Wynnum Wolves Football Club is a club rich in football history. The 103-year-old club boasts an original Socceroo in Clarence Shenton [1922], holds the status of sending the very first women’s team from Australia on an overseas tour [to New Zealand in 1975], and is the grassroots club of our country’s most capped footballer – either male or female – in Clare Polkinghorne.
Wynnum Wolves Football Club President, Mr Rabieh Krayem, said today was a proud day for the club to unveil its long-awaited plans for the new Clare Polkinghorne Football Centre, which is set to become one of the best fit-for-purpose football complexes in Australia.
It was more than fitting that a stalwart of the Wynnum club, Life Member Wayne Gracey – who worked with Clare during her junior days at Wynnum – was on hand to make the announcement today.
“The Wynnum community is honoured to have Clare in attendance for this very special announcement,” Mr Krayem said. “We are proud that Clare started her junior football career at our club and are even prouder to honour her stellar career and her significant contribution to the female game in this country by putting her name on our new building at a time when female football is booming at Wynnum,” he said.
“Clare had to move on from our club as a junior due to the lack of playing options for girls at the time. We can safely say that is no longer an issue at our club, with our female numbers and programmes now booming.”
Wynnum’s clubhouse was devastated in the freak rain event and floods that inundated Brisbane in 2022. The original building – the old Moreton Bay Sports Club – was subsequently deemed unsalvageable following the 2022 floods, and club officials have since worked positively and tirelessly with all levels of government to secure funding and finalise plans for a new football centre for the growing Wynnum club.
“It’s an extremely exciting day for our football club to unveil these plans for the new Clare Polkinghorne Football Centre, which will help to secure the prosperity of Wynnum’s football future for the next 100 years,” Mr Krayem said.
The building of Stage 1 of the new complex is expected to begin early in 2025 and will include dressing rooms, offices, a function room, canteen, club uniform and merchandise store, and undercover seating. The new facility has been made possible by $7.5 million of funding from all levels of government, including a $4M Federal Government grant.
ENDS