Collingwood will honour its history with a year-long celebration in 2014

COLLINGWOOD will honour its past players and achievements in a year-long celebration dubbed "Collingwood Forever" in 2014.

Magpies

COLLINGWOOD will honour its past players and achievements in a year-long celebration dubbed "Collingwood Forever" in 2014.

The Pies will wear a commemorative jumper during a yet-to-be-determined game with the names of every past player on it, host a reunion for every living past player and their families while artist Jamie Cooper will paint a 5x2m mural to hang in the Westpac Centre that will be a collaboration of famous moments and players throughout Collingwood’s history.

The year 2014 bares no historical significance to the club, but chief executive Gary Pert said his administration has an obligation to keep the club’s history living through its newer and younger fans.

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He cited an example of a recent chat with 11 and 12-year-old Collingwood fans who had never heard of Victoria Park.

“They thought we had always played all of our games at the MCG,” Pert said.

“As a CEO or a president or a board of a club at any particular time you have an obligation for the history to keep on living.

“I think we’re very good at that, but in a very short period of time the kids coming through won’t know who Gavin Brown is or Peter Daicos is let alone who Peter McKenna or Barry Price or any of the other past champions of the club are.

“The history gets lost very quickly if you don’t keep in front of people and keep it engaging and enjoyable.”

The jumpers worn by the players in that one-off game will be auctioned, with funds going towards the club’s past players fund which gives medical, welfare and financial support to former Magpies.

Pert also said plans were underway to extend the museum at the Westpac Centre in order to be able to properly display millions of dollars worth of memorabilia that currently sits in storage.

“We want this to be a tourist attraction for Collingwood supporters,” he said.

“When you’ve got time go down and see and be reminded of the club’s history.

“We don’t hide from the fact that we want to be the biggest and most respected sporting club in Australia. Our history has built us to this point and we’ve got to keep growing it.”