Tears as Mario Fenech, Craig Coleman return to Redfern

"We've got our home back - we never thought it would happen," an emotional Fenech said.

Former Souths great Fenech and fellow ex-Rabbitohs champion Craig Coleman yesterday returned to Redfern Oval - the famous inner-city ground where they played more than 200 first-grade games.

South Sydney, the pride of the league, make their historic return to Redfern from Tuesday.

The $20 million revamped inner-city ground looks wonderful - complete with a state-of-the-art playing surface, gymnasium, physio and rehab room, ice baths, 36 lockers, kitchen, theatrette, history boards, conference room and a cafe.

Redfern Oval now is an amazing mixture of technology and history.

Souths will continue to play NRL matches at ANZ Stadium at Sydney Olympic Park but will return to Redfern to train fulltime from January 5. Equipment from their previous training ground, Erskineville Oval, will be shifted to Redfern on Tuesday.

The Rabbitohs will play a much anticipated, pre-season members-only match against Wests Tigers at Redfern Oval on February 8, with more than 5000 fans expected to cram into the ground.

An emotional Fenech and Coleman (pictured inset back in 1988) were back at Redfern yesterday to inspect the new ground. "I truly shed a tear when I walked in. I got quite emotional. I'm blown away by Redfern. It looks awesome," said Fenech. "This is our spiritual home and it's great to be back. It means a lot to Souths supporters."

The visit brought back memories for Fenech dating back to 1966. "I remember coming here with my uncle Harry when I was six," he said.

"We sat on the hill next to the old stand. It was my first taste of rugby league. The energy, the excitement, the noise. In 1981 I played my first game for Souths. I remember looking at the hill and all the Souths fans there in their jumpers standing in the pouring rain without umbrellas.

"It showed me very early the loyalty of Souths fans."

Coleman too was impressed with the Redfern refurbishment.

"I used to jump the fence here every week and get the corner flag," Coleman said. "After that we would stay until nine at night kicking a footy around on the field. I had 10 fence holes so the groundsman couldn't get me.

"I used to do training laps with the likes of Sattler, McCarthy and O'Neill when I was five. I lived with my grandmother just across the road.

"It was an intimidating place. When you needed a penalty late in the game when the scores were close, the crowd would roar and you'd get one."

Source: www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/nrl/story/0,27074,24815411-5016550,00.html