Auckland Anniversary Day holds a special link with an historic match played under floodlights more than half a century ago.
On January 27, 1964, Swiss Cup champions FC Basel came to Auckland’s Blandford Park to play a New Zealand team preparing for their upcoming world tour.
Formed in 1893, Basel have become a powerhouse of Swiss football, winning Switzerland’s national championship 20 times and taking the Swiss Cup 12 times.
The New Zealand team they faced included captain Bert Ormond, player-coach (and former England international) Ken Armstrong and goalkeeper Peter Whiting who was to become the first New Zealander to play in the top tier of English football when he joined Charlton Athletic in 1965.
Basel’s captain for the New Zealand visit was Hans Weber, a right half who had played for the club since 1949. Sadly, he died from cancer a year after the Auckland match.
Photo: The 1964 New Zealand squad.
Our heritage – read the match programme
Click on the match programme to read it online >>>>
Programme courtesy of Dave Petraska and converted to digital format by Friends of Football.
