Collingwood At Victoria Park

For more than 100 years, this was the place Collingwood called home.

Victoria Park, in working class, semi-industrial, inner-suburban Melbourne, was where the club played its first ever game was back in 1892. It's where legends were built and famous victories fashioned. Even now, it remains one of the most famous of all football grounds.

Victoria Park's special atmosphere came from its historic roots and the black and white army of fanatical and one-eyed supporters who filled the grandstands and terraces. As a venue it was worshipped by the faithful and feared by opponents; a visiting coach once said you had not made it in football until you had succeeded against Collingwood at Victoria Park.

This book commemorates 112 years of Victoria Park memories - tracing the ground's development and recalling the many magic moments and champions who guarded the turf along the way. This revised edition also includes photos and recollections from the emotional day late in 1999 when we said goodbye to the ground, the pre-Grand Final training sessions of 2002 and 2003, and finally the move to the Lexus Centre in 2004.

Victoria Park hosted the last of its 910 Collingwood matches in 1999. The club now plays its home games at the MCG, and its administrative base is across the road at the Lexus Centre. But to find Collingwood's heart, you need to look further than Victoria Park: it will always be the clubs spiritual home.

About the Authors

Glenn McFarlane is the Sports Editor for the Sunday Herald Sun. He was born into a Collingwood family and has been a passionate follower since childhood. Grandson of Charlie Dibbs, who played 216 games with the Magpies in 1924-35, Glenn spend much of his teenage years researching those early days at Victoria Park and interviewing Dibb's teammates, sparking his ongoing interest in the fascinating history of the club. Glenn was an underage player in both football and cricket (playing a number of times on Victoria Park), but his dream was always sports journalism. He started with the Sun News Pictorial as a cadet journalist, later transferring to the Sunday Herald Sun. He has covered many sports, but football is his first love.

Michael Roberts also grew up wanting to play football on Victoria Park. He achieved his dream in under-age football - a cherished moment that lasted all of one quarter before he broke his arm and was carted off to hospital. His dreams of a glorious career in the black-and-white guernsey thwarted by a lack of ability and commitment, Michael turned to journalism. He has written six publications on Collingwood, including the highly acclaimed A Century of the Best, the Club's Centenary book. Co-owner of media company Media Giants, he is also the editor and publisher of the Club's official magazine, In Black and White.