Gordon Rimmer arrived in Tasmania with his family in the mid 1950’s as a young man and eventually became a pivotal figure in establishing football on the north-west coast.
One of his massive contributions to football was the creation of the current fields at Valley Road. Started in 1967, the Devonport Soccer Club developed the area over time and construction of the first clubrooms began in 1970. They were officially opened in 1972, with Gordon Rimmer serving as club President at the time.
In the club’s early days, Gordon also arranged for the production of team shirts and other apparel through Tootles Textiles where he worked as a manager.
Gordon’s contributions extended well beyond administration. From 1980, he played a key role in securing overseas coaches to lift the club’s standards and continued success.
These initiatives - engaging high quality coaches and focusing on development of the club’s infrastructure - remain today as key pillars of the club’s ongoing success and the game’s growth on the coast.
Gordon was also a Board Member of the NWTSA and as such was also instrumental in the administration of the game on the North-West Coast.
Always being supported by his wife Jean at his side, he encouraged the club to be the best it could be competitively but maintaining a family friendly focus as well, that has flourished and grown. He would be very proud to see what it has become today.
Following Gordon’s passing in 2001, the original grandstand (and its replacement in 2025) was named The Gordon Rimmer Stand in his honour — a tribute to his lasting legacy and dedication to the club and the development of the sport.