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Publications

Publications that help preserve the heritage of football in New Zealand

Summer reading: Football Dad and the changing tide

posted in: News, Publications |

Having been delayed by 20 minutes by Raj From India’s motion sickness, Football Dad’s van screeched into the car park at Small Seaside Town FC with kick-off less than quarter of an hour away. The kids were piling out of … Read More

Football Dad

National body releases first update on FIFA Women’s World Cup legacy plan

posted in: News, Publications |

New Zealand Football has begun a series of quarterly updates, outlining progress made with its legacy plan for the FIFA Women’s World Cup. The plan, called Aotearoa United: Legacy Starts Now, aims to maximise the potential benefits to the game … Read More

FIFA Women's World Cup, New Zealand Football

Summer reading: Football Dad and the end-of-season prizegiving

posted in: News, Publications |

Football Dad shifted uncomfortably on his stool, at the back of the room. ‘Okay, awesome, great to see everybody dancing!’ shrieked Weird Lady’s Sister. ‘What an awesome party we’re having!’ A lengthy and painful crackle emanated from the battered speakers, … Read More

feature, Football Dad

Summer reading: Football Dad and the handwritten note

posted in: News, Publications |

Football Mum was at the door, an expensive craft beer in one hand, and a tall glass of pink grapefruit juice in the other. ‘How did it go?’ she enquired, a little hesitantly. She could normally gauge the result within … Read More

feature, Football Dad

Summer reading: Football Dad and a seat on the bench

posted in: News, Publications |

Football Dad was determined not to get involved. He stood on the opposite side of the field to all the other parents, fiddling with his phone nervously, trying not to be conspicuous. Weird Lady kicked off her team’s first training … Read More

feature, Football Dad

Football flashback: How the game was faring in New Zealand 50 years ago

posted in: Heritage, News, Publications, Uncategorized |

In early 1973, one of New Zealand’s leading sports commentators, Geoff Sinclair, provided a ‘state of the nation’ review of football, or ‘soccer’ as the sport was widely known at the time. Sinclair, the sports editor of Sunday News, and … Read More

Bert Ormond, Chatham Cup, feature, Men's National League, Oceania Football Confederation

Summer reading: Football Dad and the nine-year-old’s goal on debut

posted in: News, Publications, Uncategorized |

Football Dad’s foot stank. Hunched in a kitchen chair, he slowly peeled off a mud-and-water-soaked Merino sock. ‘Yuck,’ he muttered, followed quickly by a word that rhymed … with multiple meanings. ‘We wonnnnnnnn!!!!!!’ screamed the Youngest One, tearing through the … Read More

feature, Football Dad

The story of how women’s football got started in Auckland almost 50 years ago

posted in: Heritage, News, Publications |

While next year will celebrate the FIFA Women’s World Cup in New Zealand, 2023 will also provide another milestone for women’s football. It will be the 50th anniversary of the formation of the Auckland Women’s Football Association, the body that … Read More

Auckland Women's Football Association, Carol Waller, feature

Fifty years ago: The day Ian Ormond scored a hat-trick in his New Zealand debut

posted in: Heritage, News, Publications |

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 … Read More

All Whites, Ian Ormond

Chatham Cup flashback: When Miramar Rangers beat Waikato United in the final

posted in: Heritage, News, Publications |

Thirty years ago this month, Miramar Rangers won the 1992 Chatham Cup, beating Waikato United 3-1 in the final at Wellington’s Basin Reserve. Darren Fellows put Waikato ahead early before Billy Wright levelled for Rangers. Wright scored again with a … Read More

Chatham Cup, Miramar Rangers, Waikato United

It’s fifty years since one of the greatest Chatham Cup finals ever

posted in: Heritage, News, Publications, Uncategorized |

For 20-year-old Graham Dacombe, it was the greatest game of football he ever played — four goals in a Chatham Cup final, a match the newspaper headlines later billed as ‘Dacombe’s epic cup final’. It was the classic 1972 Chatham … Read More

Chatham Cup, Christchurch United, feature, Mount Wellington

Enjoying our content? Here’s how to make it easy to follow us

posted in: News, Publications, Uncategorized |

We hope you’re enjoying the Friends of Football website and the stories we covering about New Zealand football. We aim to keep you in touch with our national teams, the Wellington Phoenix (men’s and women’s A-League), clubs in the northern … Read More

feature, Friends of Football, how to join, members, membership

How New Zealand pioneered the use of numbers on football shirts

posted in: Heritage, News, Publications |

Of all the contributions New Zealand has made to the game of football, one has remained largely unrecognised until recently — and that’s how the use of numbers on shirts was pioneered in this country. Shirt numbers were used by … Read More

All Whites, Australia, books, feature, history

Flashback: When Wynton Rufer led the All Whites against Werder Bremen

posted in: Heritage, News, Publications |

Thirty years ago this week, the All Whites played three games against top German side Werder Bremen who agreed to let their star striker, Wynton Rufer, play against them. Rufer and the All Whites lined up against Werder Bremen in … Read More

All Whites, match programmes, Werder Bremen, Wynton Rufer

We relish our World Cup successes — but what about when we failed to qualify?

