CLUB HISTORY

1913 - 1920

Western AFC’s roots can be traced back to a small group of boys from West Christchurch District High School, who defied their headmaster’s wishes and started up a football team.

The boys who had played football at primary school trained the side, which included many players who had never seen football played before.

They challenged St Bedes for the first game, defying the wishes of the school’s headmaster who then threatened to expel one of the organisers, Jim Barr.

The team included Barr, George Lockwood, Jack Wilkinson, Eric Nicols, Eric Johnson, Jeff McGree, Jim Smith and Bob Burgess, who supplied the ball which was apparently so ancient it had developed its own unique shape.

The first year they played as West Christchurch District High against a few other schools, but because the headmaster refused to allow them to use the school’s name for Association matches on Saturdays, they used the name ‘Swifts’ from 1914.

Though they received no assistance from the school, they were helped by the Canterbury Football Association, and went on to win the school’s Saturday competition in 1914.

Perhaps not surprisingly, the headmaster changed his mind after the triumph and allowed the school’s name to be engraved on the trophy!

In 1915 the team changed its name from Swifts to Western AFC and in doing so changed the team strip from a black jersey with a red sash to a black jersey with the school monogram.

A team was entered for the first time in the fourth grade, as well as the school’s competition, but both teams were unplaced in 1915 and 1916.

The 1917 final for the Hurley shield was played at North Park between the two leading teams in the junior competition, Western and Excelsior, and was won 2-0 by Excelsior. At the time, the Hurley Shield was presented to junior competition winners, until 1920 when it became the trophy for the senior competition.

Western improved their performance to win the Hurley Shield in both 1918 and 1919, and were duly promoted to the senior competition in 1920.

As many of the players had by now left West Christchurch District High, it was decided to open team membership to players from outside the school to keep the team going. To do this, the club’s constitution had to be altered in 1919, and the club’s present constitution dates from that year.

The club’s patron, and future headmaster of the school was FD Waller, who donated the Waller Medal, presented to the most helpful junior player each year.

As a teacher at West District High School, Mr Waller had been supportive of the team from the very beginning.

One of the club’s strongest supporters at this time was George Smith, father of the Smith boys who feature prominently in the club’s history.

The first president of the club was EH Andrews, who later became Mayor of Christchurch.

By 1920, Western was well established as a top senior club in Christchurch and the future looked bright.

Even though they were unplaced in 1920, the top team played well enough to change the minds of players in other senior teams who thought Western would find their first year in the top flight too difficult.

Pictured below - Western's Senior Team in 1920

1921 - 1930

After being promoted to the senior competition for the 1920 season, Western had a settling in period this decade.

In the 1921 and 1922 seasons they were again unplaced but played well and the club was building all the time. Junior teams were being started and supporters were being attracted.

Western’s first real taste of cup final play came in 1923 when they reached the English Cup knockout final against an experienced Rangers side. After an entertaining 1-1 draw, Rangers won the replay 1-0.

But they would get another chance in the English Cup two years later, this time winning the final 2-0 against Nomads, another top side at the time. It was the start of a roll for the club.

In 1926 they beat Nomads in the Charity Shield, which was played between the winners of the Hurley Shield and English Cup holders, and in the same year Western won the fifth grade competition.

In 1927 Western was runners-up in the Hurley Shield, but the following year was the club’s best to date.

They went one better, winning Hurley Shield senior competition and reaching the top of Christchurch club football for the first time.

They couldn’t repeat the feat in 1929, finishing runners up, but they claimed the English Cup knockout title for the second time.

It was a similar story in 1930, finishing second in the Hurley Shield and being joint holders of the English Cup with Thistle.

The decade had been a struggle at the start, but the club was humming by the end of it and on its way to a successful future.

Pictured above - The 1939 Western Senior Team - Hurley Shield and English Cup champions and Chatham Cup runners-up.

1931 - 1940

Things were building nicely heading into the 1930s and the decade would see Western heap plenty of rewards, both locally and, for the first time, nationally.

The 1931 season saw Western win both the Charity and English Cups, a feat they repeated in 1932 as well as claiming the Richard Cup and the St Albans Memorial Shield, with senior, junior, fourth and sixth grade teams entered.

The following year the fourth and sixth grade teams both moved up a grade, but only the junior team tasted success, winning the St Albans Memorial Shield again.

They repeated the success in 1934, before the senior team returned to winning ways in 1935, winning both the Hurley Shield and the English Cup.

As good as that was, it was merely an entrée for the main course in 1936, the club’s most successful year to date.

Not only did Western retain the Hurley Shield and English Cup, but they also dominated on a national scale, winning the coveted Chatham Cup national knockout competition for the first time.

They triumphed over Auckland side Thistle in the final, 3-2, making Western the top club in New Zealand. The trophy was presented by the Governor-General, Viscount Galway, in front of a crowd of more than 4000 people at the Basin Reserve.

