Prospect Oval Background
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Monday, August 23rd 1897 - At a meeting of The Prospect Council a petition signed by 350 ratepayers was presented to council by Reverend S.Lenton to urge the establishing of a recreation ground in the Prospect area.
Council supported the decision and admitted the need for such a ground advising that this matter had been under consideration for some two years. A committee was formed to look into suitable areas and call tenders for such.
Saturday, March 2nd 1898 - The ground was officially opened by the Premier (Charles Kingston) at a large ceremony including the attendance of some 1,500 school children from the local area.
The land is described as been situated on the flat between Pulsford Road and Alpha Road with entrances from Prospect Road and Main North Road, and boasting views to the hills on one side and overlooking the sea on the other.
The price paid was £1,600. £1,400 was obtained from the sale of limestone from the 16 ½ acres of ground, and £200 raised in subscriptions by local residents.
Saturday, May 20th 1916 – League football is suspended during World War One. A “Patriotic Competition” was formed and a team from Prospect is involved playing their home grounds on Prospect Oval. Prospect defeat Norwood (14-16 to 7-9) in their first outing, with North player Daniel O’Brien named BOG. Gunn, May (8 Goals) and Crossman were also named in the best players. Prospect contested in 1916 and 1917 but pulled out during the 1918 season.
Saturday, March 25th 1922 - The newly completed pavilion (grandstand) was officially opened by the Governor (Sir William Ernest George Archibald Weigall). The pavilion had been completed in sixteen weeks at a cost of approximately £4,300. It contains seating for approximately 1,000 patrons and there is spacious room below for the training purposes of the club, and another for the visiting team. Other appointments include showers, lavatories, committee rooms, and all domestic appliances. It also contains an underground tunnel for players to enter the arena from.
It was also mentioned that the area had been officially named The Prospect Memorial Park and Recreation Reserve, as a memorial to the 126 men from the area that had lost theor lives in the Great War. The oval was a 3d tram ride from the city taking either the Main North Road or Prospect Road tram!
Monday, May 8th 1922 - Prospect Oval hosted its first league football match when North defeated Glenelg by 25 points (12-11 to 9-4) on the Holiday Monday.
It was noted in the press that
“The turf was in excellent condition, and the fine arena afforded ample scope for a fast, open contest.”
Victor Hillier of Glenelg scored the first goal for the game (with a place kick), and thus became the first player to kick a goal (in a league match) on Prospect Oval. Soon after Lloyd Davies drew first blood for Norths, with a snap out the pack, and became the first North player to score a goal on Prospect Oval.
The North team that day was (A-Z)….
Glyn Bosisto, Nick Broderick, Fred Curnow, Daryl Conrad, Arthur Davis, Lloyd Davies, Albert Fooks, Russell Fuss, Andrew Gunn, Mat Kinnear, Norman Rawson, Laurence Sprigg, Rob Stennett, Glyn Trescowthick, Stanley Wallis, J.Wedger.
Percy Lewis captained Norths for the first time and David Crawford was his deputy.
North Adelaide “B” played Norwood “B” in the curtain raiser. Daniel O’Brien captained Norths.
North has used Prospect Oval as its home ground ever since that match, and has played there every season. The only exception being the years 1942-1944 when the Norwood-North Adelaide combine of World War Two used Norwood Oval as its home ground.
As of last weekend North has played at Prospect Oval 639 times for 378 wins, 254 loses and 7 Draws.