Preston Amateurs: 'The Bullants belong on Preston City Oval'

Push for the red and white to play at Cramer Street in 2026 continues.

The push for the red and white to remain at Preston City Oval (PCO) continues, with the Preston Football Club (PFC) endorsing Preston Bullants Amateurs and the Preston Bullants Juniors as custodians of the historic venue.

As outlined last week, the PFC is calling on the Darebin City Council to grant the Amateurs and the Juniors custodianship and tenancy of the iconic ground, whilst we reset in hopes of a return to the VFL in 2027 or 2028.

President Neil Howard says their "values, financial stability, and deep community connection make them the right custodians to carry forward the Bullant tradition at our historic home".

The Preston Bullants Amateurs said on social media on Friday:

"The Preston Bullants Amateur Football Club (PBAFC) recognises the recent media attention regarding our commitment to upholding the history of the Preston Bullants.

"The following article provides an insight into our ambition to play at Preston City Oval (PCO) in 2026, in collaboration with the Preston Bullants Junior Football Club (PBJFC) and with the endorsement of the Preston Bullants VFL.

"For those who are unable to access this article, PBAFC is continuing to grow as a community football club, with five teams in 2025. A significant portion of our playing group grew up playing for PBJFC at PCO, and are currently Darebin City Council ratepayers. As an amateur football club, our players are not paid, and play for the love of the Preston Bullants.

"We want to preserve the 143-year history of the Preston Bullants VFL club; not detract from it. We take the caretaker role of PCO very seriously, and we recognise its importance as a community meeting place. We believe that the Preston Bullants belong on PCO, and are appreciative of the significant community support shown to us as a club so far.

"We will continue to wear the Bullant jumper and name with pride. We appreciate the strong community support for our joint PCO proposal and look forward to working collaboratively with the Darebin Council to realise our vision in Season 2026."

For further information on the plan for Preston City Oval in 2026, click here.