We honour the memory of those who have contributed to football in New Zealand
Eric Pritchard, whose writing and photography helped grow the popularity of women’s football in New Zealand, has died. Pritchard, an Everton fan, led efforts to promote the women’s game when it was in its infancy during the 1970s and 1980s, … Read More
Auckland’s football community is mourning the loss of long-time volunteer and administrator Ross de Wynter who for many years was a driving force behind the East Coast Bays club. He died peacefully in Auckland on April 19, 2021, after a … Read More
The recent death of former Manchester United and Scotland manager Tommy ‘The Doc’ Docherty has jogged memories of his connections with New Zealand. He died on New Year’s Eve, aged 92, after a long illness. ‘The Doc’ visits New Zealand … Read More
Dual Chatham Cup winner Eddie Gavigan has died after a short illness in Auckland, aged 57. Scottish-born Gavigan emigrated to New Zealand as a 19-year-old, joining Mount Wellington in 1983 and helping the club to a Chatham Cup victory against … Read More
Football stalwart Bob Bovelander made a significant contribution to the development of the sport in Auckland and the wider northern region, both at club and regional level. Bovelander, who died in early 2020 from cancer, was a Life Member of … Read More
Clive and Shirley Herbert, an Auckland couple who used their own sporting success to help others, will long be remembered by football followers, including Friends of Football. The Herberts were best known as the parents of All Whites player and … Read More
Football lost one of its most accomplished administrators with the death of Bill MacGowan in 2018. The former Chief Executive of New Zealand Football was 66 and had been ill for some time. More recently, he had been Chief Executive … Read More
Former All Whites and Wellington Phoenix coach Ricki Herbert has paid tribute to long-time friend and football colleague Russell Gray who died in his sleep in April 2018. Gray, a long-time employee at the Wellington Phoenix, was an accomplished sportswriter … Read More