Nobody was more proud than Doug Pearston, club captain, selector and trainer of the team. Western’s senior team went on to complete the season without defeat in any competition.

Six players were members of the Canterbury representative side and two – Stan Cawtheray and Merv Gordon also played for New Zealand.

The following year, no less than seven Western players were included in the Canterbury/West Coast team to play the touring England team.

Gordon Smith was the only player to score a goal against England, who presented him with a gold medal!

In 1937, Western also won the English Cup, were joint holders with Technical of the Charity Cup, and claimed the Fourth Grade Shield and the White Cup.

It was always going to be difficult to maintain that sort of momentum in 1938, but they did, winning the league and regaining the Hurley Shield as well as retaining the English Cup.

They did the double again in 1939 and rounded off a superb decade in fantastic fashion in 1940, winning the Hurley Shield, English Cup, Charity Cup as well as the St Albans Memorial Shield.

Pictured below - A Western Senior Team photo from the late 1930s.

Pictured above - The Western Family - a club photo from the late 1940's.

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1941 - 1950

Western started this decade as it finished the last – with a swag of titles.

They won the Hurley Shield, English Cup and Charity Shield in 1941, now having held the English Cup since 1935.

The English Cup run ended in 1942, but the league success continued.

The season started with a 7-1 victory over Nomads – Jack Smith scored six – and later in the season Western set a new senior record with an 18-3 thumping of Thistle.

The famous Smith family combined to score 15 of the goals!

The league-cup double was again completed in 1943, but the seniors finished second to Thistle in 1944 despite boasting three of the top four scorers in the league.

1945 saw history repeat again as Western won the English Cup, Hurley Shield and, for the second time, the Chatham Cup – repeating the feats of the 1936 treble-winning team.

In a thrilling final at the Basin Reserve in Wellington, Western scored an extra time 4-3 victory over local side Marist, capping a great season which saw them score 72 goals and concede just 19 in the league.

The seniors marched on in 1946, beating Shamrock 17-2 on the way to winning the league and cup again.

Four Smith brothers – Gordon, Jack, Roger from Western and Vic from Technical – were chosen to represent Canterbury.

South Africa toured in 1947, and Merv Gordon and Gordon Smith were both selected in the New Zealand team which lost all four internationals, but there was better news on the local front with another Hurley Shield triumph.

The following year, Western would underline their dominance by going through the league season unbeaten, winning all 14 matches while scoring 61 goals – an average of about 4.5 per game – and conceding just 15.

After going through the 1947 and 1948 seasons without success in the English Cup – an eternity given the success of Western in this competition during the past two decades – the trophy returned to the club in 1949 with a 4-2 victory over Technical in the final.

However, Tech would win the league, the first of four consecutive titles for them, from 1949 – 1952.

Pictured below - A club social during the 1940s.

Pictured above - The 1955 Western Senior Team, winners of everything that year!

1951 – 1960

The 1950s was easily the best and brightest decade in the Western’s over 100-year old history, highlighted by eight consecutive Hurley Shield titles between 1953 and 1960, a third (1952) and fourth (1955) Chatham Cup triumph as well as back-to-back English Cup knockout titles in 1954 and 1955.

The club had no less than eight national team representatives and 26 players who featured at provincial level for Canterbury.

We should also note that in the two years Western didn’t win the league, in 1951 and 1952, they finished runners-up and there was still silverware to celebrate both seasons.

In 1951 the Charity Cup was secured with a 3-1 victory over Technical, while in 1952 Western and North Shore shared the Chatham Cup after playing out a 1-1 draw in this final. One of the reasons there was no replay of the final was because John White and Andy Davis headed overseas with the New Zealand team on the Monday.

1953 saw the beginning of the great Hurley Shield run, Western toppling Technical who had held the trophy for the past four years.

The next year they retained the Shield, added the English Cup to the trophy cabinet, and almost made it another treble-winning season, but for a 1-0 loss to Auckland club Onehunga in the final.

However, that third treble in 20 years would come the following season, in 1955, when Western matched the feats of the 1936 and 1945 teams by winning the Hurley Shield, English Cup and the Chatham Cup, with a crushing 6-2 victory over Auckland’s Eastern Suburbs.

Winger Peter Saunderson became the seventh player to score a hat-trick in a final, while Western’s total of six goals equaled Waterside’s tally from the 1940 final.

In 1956 Western again won the Hurley Shield, while the Chatham Cup-winning captain Fred Haydon decided to resign so he could coach rivals Nomads.

He stated at the time that his move was motivated by a desire to see other clubs in Canterbury brought up to Western’s standard, so more interesting and even games would hopefully result. Despite this, Western would go on to win the Hurley Shield again in 1957 and 1958, though the latter was a close-run affair. Technical had a one-point lead and only needed a draw from the final match, but Western prevailed 1-0 at English Park to make it six on the trot, then seven with another victory in 1959.

