Club History
The Hope Valley Football Club’s proud tradition dates back to 1906 when we became associated with the NORTH EAST HILLS LEAGUE. Our colours back then were Red and Black and our home ground was what is now the Bremen Hotel’s car park. In those early times the pub’s toilets doubled up as our changerooms. How fitting it is that the Bremen remains a major supporter of the footy club and has recently celebrated 10 years as our major Sponsor.
Despite those humble beginnings, the early years of the HVFC helped spawn an intense rivalry between HV and neighbouring suburban club Highbury. As rumour has it, then Hope Valley President Ollie Carsson, recruited Port Adelaide league players to tackle Highbury in the Derby, who likewise enlisted Norwood
talent for those intensely parochial games. The league players were happy with Ollie’s offer of a Quid per win, which at the time were double their normal match payments. Eventually, the club’s successes provided Premierships in 1930, 31 and 32, a time recognised as Hope Valley's finest era. An era cut short by the onset of WW2, saw Hope Valley join forces with the rival Highbury team to form HOPE VALLEY– HIGHBURYUNITED FC. This was short lived however and as the war still raged, Hope Valley combined with a similarly
undermanned TEATREE GULLYand this union culminated in a Premiership in 1945, which coincided with the end of WW2. With both clubs revived by the return of their own diggers, each club found its own roots. At this time the Hills League directed Hope Valley to relinquish it’s Red and Black colours to Tea Tree Gully who, to this day, continue to wear the strip.
Consequently in 1949, Hope Valley switched to a predominately Blue Guernsey with Red trimming not unlike
that worn by the Melbourne Football club in the day. This remained until the late seventies when the club adopted a unique Red and Blue strip which was our signature spanning our time in Association, CDFAand Amateur League till the turn of the century. The point in time when the Valley Demon became our recognisable icon which helped develop the new more contemporary identity we have today.
Juniors was a key development strategy of the club post war and the early 1950’s saw the establishment of two under age sides. As much out of necessity as it was desirebecause many of the senior players needed somewhere for their offspring to play. Proudly today the club is home to 15 junior sides ranging
from U/6’s right through to the U/15’s. Add to this a strong Auskick programme, our Junior Development policy will hopefully generate plenty of senior reinforcements for many years to come.
Like most Amateur Clubs, recruitment from outside has become an essential aspect of HVFC’s survival and 2008 has seen a crop of seasoned recruits join our long serving club players and developing juniors. All of who continue to work hard for the club as we attempt to climb the Amateur grades. They should all be thanked for their terrific efforts that currently predict all senior sides will feature in the finals.
