By Greg Blake
September 14, 2025. The day another memorable chapter of the Heidelberg United Alexander story is written. Grand final day was the culmination of a remarkable season and the celebration a unique and brilliant team. Close to 10,000 re-engaged or newly smitten fans swarmed Lakeside Stadium for Alexander’s clinching of the Victorian state title in a thriller against Dandenong City.
Overlooked in the euphoria of the occasion was that Heidelberg’s 2025 success provided the ideal bookend to celebrate another massively important event in club history. A golden jubilee, if you will, celebrating – almost to the very day half a century ago – an equally unforgettable Alexander milestone.
September 20, 1975. A day the then Fitzroy United Alexander clinched the senior Victoria State League Championship for the very first time. With supporters hanging from the rafters at the old Brunswick Street home ground – the crowd estimated at somewhere between ten and twelve thousand – Alexander slaughtered Polonia Maribyrnong 4-0 to win the title and sparked wild celebrations, which, in some cases, lasted for days.
It wasn’t a grand final. In 1975 the league champion was decided by first-past-the-post. But the Polonia game provided a finale most grand to Alexander’s coming-of-age season. The various State Leagues around the nation were the game’s gold standard at the time, with NSW and Victorian clubs considered of the highest quality in the nation.
In 1975 the vision of the club’s founders was finally fulfilled and the success a culmination of 15 years of planning, persistence, day-dreaming and toil. This maiden title win was massive for the club, in terms of its standing in the national picture and in helping define its own sense of self-confidence and belonging in the big league.
But the Polonia game in isolation doesn’t tell the story of a club finally arriving and finding a its rightful place at the top of the Victorian State League podium. Nor does it tell the tale of how one of Fitzroy/Heidelberg United’s most beloved sons came so very close to spoiling everything in sight of the 1975 finishing line.
Drive past the Brunswick Street ground these days and only the majestic Cricket Club Stand – constructed in 1888 – stands as a lonely final witness to the ground’s rich sporting history. Dog-walking, jogging, kids playing kick-to-kick and picnics largely dominate the public space these days.
Alexander only played two full seasons at the ground, but on opening day 1975 – for their first home game at Brunswick Street – near enough to 15,000 fans went through the turnstiles, filling both the Cricket Club Stand and the adjacent 1905-built grandstand, which was destroyed by fire in 1977.
With every centimeter of viewing room taken for their clash with 1974 champions, South Melbourne Hellas, Alexander set the tone for the season, winning 2-0 on the back of goals from Ian Gibson and Frank Donachie. Here’s how the game was reported in ‘Soccer Week’
“On Saturday the game between the Greeks Fitzroy-Alexander and South Melbourne-Hellas at the old Fitzroy Football Ground had a touch of glory and bought an all time record for a home and away game.
“About 15,000 fans stormed the Fitzroy Oval and watched a game full of excitement.
“The Alexander team under the new coach Manny Poulakakis opened their season on their new ground with a great revenge victory over their national rivals”.
Although Juventus made a late run, it became clear very early on that the 1975 title would be fought out by just four clubs. Footscray JUST and Hellas were considered the heavyweights, having shared ten of the previous 13 Victorian titles. Mooroolbark was the Cinderella story.
With hindsight, the opening four weeks of the season were season-defining for Fitzroy. With a trio of feisty Scotsmen leading the charge, Alexander won its first four games, including critical victories against Hellas, JUST and Mooroolbark. Gibson, George Gillon and Donachie -who ended the season as the league Golden Boot – had already combined for nine goals.
The form of second year livewire, Andy Bozikas and the Paddy Bannon into midfield experiment fit nicely alongside veteran recruit from Juventus, Keith Webster. The defence, marshalled by the Socceroo’s 1974 World Cup finals goalkeeper, Jack Reilly – at the top of his game, alongside Nick Racovalis, Alex Nelson and Vince Bannon, had held Hellas, JUST and Mooroolbark to a combined total of a single goal in three games.
Fitzroy United lost top spot just the once toward mid-year, a run of just a single win over five games allowed JUST to sneak past Alexander by a single point (two points per win) and only for a single week. Despite losing Vince Bannon and Webster long-term during a spate of injuries, up stepped the likes of Mike Stogiannou, John Nicolaides, Bill Earl and Mark Karapatos for a memorable run home.
