One of New Zealand’s greatest football referees, Ron Harries, has died, aged 82.
Harries was a former President of the New Zealand Football Referees’ Association and a Life Member of New Zealand Football and of Capital Football.
He was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2009 in recognition of his services to football.
After retiring from his career with the New Zealand Government Printing Office, Harries was a keen follower of golf and was a Life Member of the Miramar Golf Club.
He died in January 2016 at his home in Wellington.
Harries first took up the whistle in 1963 after arriving from the Falkland Islands via South Africa in 1960. He rose rapidly through the ranks and was on the initial list of National League referees when the competition began in 1970.
Having refereed the 1972 Chatham Cup Final, he achieved his FIFA referee badge and refereed nine international matches.
Following his retirement from refereeing in 1979, Harries continued his involvement in the game as an inspector, instructor and administrator, holding most administrative positions within the Wellington (now Capital Football) and New Zealand Football structures, including a stint as chairman of the New Zealand Football Referees Association.