By this time Tony Laffey, who captained both Canterbury and New Zealand, had retired from representative football but continued to lead Western’s charge, providing experience and cool judgement to a team sprinkled with young players.

Western won the Hurley Shield for the eighth time in succession in 1960, by one point from Christchurch City, after a title-clinching 5-2 victory over Technical Old Boys.

Pictured below - A Western Junior team from 1951.

​​​​​​​1961 – 1970

Western’s domination of the Hurley Shield, winning the previous eight titles, ended in rather meek fashion in 1961 when they finished one spot above last as Technical tasted success for the first time since 1952.

But it was business as usual in 1962 when Western won one of the most thrilling finishes ever to the league season.

Western, Shamrock and Nomads were all level on points heading into the final round, which saw Western play Nomads and Shamrock against City in a double header at English Park.

Shamrock won the opening match, 4-2, and Western was in deep strife when it fell behind to Nomads 2-1 with just five minutes remaining.

But Terry Haydon found an equalizer and 18-year-old Martin Clements, in his first senior season, scored a dramatic winner in the final seconds to make it 3-2. Western had beaten Shamrock to the title by 0.125 of a goal.

Western had to surrender the Hurley Shield the following year, to a strong Nomads side, ending the Western-Technical dominance which stretched back to the mid-1940s! But there was some consolation – they won the new O’Brien’s tournament, and were rewarded with 50 pounds and 11 pairs of new boots. The following year heralded somewhat of a changing of the guard, with Christchurch City starting what would be a five-year reign as Hurley Shield champions from 1964 – 1968.

Western was hot on their heels in 1964, the team’s last season in black shorts with white sleeves before switching to red and white, but couldn’t reel City in. The highlight of the season was the selection of striker Derek Torkington for the New Zealand team which played the touring Swiss Club side FC Basel, and then embarked on a world tour at the end of the year.

There were further runner-up finishes in 1965 and 1966, the latter being a memorable year in that it was the last time Western made a Chatham Cup final.

A shot which rolled in off the post early in the second half gave Wellington club Miramar Rangers a 1-0 victory before about 4000 people.

In 1968, Western was included in the new Southern League but finished eighth in 10 teams, with seven wins and 11 losses under coach-player Phil Frost.

The same number of wins, plus six draws, saw them improve to fifth in 1969 under Vic Smith, who had a strong family representation from Brian, Murray, Stuart, Dave and Wayne.

While Christchurch United ventured into the new National League in 1970, Western was eighth in the Southern League with only four wins.

1971 – 1980

A new decade and another new coach for Western’s top team, with Ed Brownlee taking charge, but they finished eighth of 10 teams in the Southern League, again with just four wins.

However, 1972 saw a massive improvement with Western finishing runners-up to Invercargill City, their best effort in the Southern League, with an eight-win, six-draw, four-loss record. Western’s defence was the tightest in the league, conceding 20 goals, while Gary Morton led the way at the other end with nine goals.

They slipped to sixth the following year and in 1974 were fourth of eight teams in the northern division of the Southern League, which was split into north and south divisions because of a fuel crisis.

The same year saw Western have its best Chatham Cup run for years, reaching the last 16, while goalkeeper Richard Wilson made the national under-21 team and Murray Smith, with 55 goals in 118 matches, became the league’s top scorer.

Wilson moved to Christchurch United the following year, which saw Western finish fourth of 10 teams after a return to a ‘travelling’ league. We won’t mention a 7-1 first round loss to Technical in the Chatham Cup!

In 1976, only four of the 20 players who featured in the previous year remained. As a result, Brownlee, in his final season, relied heavily on under-19 players. Add into the mix a couple of injuries to key senior players, and it was no surprise that Western was relegated from the Southern League with just one win, four draws and 13 losses.

The club didn’t dwell long in the second division north, though – under new coach Tony Harvey the senior side won 16 matches, drew three and lost just three to surge to its first title since the Hurley Shield triumph in 1962. Adrian Kersten scored 14 goals. There were Southern League playoff wins against Queens Park (2-1) in the semifinal and Mosgiel (3-2) in the final.

Back in Southern League football again, Western was fourth of 10 teams in 1978 and 1979, before a return to the north and south-zoned competition in 1980. Twelve wins, four draws and just two losses left the club second in the north, just two points behind winners Woolston.

But there was success in the English Cup for the first time since 1967, under new coach Tommy Thoms.

Pictured above - Western's first division team of 1988 - cup champions and league runners-up.

1981 – 1990

The 1980s certainly won’t go down as the finest decade in Western’s illustrious history, certainly not as far as the senior team was concerned, although several lower division teams were successful in their league and cup competitions.

