Fremantle Oval set to become new home for Perth Glory

The historic Fremantle Oval is set to become the new home of A-League soccer club Perth Glory.

Fremantle Council’s Finance, Policy, Operations and Legislation Committee last night endorsed the terms of a licence agreement that could see Glory occupy the ground floor of the City of Fremantle’s current administration building.

The agreement could see Fremantle Oval become Glory’s administrative headquarters and a training facility for Glory’s A-League, W-League and youth teams.

Glory would also seek to deliver women’s league games, a pre-season men’s game and a family open day.

Fremantle Deputy Mayor Andrew Sullivan said Glory moving to Fremantle Oval would strengthen the case for the redevelopment of the historic ground.

“The opportunity to bring Perth Glory to Fremantle Oval is an exciting prospect that would be beneficial for both the City and Glory,” Cr Sullivan said.

“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-utilised green spaces to both the hospital and the city centre.  

“While WAFL football will remain the core activity for the oval, the addition of the 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 Officer 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,” Mr Pignata said.

“We are also excited by the opportunity to engage with what is a very vibrant and diverse local community.

“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.”

Fremantle Council has endorsed a $37 million Fremantle Oval Redevelopment Masterplan, which includes new clubrooms and grandstands, improved spectator facilities and lighting upgrades.

The Fremantle Oval Redevelopment Masterplan was prepared by the City of Fremantle in collaboration with South Fremantle Football Club, Fremantle Football Club and the WA Football Commission, with assistance from the state government’s Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries.

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 council’s FPOL committee last night agreed to essential licence terms that would be included in a draft licence which could see Glory occupy the ground floor of the building for three years with an option to extend for a further two years.

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.