity to bring Perth Glory to Fremantle Oval is an exciting prospect that would be beneficial for both the City and Glory. Our masterplan for the redevelopment of Fremantle Oval is to attract a compatible mix of sports, education, festive and community uses, as well as connect the under-utilized green spaces to both the hospital and the City Center.

Added Sullivan, “While West Australian Football League (WAFL) football will remain the core activity for the Oval, the addition of the Australian Football League (AFL) club Fremantle Dockers AFLW matches and Glory’s training and administrative headquarters would provide year-round sporting usage of one of the best Ovals in Perth.”

Perth Glory Chief Executive Tony Pignata said the club was delighted to be entering into an exciting partnership with the City of Fremantle – “The elite-level facilities at Fremantle Oval will be hugely beneficial for our A-League and W-League squads, and this move will therefore play a major role in reinforcing our drive to bring sustained success to the club. We are also excited by the opportunity to engage with what is a very vibrant and diverse local community.”

Added Pignata, “The City of Fremantle has been hugely supportive and proactive throughout our relocation process and we look forward to continuing to work closely with them in the coming years.”

Since 2018, the City of Fremantle’s administration has been temporarily based in the former Fremantle Dockers building at Fremantle Oval, but the City is due to move out in November when the new Walyalup Civic Centre is complete.

The City will now look to present a draft licence to the club for consideration. If terms are acceptable to the club, the City will then advertise the proposed licence under the requirements of the Local Government Act for a minimum of two weeks and invite submissions, before going back to the Council for final approval.

The Council also committed to finding a means to allow Perth Glory to access to training pitches elsewhere in Fremantle without compromising the capacity for the expansion of not-for-profit community sports.

The City will undertake an options analysis of suitable recreation space within Fremantle for Glory to use as a training or match pitch for the Council to consider concurrently with final approval for the licence at Fremantle Oval.

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