The early signs were good. Following a second placing in 1980, Western was third in the north zone of the Southern league in 1981 with a respectable 11 wins, three draws and just four losses.

They dropped to sixth of 12 teams the following year, under new coach Keith Jones, and reached the last 16 of the Chatham Cup before being knocked out by eventual winners Dunedin City.

But the league slide continued in 1983, finishing seventh in the north zone with just six wins, before falling to ninth of 10 teams in 1984, a season which included a spectacular 6-3 extra time loss to Rangers in the Chatham Cup.

Ninth again it was in 1985 as the coaching merry-go-round continued, before dropping to 10^th and last in 1986. Despite these results, Western was included in a return of the “travelling league” in 1987 and were sixth of eight teams.

During the past four seasons, the seniors had won 16 of 68 Southern League matches.

1988 was an excellent year, though, with a first English Cup triumph in eight years (it would be another 13 years before they tasted success in that particular competition again) and a solid showing in the Southern League, finishing thirst after 10 wins, four draws and four losses.

Unfortunately, there were just 10 wins in 36 league matches across the next two years, with a fifth placing in 1989 and ninth (of 10 teams) placing in 1990.

As for the Chatham Cup, the run to the last 16 in 1982 was easily the best effort in this decade.

Pictured below: The 14th grade team of 1985 - club team of the year after winning 17 of 18 matches (the other match was drawn). Note a certain Nathan Astle, of later cricket fame, in the middle row.

Pictured above - The first division team of 1992 - cup winners and league runners-up.

1991 – 2000

The 1990s was perhaps the most confusing decade in New Zealand domestic football, with too many versions of the national league trialled (and failed) which had a flow on effect to the regions.

Western’s senior team continued where it left off and had a poor run in the Southern League in 1991 and 1992, winning nine of 36 matches in finishing sixth and ninth.

They then dabbled, unsuccessfully, in the first national superclub competition in 1993, finishing 10^th and last in the southern region with one win, three draws and 14 losses.

Intriguingly, at the same time Western’s lower grade teams were thriving and the club was awarded the Walker Cup for the most successful club in Canterbury in both 1991 and 1992.

In 1992, for example, the Tuggers won the second division league and cup, the first division team won the cup, and fourth and fifth division teams won their leagues, and the 1992 third division team won the league, knockout cup and team of the year title with a perfect 18 wins from 18 matches (goals for 102, goals against 11)!

The success prompted the construction of a trophy cabinet with funds left over from the club’s 75^th anniversary celebrations in 1988 and an article in The Press, though there was plenty of ribbing from rival clubs who felt the cabinet wasn’t necessary!

The Southern League wasn’t vintage in the mid-90s as the national superclub competition drained the best players, but Western thrived in the northern zone, finishing runners-up in 1994 (to New Brighton) and 1995 (to Nomads) and third in 1996, when Timaru’s Northern Hearts were crowned champions.

They were also second in 1997. During this four-year period, Western won 42 league matches and lost only 10.

The introduction of the Mainland Premier League in 1998 saw Western finish fourth, second and fifth in the first three years, with a winning record in each season.

Western’s best Chatham Cup run of the decade came in 1992, ironically in the same year that they finished ninth of 10 teams in the Southern League.

They made it all the way to the quarterfinals, defeating Canterbury University, Nomads United, Caversham and Dunedin Technical before a 2-1 loss to Wellington giant killers Tawa in the quarters.

A young man by the name of Aaran Lines emerged through the Western first team in the early part of the 90s and went onto receive a scholarship at German professional club Werder Bremen, the former club of All Whites legend Wynton Rufer, who helped to set up the connection.

Lines would represent the All Whites, featuring at the 1999 Confederations Club, and is these days a highly successful coach in the United States.

Pictured directly below - The all conquering division two men's team of 1996. 

Pictured bottom - The 1999 Western senior team - runners-up in the Canterbury Premier League

Pictured above - Western's 2003 senior and first teams, including future All White Aaron Clapham.

2001 – 2013

The senior men’s team hasn’t had a lot of silverware in this decade and a bit – aside from a couple of English Cup triumphs – but it has been a model of consistency.

Only twice – in 2008 and 2012, has Western’s flagship team finished the Mainland Premier League with a losing record.

They made it to the fifth round of the Chatham Cup four times – in 2001, 2007, 2010 and 2012 – with the best run coming in 2004. It ended with a 2-1 quarterfinal loss to Wellington’s Miramar Rangers, the eventual champions.

The main success story of the decade, though, was the women’s senior team, which won the Mainland league in 2007 and 2009, and were runners-up in the 2008 national knockout cup, the women’s equivalent to the Chatham Cup.

They were also semi finalists in this competition in 2009, the same year they won the league with a 12-win, three-draw one-loss record (55 goals for, 15 against) under coaches Graham Allan and Alana Gunn.

