- Dec 5, 2017
- 2,108
- 4,981
- AFL Club
- Richmond
Bill Stephen, former great Fitzroy player, captain, & coach, passed away 24.8.20, aged 92. R.I.P.
As this Thread is mainly about Queensland AF, & as many Brisbane etc. fans may not know the history of their magnificent Club song, I am including this here.
Its author, Bill Stephen (whom everyone called "a great gentleman") selected the French tune, & wrote many/most of the lyrics, for the Fitzroy song.
Its creation happened on a Club 3 day train trip to Perth with the Fitzroy team in 1952- "We must have sung it 4000 times". The train had a piano in the Dining Carriage.
Some expert VFL/AFL commentators have said the original Fitzroy tune & lyrics - with the constant drum beat (sadly, omitted from the Brisbane FC version), & slightly more up-tempo- is the best of all the former & current VFL/AFL songs.
At the Junction Oval home ground then, wins were cherished. Fitzroy was an "unfashionable" battling, mainly working class Club.
Much of the Fitzroy crowd, standing in front of the Stands & sitting in them, in the 70's & 80's, after a noted win, would sometimes sing loudly, en masse, the whole song at the end of the game (often in unison with the recorded song on the loudspeakers).
It seemed the old, part wooden stands were shaking! Very moving!
This verse was particularly belted out very loudly by the crowd "The Club we hold so dear"; also the "Fitzroy Fitzroy" part.
Fitzroy was a real football Club.
More details on the history of this legendary song.
Bill Stephen, Fitzroy FC
www.footyalmanac.com.au
EDIT:
This original Fitzroy song is still played over the loudspeakers at the start (& end of winning) Fitzroy FC VAFA snr matches, at the Brunswick St Oval, Fitzroy.
At some Fitzroy Junior FC (also one of Melbourne's biggest JFC's, c.900+ players, including Auskick) matches, persons from the crowd sometimes play the tune with trumpets, during & after the match.
Bill Stephen was interviewed recently on SEN. He spoke of how the song came to be. Link to the interview is in the article below