Half a century has passed since one of New Zealand’s most talented footballers scored a hat-trick in his international debut.
On September 17, 1972, Blockhouse Bay winger Ian Ormond pulled on the New Zealand shirt for the first time, playing against New Caledonia in an international fixture at Wellington’s Basin Reserve.
Ormond, just turned 23, dazzled with a hat-trick in the 4-1 win.
Though Ormond played only 10 times for New Zealand, he was widely regarded as one of the most talented players of his generation when tributes followed his death in October 2021.
Main photo: Ian Ormond in a rare appearance for the Auckland representative side against Indonesia at Newmarket Park, Auckland, in 1975. Photo: Dave Barker.
READ MORE: Tributes flow for Ian Ormond >>>>
The New Zealand team that played New Caledonia included four who won New Zealand Player of the Year awards — Ormond (1972), Maurice Tillotson (1973), Brian Turner (1974, 1979, 1980) and Tony Sibley (1978).
READ MORE: New Zealand Players of the Year >>>>
Result
Game played on Saturday September 17, 2022
New Zealand 4 (Ian Ormond 3, Alan Vest)
New Caledonia 1 (Wayewol)
New Zealand team
John Morris, Tony Sibley, Ian Hastie, Malcolm Ferguson, Maurice Tillotson, Brian Turner (Paul Cameron), Alan Vest (captain), Dave Taylor (Geoff Brand), Ian Ormond, Alan Marley, Dennis Tindall.
Match programme
Click on the image below to open the match programme:
More of football’s history
READ MORE: Was this the greatest Chatham Cup final of all time? >>>>
READ MORE: Memories of Newmarket Park, the former home of football >>>>
More stories