On three consecutive weekends in July Alexander beat Hellas, JUST and finally Mooroolbark once again, keeping their three closest rivals scoreless in all three games. In front of 17,000 fans at Middle Park, a George Gillan goal was enough to take the day. With the three Scottish McMusketeers going through a quiet spell, Sam Cook stepped in and scored winners in both the JUST and Mooroolbark games.
Alexander won four of the next five and going into the second last round of the season only Hellas remained in the running for the championship. But it was Fitzroy’s to lose. Donachie, Gibson and Gillian had hit a hot streak and scored 15 between them in the final six games of the campaign. With two home games to come – against second-last Ringwood Wilhelmina followed by lowly Polonia in round 22 – the club’s maiden Victorian title was surely in the bag.
Fitzroy United lost just five games during the 1975 season – one against fifth-finishing Juventus and in the others inexplicably falling to teams languishing near the foot of the ladder. The home game against Ringwood which would have sealed the title was a disaster. Safe from relegation, Wilhelmina had nothing to play for.
They still beat Alexander 1-0. The winning goal scored by none other than future Alexander legend and all-time club top scorer, Gary Cole. Fitzroy would have to sweat for another week before their date with destiny. So it was that Fitzroy United Alexander faced Polonia in that final round of 1975. Here’s how Jim Barker saw the game for the ‘Sunday Press’ newspaper, under the banner headline “THE FINAL FITZKRIEG!”
“Fitzroy turned on some fiesta soccer to defeat Maribyrnong 4-0 and win the State League championship for the first time yesterday.
“Fitzroy were in a dominating mood after last week’s shock defeat by Ringwood.
“Zorba Gibson had the biggest crowd of the season dancing with excitement after only ten minutes.
“Soaring high to meet a cross from Frank Donachie he lashed it past Lobaza and the crowd erupted.
“Fitzroy were on their way to their first ever title and Maribyrnong couldn’t stop them.
“Not that the Eagles were disgraced. Olowinski had a great game. So did Marmur and their teenage forward line kept Reilly on his toes.
“But ten minutes later young Andy Bozikas crowned a brilliant solo run with a superb power drive and it was as good as over.
“After half time Pat Bannon flew high to meet a Donachie corner blocking Lobaza and George Gillon chested the ball in.
“Then Frank Donachie, who had a hand in two earlier goals, ran onto a pass from Bannon to thump home a fourth.
“On this form Fitzroy are set to repeat the Juventus ‘grand slam’ of the State’s major soccer trophies.”
Fitting that Gibson, Donachie and Gillan all scored in that historic final game of 1975. Of Fitzroy’s league high 48 goals scored that season, the three McMusketeers combined for 36 of them, or a mammoth 75 percent of the team total.
When the final weekend matches were done and dusted – the round was split between Saturday and Sunday games – Fitzroy United Alexander were two games clear on the ladder with 32 points, ahead of Hellas and Mooroolbark on 28 with Footscray JUST a further three points back on 25.
Other players to see senior action in that remarkable 1975 season but not mentioned above were Boulis Kambouropoulos and Tom Kreskas. Apologies if I’ve missed anyone.
The top four teams of 1975 went on to became the first four Victorian clubs to compete in the newly-formed National Soccer League, which kicked off in 1977. Alexander continued its rise through the national ranks, finishing NSL runner-up twice and scoring an emphatic win over Sydney City in the 1980 grand final.
And with that, may I wish you and yours a most beautiful Christmas. Keep smiling.
Footnote – The Brunswick Street Oval – or Fitzroy Cricket Ground – was once the home of former VFL/AFL club Fitzroy, who vacated the place in 1965. The area was once working class and industrial and it became heavily populated by post WW2 immigrants. But the brickworks, factories and food manufacturers – eg.Tip Top bread and Lucky Boy licorice – that dominated the area all slowly shut down or moved away into the 1960’s.
Artists, poets, bohemians, musicians and radicals eschewed sporting pursuits in favour of cultural revolution. Aside from local footy and cricket, the Brunswick Street ground stood vacant for a decade, until Fitzroy United Alexander shook the place up in 1975 and 1976.
There was one final Alexander encore at the ground, round 5 of the very first NSL season in 1977. On Sunday May 1, 1977 some 4,560 fans turned out to see Fitzroy United beat Brisbane Lions 4-1. The Fitzroy team that day included Pat Bannon, Andy Bozikas and Gary Cole.
For the record, the last goal Alexander scored at Brunswick Street was an 81st minute Kenny Taylor penalty in that Lions game.
