We honour the memory of those who have contributed to football in New Zealand
A former men’s national league player and long-time advocate of women’s football, Dave Twiname, has died, aged 64. He died in a car accident on March 20, 2023. In a tribute, Eastern Suburbs said Twiname played 112 games for the … Read More
Former Hamilton AFC captain and club life member Roy Little has died, aged 75, in Papamoa. Little had been suffering from motor neurone disease, which had set on quite quickly. In his playing days, Robert McGregor (Roy) Little captained the … Read More
Takapuna AFC members and supporters have farewelled club stalwart George Foster who has died in Auckland, aged 76. “Fozzer”, as he was widely known, arrived in New Zealand from his native Liverpool in 1985 and with football-playing sons Paul and … Read More
Martin Gorry, a former English professional who played more than 200 games for Rotorua City, has died, aged 68. Another of his former clubs, Ngongotaha AFC, paid tribute to Gorry, saying: “We would like to pass on our condolences to … Read More
Mick Seed, the first player to ever win the New Zealand Footballer of the Year Award, has died in Auckland, aged 83. Seed will be forever remembered as the midfield playmaker who inspired Blockhouse Bay’s National League/Chatham Cup double in … Read More
Former All Whites midfielder Grant Turner — one of the stars of the 1982 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign — has died in Tauranga, aged 64. His death, after struggling with cancer in recent years, was confirmed by the NZ … Read More
Football communities in South Auckland and the Waikato are mourning the death of long-time administrator and supporter, Jim Church, who has died after a short illness, aged 83. Church was a driving force at Otahuhu United where he carried out … Read More
A highly respected player, coach and mentor to many players in South Auckland, Gerry Armstrong, has died, aged 90. In a tribute to Armstrong, the Facebook group ‘Papatoetoe – The Glory Years’ said: “It is with deep, profound sadness that … Read More
Christchurch club Nomads United have lost former president and Life Member Pat Topp who has died in Rangiora, aged 77. Topp contributed in many ways to United, as a player, coach, team manager, club captain and as a committee member, … Read More
Ron Ripley, a player who served four North Harbour clubs with more than 170 first-team appearances in the 1970s and 1980s, has died in Auckland, aged 73. Ripley turned out for Takapuna, North Shore United, East Coast Bays and Forrest … Read More
One of football’s longest-serving club secretaries, Fencibles United Life Member Danna Mandry, has died in Auckland, aged 79. She was the foundation secretary of Fencibles United when the club was formed through the merger of Howick AFC and Pakuranga Town … Read More
Hamilton Wanderers have lost a “true gentleman” who coached, served on the board and acted as a mentor to many of the club’s young players. Pete Davies has died in Hamilton, aged 68. Paying tribute to him, Wanderers chairman Dave … Read More
A former club president and Life Member of Whakatane Town, John Bowden, has died, aged 81. Paying tribute to him, the club shared its condolences with John’s wife Anna, a former club secretary, and the Bowden family. “During this difficult … Read More
Bay Olympic life member and former president of the Blockhouse Bay football club, Ron Leakey, has died in Auckland, aged 87. Leakey devoted himself to helping various clubs in many different ways, as a player, coach, administrator and, as a … Read More
Members of Mt Albert Ponsonby FC and the wider football community are mourning for Audrey Earl who has died in Auckland after a long struggle with cancer. She was a Life Member at MAP and was a popular host to … Read More
The patron of Cambridge Football Club, Neil Stuttard, has died in Tauranga. The long-time club member was a central figure at the Waikato club in the 1990s when the Cambridge first team was at its strongest in the then-Northern League’s … Read More
Wayne Barton, one of Melville AFC’s greats from the early 1990s era, when the club climbed from northern league third division to northern premier league, has died, aged 50. Barton, or “Big ‘Un” as he was known within the club, … Read More
Former Eastern Suburbs coach Fred Dubber, a three-time winner of the Chatham Cup who was “a gentleman on and off the field”, has died, aged 84. Dubber was a Suburbs mainstay at left back during the club’s cup-winning exploits in … Read More