Their success in 2009 played a major part in Western being awarded the Walker Trophy again for club of the year.

In the same year, the senior men finished second in the Mainland Premier League to Woolston Technical, with a seven-win, four-draw, three-loss record, conceding just 10 goals in 14 matches. It was the third time in the decade they had finished runners-up in the league, also doing so in 2005 and 2007.

Otherwise, fourth or fifth seemed to be the order of the decade – upper to mid-table finished with winning records but no serious tilts at the title.

There were a couple of English Cup successes, though, in 2001 and 2005, the latter after a thrilling final against Nomads at English Park.

There were four goals in the final seven minutes, with Ben Hughes scoring the winner two minutes into stoppage time to hand Western a 3-2 win after he made a jinking run down the right, cut inside and rifled a shot into the corner of the net.

It was just reward having finished second in the league that season.

Three years earlier, Hughes was one of five Western players – the others being Dave Mawhinney, Craig McGill, Jamie Duncan and Ian Bell – to be part of the inaugural Canterbury United national league squad; Canterbury’s representative in the regional national league that exists today in the form of the ASM Premiership.

Midfield maestro Aaron Clapham was easily Western’s biggest and brightest product in this decade, having starred at national level for Canterbury United and become a regular in coach Ricki Herbert’s All Whites squads.

He was one of the few non-professionals to make the national squad for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, though unfortunately he didn’t get any game time as the All Whites drew 1-1 with Slovakia and Italy and 0-0 with Paraguay.

Pictured directly below - The senior and first team class of 2007. 

Pictured at bottom - Western Under-19 women's team of 2010.

Western's Glory Years Yield Plenty of Silverware

Western has a proud tradition in the Chatham Cup, the national club knockout competition, having won it four times between 1936 – 1955 and been runner-up on five occasions.

Only University Mt Wellington (seven times), North Shore United, Christchurch United (both six), Eastern Suburbs and Central United (both five) have won more titles.

When the club made its last appearance in a cup final, in 1966, it was the first club to have reached nine finals.

Here is a rundown on the nine Chatham Cup finals featuring Western: ​​​​​​​

1930 – Petone (Wellington) 2 WESTERN 1, at Wellington

According to reports, this was a fairly exciting final not withstanding the tough conditions.

Petone took a 1-0 lead into halftime courtesy of a Dave Craig goal as they made the most of the wind advantage in the second half, rain added to the wind to made conditions treacherous, but Clarrie Falloon equalized for Western who then thought they had taken the lead only to have a shot ruled out by the referee.

J. Dodds then grabbed the winner with only a handful of minutes remaining, and Petone became the first team to hoist up the cup for a second time.

Western: G Colville, E Colville, W Kelly, W Whittington, G Roberts, A Ellis, F Bridgens, S Ellis, C Falloon, A McMillan, F Nelson.

1935 – Hospital (Wellington) 3 WESTERN 1, at Wellington

Western’s second final appearance again ended in disappointment with another loss to a Wellington side at the Basin Reserve.

Porirua side Hospital (Who would later be re-named Western Suburbs) scored after just nine minutes through W McGrory and Billy Woods added a second for halftime lead of 2-0, much to the delight of the 5500-strong crowd. A third was added from the penalty spot by A Gibb mid-way through the second half and although Merv Gordon dragged a goal back for Western, it was too little, too late to alter the outcome.

Western: J White, S Cawtheray, J Henderson, R Henderson, A Henderson, M Gordon, B Ellis, G Smith, W White, W Ives.

1936 – WESTERN 3 Thistle (Auckland) 2, at Wellington

It was to be the third time lucky for Western in Chatham Cup finals, with a breakthrough victory in dramatic circumstances.

Bill White put Western 2-0 up after half an hour, the first strike from the penalty spot, but Fred Angus halved the deficit for Thistle before halftime and got the Aucklanders back on level terms at 2-2 in the second half with his second goal, achieved after they had been reduced to 10 men because of injury (this was in the days before substitutes were permitted).

But the scores were only level briefly, as Geoff Ellis added a third and ultimately decisive goal for Western who withstood a barrage of Thistle attacks in the final minutes and clung on for a mighty win.

Western: J White, S Cawtheray, A McMillan, A Henderson, M Gordon, G Roberts, W White, G Ellis, G Smith, W Ives, E Hall.

1939 – Waterside (Wellington) 4 WESTERN 2, at Wellington

Waterside became the first team to successfully defend the trophy – something they were to again achieve the following year – and Waterside’s Sonny Ward became the first player to score in two successive finals as goals to Harry Galbraith and Roger Smith were not enough to earn Western a second cup title.

Western: P Brooks, S Cawtheray, A McMillan, C Anderson, M Gordon, G Roberts, A Almond, R Smith, G Smith, J Smith, H Galbraith.

