Roselands Football Club
Established – 1972
Home ground – Bennett Park
Current members – 304
Previous names – Roselands Raptors FC, Roselands Soccer Club, Roselands Morton United Soccer Club (RMU)
Notable members – Tony Martin* and Grace Martin (CDFSA Life Members)
Tony and Grace Martin founded Roselands Football Club in 1972 and in 2022 it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Roselands Morton United Soccer Club (RMU) was established on the 17th of November 1971, during an inaugural meeting.
The already-established Morton Wanderers had access Bennett Park but had only one All Age team. The decision to merge was an easy one, leading to creation of RMU.
Two key individuals behind the establishment and ongoing survival of the Roselands Soccer Club were Tony and Grace Martin, both of whom are life members of the club and the CDFSA.
Their ethos of participation for all in the family of community football has informed the club, up until today.
Its first playing season was in 1972 and proved to be a great success. RMU fielded eight teams, with four teams finishing runners-up in their division.
A presentation day was held at Arlington Oval by the CDSFA and RMU won the award for the Best Presented Club.
RMU also proved to be a great club for women as it continued to grow. A ladies team took to the field in 1973, beginning a legacy of strong female participation at the club in the sport we all love.
The driving force behind this growth in participation was Grace Martin, the club’s co-founder and an advocate for women in soccer.
The naming of the All-Age Women’s Division 1 trophy after Grace is testimony to her passion for women’s soccer.
A major milestone for Roselands was the building of the clubrooms, at its home ground of Bennett Park.
True to the spirit of Roselands, the clubrooms became a reality due to, in large part, a strong community fundraising effort.
This commitment was matched by the NSW Department of Sport and Recreation. The excitement generated by the new facilities was sadly short-lived.
Despite opening with much fanfare in 2002, a fire caused by vandals destroyed the facilities.
Ever resilient, the community of Roselands and a team of volunteers rallied to have the clubrooms cleaned, refitted, and restored to their previous glory.
During the 2018-19 period Roselands FC moved off Bennett Park to allow for long overdue and extensive ground maintenance.
Although presenting a substantial challenge, the result was well worth the inconvenience.
Roselands FC now boasts a home ground with the best turf fields in the CDSFA. New lighting erected in 2020 has allowed Roselands to embrace its love of football even more and participate in evening matches.
