We honour the memory of those who have contributed to football in New Zealand
Tributes are flowing for Jimmy Colligan, a player and coach who achieved many successes at Auckland clubs, including Oratia United, Mt Albert Ponsonby and Metro. He has died in Auckland, aged 78. Family and friends will gather on Thursday November … Read More
Of the 636 players to play for New Zealand, George York’s name isn’t usually among the first to be recalled when national teams of the past are discussed. He played only one game for his adopted country, on the losing … Read More
Jimmy McCreadie, known affectionately as ‘Mr Stop Out’ among the football community, has recently died, aged 93. McCreadie received numerous Hutt City civic awards for his services to football and had the rare distinction of being granted Life Member status … Read More
The death of English football legend Sir Bobby Charlton has stirred memories of his visits to New Zealand. Charlton, who has died aged 86 after a struggle with dementia, came to Aotearoa with English champions Manchester United in 1967, playing … Read More
Football stalwart Bob Gore who won the Chatham Cup as a player and as a coach has died in Auckland, aged 90. Gore was a member of the North Shore United team to win the cup in 1963, when the … Read More
Waikato football has lost one of its pioneering giants with the death of Arthur Leong, the former Chatham Cup-winning player-coach of Technical Old Boys (Hamilton) and All White. Leong was 92, and had possibly been New Zealand’s oldest living All … Read More
Dual Chatham Cup winner Allan Gilgrist — a goalkeeper who played more than 300 games for North Shore United — has died, aged 65. Friends and family will gather on Tuesday August 15 for a celebration of his life. England-born … Read More
Football has lost one of its pioneering women players with the death of Nora Watkins (nee Hetherington) who was a member of the first-ever New Zealand women’s national side, and the first woman to be national coach. She has died … Read More
Central United members are mourning the loss of Marko Bebich, one of the club’s best players and a long-time committee member, who has died, aged 79. He died over the Easter weekend, prompting the following tribute from the club: “It … Read More
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