1945 – WESTERN 4 Marist (Wellington) 3 (after extra time), at Wellington

Marist led 1-0 at halftime but the match livened up in the second half, and climaxed in the final minutes.

Trailing 2-0 with 25 minutes remaining, Western scored twice through Jack Smith to force extra time, the second goal coming just seconds before the final whistle.

An own goal from Merv Gordon – the first officially recorded as such in a Chatham Cup final – again handed Marist the advantage in extra time but that was wiped out when Ray Dowker equalized at 3-3.

Smith then struck the winner, from the penalty spot, to win the game and notch his hat-trick at the same time.

Western: A Laing, G Graham, A Green, C Anderson, M Gordon, G Roberts, A Almond, J Druker, G Smith, J Smith, R Dowker.

1952 – WESTERN 1 North Shore (Auckland) 1 (after extra time, joint winners), at Wellington.

The cup was shared for the only time in its history after this thrilling final in 1952.

Western scored early through Noel Joseph and dominated the match but, with 10 minutes remaining, Herb Moyle scrambled an equaliser and extra time was required.

The additional 30 minutes were scoreless.

In the days prior to penalty shootouts and replays, tied matches were decided on the number of corners won, and it was only through the very last kick of the game that Western gained a corner to level the count.

With the score and number of corners equal, it was decided that the trophy would be shared. As a result, replays were introduced to settle tied finals, with the first replay being played in 1970.

Western: J Smith, F Bradley, J Austin, J Longmuir, D Mackie, J White, N Joseph, A Davis, K Olley, S Eastham, R Smith.

1954 – Onehunga (Auckland) 1 WESTERN 0, at Wellington

Western was denied a fourth Chatham Cup title when Onehunga claimed what remains their one and only success, at Wellington’s Basin Reserve.

A certain R McCullough is down on the scoresheet as having scored the winner for Onehunga though Western goalkeeper Sam Guillen, whose main claim to fame was as a cricketer who played for both New Zealand and the West Indies, has a different recollection.

“We lost 1-0 but they didn’t score,” he told The Press newspaper while being quizzed about his football background.

“The ball came in and our defender (Fred) Haydon went to go for the ball. I said, ‘leave it, leave it,’ but he didn’t, and he sliced it into the top corner.”

Western: S Guillen, F Bradley, F Haydon, C Banham, A Laffey, S Ralph, M Shardlow, J Longmuir, P Cole, J White, P Saunderson.

1955 – WESTERN 6 Eastern Suburbs (Auckland) 2, at Wellington

Western made exceptional use of a howling Wellington southerly at their backs in the first half, racing to a seemingly unbeatable 4-0 lead.

John White and Alex Davis both scored in the opening 12 minutes, with Peter Saunderson and Stan Ralph also getting their names on the scoresheet before halftime in the second stanza, Suburbs mounted a comeback and reduced the deficit to two, before winger Saunderson scored a further brace to seal a Western win.

Saunderson became the seventh player to score a hat trick in a Chatham Cup final, Western’s total of six goals equaled Waterside’s tally from the 1940 final, and the aggregate of eight goals also equaled the record set in that final.

Western: J Voogt, F Haydon, M Shardlow, J Longmuir, A Laffey, S Ralph, P Cole, A Davis, J White, K Olley, P Saunderson.

1966 – Miramar Rangers (Wellington) 1 WESTERN 0, at Wellington

Miramar had what was regarded the stronger of the two teams in the final, but Western made the most of the play in a gritty but largely uninspiring 90 minutes, coming close to scoring on several occasions at the Basin Reserve.

There was a disallowed goal and another shot that hit the woodwork, but as the game progressed Rangers came into their own and would strike the decisive blow through a Les Taylor shot which hit the upright before ricocheting into the net.

Western: D Smith, P Frost, T Mann, T Haydon, D Almond, T Langan, C Martin, M Clements, A Treadwell, A Brooks, D Torkington.

​​​​​​​Western Shows Off Depth

Silverware at the very top level might have eluded Western more often than not in the past two decades, but a club is only as strong as its depth and the Walker Cup provides a perfect benchmark.

Presented to the Canterbury Football Association (now Mainland Football) in 1991 by then CFA president Des Walker and his son, Bert, the cup was designed to reward the top club in the region with the best overall record at the end of the season.

The formula for determining the winner is simple – the total placings (men’s and women’s teams) for a club with three or more teams are added up and the tally is divided by the total number of teams.

The winner is the club with the lowest average score.

Fittingly, Western won the cup for the first three years it was presented, and after a hiatus has shown its recent strength across all grades by winning the cup every year it has been presented since 2007, though it wasn’t awarded in 2008.