posted in: Heritage, News, Publications |

The years 1982 and 2010 loom large in any reminiscing about New Zealand football’s glory days — they’re the years our All Whites beat the odds to reach FIFA World Cup finals in Spain and South Africa. But what about … Read More

All Whites, feature, FIFA World Cup

Miramar Rangers chase their fifth Chatham Cup final win

posted in: Events, Publications |

Wellington’s Miramar Rangers will aim to land their fifth Chatham Cup when they meet Christchurch’s Cashmere Technical in the much-disrupted finale to the cup’s 2021 competition. After COVID-19 cut short the 2021 season, Rangers had to wait till February 2022 … Read More

Cashmere Technical, Chatham Cup, match programmes, Miramar Rangers

A special milestone reached as football website enters its third decade

posted in: News, Publications, Recognition |

For thousands of New Zealand football fans – particularly those who follow the women’s game – the Ultimate New Zealand Soccer website has become a vital source of results, news and information. On December 7, 2021, the site chalked up … Read More

awards, feature, Jeremy Ruane, Ultimate New Zealand Soccer

Auckland Anniversary Day: When the Swiss Cup holders met New Zealand

posted in: Heritage, News, Publications, Uncategorized |

Auckland Anniversary Day holds a special link with an historic match played under floodlights more than half a century ago. On January 27, 1964, Swiss Cup champions FC Basel came to Auckland’s Blandford Park to play a New Zealand team … Read More

Bert Ormond, Blandford Park, FC Basel, Ken Armstrong, Paul Whiting, Switzerland

Memories of Kiwi connections evoked by Tommy Docherty’s death

posted in: News, Obituary, Publications |

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

Manchester United, Newmarket Park, Ricki Herbert, Tommy Docherty

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FEBRUARY

February 2-11: Auckland City represent Oceania at the FIFA Club World Cup in Morocco (click here for details)

Thursday February 2 (8am): Auckland City v El Ahly, first round, FIFA Club World Cup, Tangiers Stadium, Morocco (click here for details)

February 17-23: FIFA Women’s World Cup play-off series involving 10 teams, held in Auckland/Hamilton (click here for details)

Friday February 17-Saturday February 18: Unity Pitch games at Hamilton Lake, Hamilton (click here for details)

Friday February 17 (7pm): Football Ferns v Portugal (friendly international), Waikato Stadium, Hamilton (click here for details)

Monday February 20 (7pm): Football Ferns v Argentina (friendly international), FMG Waikato Stadium, Hamilton (click here for details)

Thursday February 23 (7pm): Football Ferns v Argentina (friendly international), North Harbour Stadium, Albany, Auckland (click here for details)

Sunday February 26: Wellington Phoenix v Sydney FC, women’s A-League, Auckland — to be confirmed (click here for details)

MARCH

Wednesday March 1: Season draws to be released for NRFL competitions.

Sunday March 5: One-day 7-a-side tournament for senior men’s teams, at Metro FC’s Phyllis St (click here for details)

Sunday March 12 (3pm NZT): Wellington Phoenix v Sydney FC, men’s A-League, Eden Park, Auckland (click here for details)

Sunday March 19: Grassroots women’s tournament at Cambridge’s John Kerkhof Park (click here for details)

Thursday March 23 (7pm): All Whites v China, Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland (click here for details)

March 24-25: Cambridge FC celebrate their 75th Jubilee.

March 25-26: Seasons start for Lotto NRFL men’s, women’s and youth leagues, NRF Men’s League One and NRF Women’s Conference.

Sunday March 26 (4pm): All Whites v China, Sky Stadium, Wellington (click here for details)

APRIL

April 7-9: 50th anniversary celebrations for Napier City Rovers (click here for details)

April 3-11: Two-match international window for the Football Ferns.

Sunday April 16 (3pm NZT): Wellington Phoenix v Brisbane Roar, men’s A-League, Eden Park, Auckland (click here for details)

April 29-30: Seasons start for NRF community football (junior, youth and senior).

MAY

May 20-June 11: FIFA U-20 Men’s World Cup, Indonesia (click here for details)

JUNE

June 1-5: Centenary celebrations for Claudelands Rovers (click here for details)

June 12-20: Two-match international window for the All Whites.

JULY

July 10-18: Two-match international window for the Football Ferns.

July 20 (7pm NZT): New Zealand v Norway, opening game of 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup at Eden Park, Auckland (click here for details)

July 25 (5.30pm NZT): New Zealand v Philippines, second group game for Football Ferns at FIFA Women’s World Cup at Sky Stadium, Wellington (click here for details)

July 30 (7pm NZT): New Zealand v Switzerland, final group game for Football Ferns at FIFA Women’s World Cup at Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin (click here for details)

AUGUST

August 20: Final of FIFA Women’s World Cup at Stadium Australia, Sydney

SEPTEMBER

September 4-12: Two-match international window for the All Whites.

September 18-26: Two-match international window for the Football Ferns.

OCTOBER

October 9-17: Two-match international window for the All Whites.

October 23-31: Two-match international window for the Football Ferns.

NOVEMBER

November 10-December 2: FIFA U-17 World Cup, Peru.

November 13-21: Two-match international window for the All Whites.

November 27-December 5: Two-match international window for the Football Ferns.

MARCH

March 18-26: Two-match international window for the All Whites.

June: Oceania Nations Cup (to be confirmed)

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