The Sherwood Football Club sadly acknowledge the passing of Margery ‘Peggy’ Peirce on Monday 16 August aged 96.  Peggy was a giant of the Sherwood Football Club, being involved from the earliest years and was the brains behind the ever popular ‘Magpie Chatter’ that commenced in 1964 and continued well into the 1980’s.  As a young school girl, Peggy knew the current site of the Magpies as the ‘Chelmer Swamp’ and when travelling by train to the city as a child used to jockey for position by the window to see the highlight of the trip to town, the old Aboriginal ‘corroboree ring’ at the Swamp.  Peg recounted that the reward for the window seat was often some coal dust in the eye from the steam engine!  Years later, after Brisbane City Council claimed the site it was the Chelmer Dump before the Magpies established our home at the site in 1973.

Peg and husband Bob for years published the Magpie Chatter after the initial suggestion from Tom O’Neill. Often with many helpers at a social gathering convened at the Peirce household with parents and kids, Peg would still be at it on the typewriter until 2am, often because many team managers failed to submit a team article and rather than have the youngsters miss out, Peg would write the notes herself with the knowledge she had of the games and their participants.  Something our current editors of the Around the Grounds Newsletter can relate to!  Peg with a gift for writing and a quick wit was the cornerstone of the Magpie Chatter and the broader club for many years, also running the canteen and opening her home to generations of Sherwood Footballers for many years.

Peg will be sadly missed and greatly cherished by her Children, Grandchildren, Great Grandchildren and Great-Great Grandchild. Peg had 3 sons in Rob, Billy and James who played at Sherwood, and countless Grandchildren and now Great Grandchildren wearing the black & white of Sherwood.  Daughters Lorraine and Nancy also featured in womens teams during the 1970s. Husband Bob was Club Secretary for 10+ years and the Senior Best & Fairest is named in honour of Son Billy Peirce, the 1983 Grogan Medallist.  However, without the herculean efforts of Peg over many years supporting the club, none of this would have been possible.

Her passing will be acknowledged with black armbands for all Sherwood teams competing in finals this weekend.  The funeral will be held at St Matthews Anglican Church, Sherwood on Tuesday 24 August at 1030am.  Due to current restrictions, a maximum of 60 are permitted inside the Church – so for those planning to attend, please ensure the family are seated appropriately before taking a position inside.  A wake will follow at Sherwood Football Club.