We say fittingly because of Bert Walker’s long involvement with Western; he is a long-time player, coach and administrator, not to mention life member and chairman of the centenary committee! So Western is currently well and truly the pre-eminent club in Christchurch across all the grades. And the club’s eight Walker Cup wins to date are more than double the next best clubs. Technical and Rangiora, who have won it three times.

The Legacy of Western’s Most Famous Family Lives On

The Smith family and Western AFC go together a bit like Ryan Nelsen and the All Whites. It’s no coincidence, then, that they are all so strongly connected.

The famous Smith family was synonymous with Western’s success in the first half of its century, and they proved to be the gift that kept on giving to New Zealand football, too. Long after the famous Smith brothers had hung up their boots, one of their grandsons, a certain Ryan Nelsen, blazed another trail for New Zealand, becoming the first Kiwi to establish himself in the English Premier League and then captaining his country to a unprecedented three draws at the 2010 World Cup.

In his 2010 book Ryan Nelsen’s Road to the World Cup, Nelsen, who will go down alongside Wynton Rufer as one of the true greats in New Zealand football history, talks in depth about the connection with Western’s most famous family, describing his journey to the World Cup as “completing the family circle”.

There were seven Smith brothers, Jim, Gordon, Bob, Jack, Roger, Vic and Don – and such was their influence as players and coaches at Western from the 1920s till the 1960s, the club was popularly known as ‘Smith United’.

Their time at Western coincided with the club’s halcyon days – four Chatham Cup titles, five other final appearances, and too many Hurley Shield and English Cup titles to list on one page.

All played for the Western senior team except for Vic, who coached the side after retiring as a player with Technical. Six of the seven brothers played for Canterbury and three – Gordon, Roger and Vic – played for New Zealand.

Jim, the eldest, was a foundation member of Western, which rose from the Swifts club in the late – 1910s.

Many of the brothers went on to coaching and administrative roles with Western, and some had sons who went onto represent the club, such as Jack’s son Mark Smith, naturally a center forward.

There are many famous stories about the Smiths, like the season four of them combined for 120 goals, or the time Gordon (six) and Jack (four) combined for 10 out of 11 goals Western scored against Rangers in 1944. The following year Jack (seven) and Gordon (four) scored 11 of 12 goals in a match against Shamrock.

Often three, four or five Smiths appeared in a Western forward line at once, terrorizing opposing defences with their natural understanding of each other’s play.

Jack was as prolific as any of them, but he suffered an injury which eventually led to him playing as a goalkeeper. He scored a hat-trick when Western won the Chatham Cup in a 4-3 extra time thriller over Wellington club Marist in 1945, and was goalkeeper seven years later when Western and North Shore shared the cup after a 1-1 draw!

Bob was Ryan Nelsen’s grandfather, and died suddenly at age 50, 11 years before his famous grandson was born. Nelsen picks up the story of the “fairly famous football family” in his 2010 book.

“The clan enjoyed a lot of success in the Chatham Cup,” wrote Nelsen, 35, who retired from football to coach Toronto FC in America’s Major League Soccer. “Gordon won his first Chatham Cup medal for Western in 1936, Bob and Gordon played together when Western lost to Waterside in the 1939 final with my grandfather scoring a goal – a penalty. After the war, Gordon, Jack and Roger were in the Western side which beat Marist in 1945.

“Seven years later Jack was in goal (following the previously mentioned injury) and Roger was also in the Western side which drew 1-1 with North Shore in the only Chatham Cup stalemate in 1952. Vic Smith played for another Christchurch club, Technical Old Boys, in three consecutive Chatham Cup finals before finally winning at the last attempt in 1948.

“I’ve heard it said that my grandad Bob was the most talented footballer in the Smith family. His brothers might have a different opinion, but that was the talk going around. But grandad’s football career ended prematurely when he was shot in both legs during the Second World War. He never got a chance to play alongside his brothers in a New Zealand shirt.

“After they were too old to play, the Smiths turned to coaching and administration. My grandfather coached Western and Wellington club Seatoun to five Chatham Cup finals between 1943 and 1967, winning four. Bob, Vic, Roger and Gordon all coached Canterbury and Gordon was a South Island-based New Zealand selector. Gordon and Jack were assistant managers of New Zealand teams at tournaments in Vietnam and New Caledonia.

“Bob, Jim and Jack were also prominent administrators. They all became New Zealand Football Association councilors, giving a total of 28 years service. Bob and Jack were very influential on the Canterbury Football Association and Bob became chairman of the NZFA in 1964. He was still serving in that role when he died. Who knows, had he lived he could still have been in charge when New Zealand entered the World Cup for the first time in 1969.

“The Smiths’ contribution to football didn’t end with grandad and his brothers.

