Vic Park saved .........

[tess]

VICTORIA Park, the spiritual home of the Collingwood Football Club, has been saved from demolition after intervention by Heritage Victoria.

Victoria Park Heritage Committee members Lesley Benham and Shane Barrie fought Yarra Council for more than five years over the ground's redevelopment.

Ms Benham said the decision to save several stands and historic features was a victory for all Pies fans.

"When I heard the news, I wanted to run down there and hug her (the ground). We have fought for this for years," Ms Benham said.

Victoria Park has been at the centre of a bitter tug-of-war between the council and passionate Magpie fans since Collingwood last played there in 1999.

Council's "master plan" for the stadium initially involved the demolition of most of the existing facilities to make way for an open-air park.

Heritage Victoria yesterday issued council a permit to redevelop the football ground.

But under the permit, the Sherrin, Ryder and Bob Rose stands will stay.

The time clock and scoreboard on One Eyed Hill are also protected, as are the lower terraces of the Rush Stand. The concrete walls flanking the Turner St-Lulie St entrance are also here to stay.

Collingwood has already expressed interest in using Victoria Park as a home base for its VFL side next season.

Collingwood chief executive Gary Pert also welcomed the decision.

Mr Pert, who played for Collingwood at the ground in the 1990s, said a move back to Victoria Park was far from a done deal, but it would be a positive move for the club if it eventuated.

Three VFL matches have been scheduled at the ground next season.

Heritage Victoria executive director Ray Tonkin said that the best outcome for the ground was to ensure it continued to be used and cared for in the future.

Awesome news and great that the Club got involved with a $1 million dollar maintenance deal.

 

[Porkaspies09]

great news , what is the capacity of victoria park

 

[JeffDunne]

Ms Benham said the decision to save several stands and historic features was a victory for all Pies fans

Actually it's a victory for all serious football fans.

Great news.

 

[tess]

JD coming from a saints man that means a lot, thanks.

We have asked the VFL to and they have scheduled VFL games at VP next season, just up to the Yarra Council now.

The capacity is probably less than 10,000 these days.

 

[handy point]

Glorious news.

 

[jonesy86]

Great job by all involved

 

[pied_piper]

great to know i'll be able to take my kids down there especially if the vfl homebase goes through. but will this effect the oval being built over the athletic track at olympic park surely the vic park arrangement would only be temp til thats finished though i hope not

 

[Smoky]

Absolutely fantastic news. Depending on whether they have to knock down the Ryder stand the capacity would be the same as it was back in the day which was around 28k... 33k if they let everyone sit n the fences, roofs and scoreboard like they did back in the day!

 

[The Royal Sampler]

Great news that, very pleased, well done to all concerned.

 

[thatday]

Fan****ingtastic.

Being younger than most of you and living most of my life in Adelaide i'm sad to say I have only been to Vic Park on two occassions. Final training in 02 and 03. We play VFL games there in 2009 and i'll be at most games.

 

[esaint66]

Great news, saw my first game there and as the game goes national we can't lose any of the games history.

 

[Rohan25]

I went and saw a couple of games there just as it was winding down. I'm very grateful that I did. I also look forward to attending VFL games there again next year.

 

[Bloben]

This has made my day. I would love to play VFL games there.

I wonder if this will change the plans for Olympic Park redevelopments though.

 

[tess]

Told mum about this today and she told me about her memories. She told me about standing in the outer and being surrounded by people who although she didn't know them she considered them friends as they were the same people she stood with every other week watching the team at home.

I think I'll be taking her to a game at Vic Park next year, or at least I hope I can.

 

[bucksisbest]

This has made my day. I would love to play VFL games there.

I wonder if this will change the plans for Olympic Park redevelopments though.

Nope.

 

[eza888]

Herald Sun: "VICTORIA Park... has been saved from demolition after intervention by Heritage Victoria."

The Age: "Victoria Park is set to become a public park after Heritage Victoria yesterday paved the way for a Yarra City Council master plan"

Two very different reports in yesterday's papers.

From what I can tell, Heritage Victoria have agreed to everything in the council's latest permit application (which included keeping some of the stands etc). The Herald Sun's headline of "saved from demolition after intervention by Heritage Victoria" doesn't seem to be an accurate reflection of what has happened. Does anyone have any details of what Heritage Victoria actually decided?

 

[beez]

Great to hear. Will be nothing better than to hear 'Good old Collingwood Forever' ringing around Vic Park once again.

 

[tess]

After reading someone on Nicks suggesting we look at playing a fan game on Vic Park I called the Council and they are quite warm to the idea. The ground has just been returfed so it can't be till next year sometime but as long as we fit in with whatever dates are handed us it should be a goer.

 

[Capital Pie]

is this a big footy only game?

 

[tess]

Well plans are scetchy atm but we have a Cup called the Daicos Cup that Peter knows about and he is keen to be at the next game. It's normally Nicks getting thrashed by another pies forum but I'm thinking maybe a combined effort might be the way to go this time. I am waiting to hear back from the Nicksters. But it's all conjecture atm.

http://magpies.net/nick/bb/viewtopic.php?t=47506

 

[Optimax]

I would be there, give my knees a test out

 

[Capital Pie]

it looks like quite an event they have planned at nick's. it also looks like it's for nick's posters only.

 

[Optimax]

it looks like quite an event they have planned at nick's. it also looks like it's for nick's posters only.

It is but its not like we cant try and organise a BF one plenty of us are fro melbourne metro

 

[Pie eyed]

Off the topic but back on the op.
With the Federal Government looking to use tax payers money to undertake infrastructure projects to stimulate the economy and mitigate the effects of the pending downturn Vic Park looks like a bloody great opportunity for a Community Based Sporting facility and of course training and playing ground for the VFL Magpies.......

Who is the Minister for Sport and Infrastructure again?

 

[tess]

Here's some pics of the actual Daicos Cup.