Future of historic Gold Coast football club Merrimac resting with Gold Coast City Council

THE fate of Merrimac Football Club now rests in the hands of Gold Coast City Council as desperate committee members fight to save it from the decisions of the Italo Australian Club.

THE fate of Merrimac Football Club now rests in the hands of Gold Coast City Council as desperate committee members fight to save it from the decisions of the now-deposed Italo Australian Club board.

The long-running saga at Tony Cecco Field appears headed for a mid-October crescendo, with Council expected to hand down a decision on an application to build retirement units at the Italo Australian Club, home of Merrimac since 1976.

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The deal, which was signed late last year and would leave Merrimac homeless, was struck between the previous Italo Australian Club committee and would require Council to rezone the Clear Island Waters land currently designated for sport and recreation use.

The football club committee this month lodged a petition with almost 1000 signatures calling on Council to deny the application, with the new Italo Australian Club board — sworn in two months ago — also keen to see the plan rejected.

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Merrimac have not fielded any teams since 2017. Picture: Richard Gosling

Merrimac withdrew all teams this season amid the ongoing drama and officials are so wary of the “toxic” Italo Australian Club committee that served until June, they were not willing to be identified in this story.

However, an unnamed source told the Bulletin they were hopeful Merrimac would be back up and running as early as next season.

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“We’re just waiting for an answer (from Council), we all want soccer to go back there. If they knock it back (the development application), the soccer committee will have to meet and decide whether we start up again in 2019 or whether we start in 2020,” the person said.

“More than likely we’d start up again with some juniors in 2019. From what we’ve been told, the Italo club committee want football back there too but no-one will put their name to that because of the repercussions that could happen (with the previous board).

Football Gold Coast general manager Damien Bresic.

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“We could take (Merrimac) somewhere else but we don’t want to do that, that’s the home of Merrimac and we want it to stay there. It’s a beautiful location.

“We’re running out of areas for these kids to play, that’s why we want to keep the football club. The kids from St Vincent’s Primary School next door use it as well, so it’s used for more purposes than just one.”

Football Gold Coast general manager Damien Bresic confirmed the governing body had kept Merrimac’s license open and said they would welcome the club back with open arms.

“We’d love to have them in,” he said.

“They have been one of our strongest clubs for more than 40 years. As far as Football Gold Coast is concerned, we will do whatever we can to make sure they come back.”