Football Victoria congratulates esteemed historian and academic Roy Hay on being honoured with induction into the Football Australia Hall of Fame.
Roy Hay has dedicated more than four decades to researching, writing, and preserving the history of football in Australia. Born in Scotland, and a graduate of Glasgow and Oxford Universities, he migrated to Australia in 1985 and became one of the game’s foremost historians.
A prolific author and commentator, Hay has published widely across academic and popular outlets. His major works contribute to a deeper understanding of football’s social and cultural influence.
Hay has served as a lecturer at Deakin University, President of the Australian Society for Sports History, and as a longstanding member of Football Australia’s Hall of Fame and History Committee. His research and advocacy have played a crucial role in ensuring that football’s pioneers, milestones, and heritage are properly documented and celebrated.
Locally, Roy’s columns featured heavily in football publications Australian Soccer Weekly and Goal! Weekly. In the former, he covered the National Youth League in immense detail, shining a light on a pathway often ignored by the broader football media. With the latter, his weekly Blast From The Past segment was a much loved feature that portrayed the rich tapestry of football in Australia and Victoria, often exploring current issues via a historical lens.
With Football Victoria, Roy was instrumental in the formation of the FV Historical Committee in 2008, never missing a meeting during his tenure before resigning in mid-2016. During this time he played a pivotal role in determining the structure and criteria of the Hall of Fame which was instituted in 2010. Roy also ensured that over sixty years of Football Victoria’s document archives were preserved by finding them a home at Deakin University.
With Ian Syson, he composed The Story of Football in Victoria which was published in 2009, a century after the Dockerty Cup was inaugurated and the first League competition was run and won. Roy’s seminal work arrived in 2014 in the form of A History of Football in Australia: A Game of Two Halves which he authored with Bill Murray. Considered as the definitive history of the Australian game, Hay brought together over three decades of research in uncovering the game’s origin story. At over 300 pages, it is essentially Roy’s gift to Australian football, providing the blueprint for researchers and historians in their own quest to explore the game’s untold narrative.
Football Victoria’s historian Tony Persoglia recognises Roy’s unparalleled contribution to the game.
“Roy Hay has left an indelible mark on football in Australia. His dedication to exquisitely crafted storytelling shines a light on the sport from all angles, which is rare and unparalleled in a historical context. Having had the fortune of serving with Roy in the formative years of the Historical Committee, I witnessed first-hand his commitment to ensuring the game in Victoria was celebrated. This honour is a testament to Roy’s unwavering dedication to football in Australia.”
Hay’s lifelong commitment to chronicling football’s story has preserved the game’s legacy for future generations. His scholarship and dedication have ensured that football’s place within Australia’s national identity is recognised and respected.
With thanks to Football Australia.