“Gordon Smith’s son, Brian, played one game for New Zealand in 1967 and was probably pleased he got only as far as the bench for the 11-0 loss to Manchester United. Brian was on the losing side in the Chatham Cup final for Dunedin club St Kilda. Jim’s only son, David, was a goalkeeper for Canterbury and a reserve for New Zealand. He also played in a Chatham Cup final for Western. Vic’s son, Murray Smith (who scored 55 goals in 118 league matches for Western), and Mark Smith, son of Jack, were long-time Southern League players in Christchurch. My uncle Stuart Smith, Bob’s son, represented Canterbury and played Southern League for Western and Central League for Seatoun. He later coached Nelson United to win the Central League.

“Then I came along. My dad, Wayne Nelsen, is a rugby man, but it was probably inevitable my mother Christine’s family football heritage would prevail. Mums always win in the end.”

Western Women’s History

Football Fever Starts at Western – The First 15 Years

In July 1972, with the name Western Liberals, Western women’s team played its first game against a boys’ side at Western Park.

The Liberals had enough players for two teams and had ladies on the waiting list at the time, but it was not until 1974 that the women’s organized competitions began, with the introduction of an official league.

In 1976, Western got an honours board for the first time as the women’s second division team, known as the Western Wanderers, won its division.

The Wanderers finished the season unbeaten with 11 wins and two draws from 13 matches, scoring 40 goals and conceding just six. Leading goal-scorers for the Morris Parker-coached side were Julie Hammond, Paula Parker and Wendy Anderson. Eight years later, the women’s second division team was once again league champions, winning 12 of its 14 games under coach Kel Petersen. They were also runners-up in the division two knockout competition and winners of the Club Captain’s trophy for the best goal difference of the senior teams, which included men and women’s teams. The success continued with the women’s division four team – coached by Mike Lindsay – winning the league and knockout competition in the same year.

In 1986, the women’s premier league was divided into two. Western was placed in the lower division, but the team showed its ability by winning the grade under Lindsay’s coaching, and Lyn Griffiths was voted Canterbury player of the year.

The Women’s Game Continues to Grow – Last 25 Years (til 2013)

The last 25 years have seen many improvements to the standard of women’s games in Christchurch. Entering three and sometimes four or five teams into competitive leagues. Western teams have always been contenders for team and individual prizes, and pioneers for the development of the ladies’ game.

In 1990 Western’s fourth division team won the league by one point with a strong defensive record. It conceded just 13 goals all season, in a league closely contested by Hillsborough.

After a couple of seasons of mediocre performances by Western teams, and predominantly mid-table placing, in 1993, Western’s division two and three teams finished second and first place respectively. The second division team secured second place, by goal difference, after suffering only one defeat all season.

The following year was a disappointing season for all Western women’s teams. Both teams entered into competitions finished in last place.

Competitive leagues in 1997 prevented Western from taking the top spots, but the division one team was about to secure runner-up position.

Western returned to the winner’s circle in 2003 when the second division team comfortably won the league, going undefeated for the entire season, scoring 37 goals and conceding just eight.

There were major successes for the Western division three team three years later when it finished 14 points clear at the top of the table, scoring 96 goals and conceding only seven. The division one team was second while the premier team was third.

A strong premier league side won the league title in 2007, as well as making it to the women’s New Zealand Knockout Cup semifinal, where it lost to Glenfield Rovers from Auckland.

In 2008, for the first time in Western’s history, the women’s premier league team won its semifinal clash against Wellington club Seatoun and qualified for the New Zealand Knockout Cup final.

As the underdogs, the team went to Auckland to play seven-time winners and leading North Island side, Lynn Avon United. The final score was 6-2 in Lynn Avon’s favour.

The following year saw the premier league team reach the Knockout Cup semifinals again, this time losing out to Claudelands Rovers from Hamilton 3-2.

The busy season also included a runner-up trophy in the Rita Fitzgerald Cup and the league title.

The 2012 season saw a slow start by the women’s premier team, but hopes were revived by a decent run of wins mid-season.

The team was fiercely contesting second place until injuries and unavailability left it struggling for a good performance in its last few games. They finished the league in fourth place.

Fortunately, the division one and two teams had very different seasons. They convincingly won their leagues with strong and consistent performances from experienced players. The division three team finished in 3^rd place in a tight league table.

The 2013 season, Western’s premier league team has seen a wealth of new players join the squad.

The new manager and coach, Andy Ashworth, says he is expecting huge improvements on last years league results. “Western Ladies will be looking to push for major honours, including the NZ Knockout Cup.”

International Players Call Western Home

Western women’s teams have welcomed players with international experience and helped develop talent for national sides. Kelly Jarden, Sara Clapham, Dayna and Courtney Napa, and Lee Maoate-Cox are among those who have performed on the international stage.

Kelly Jarden

Kelly Jarden was a committed Western player. She was involved in many aspects of the club’s set-up and supported player development while pushing for better playing conditions and equality for the women’s teams. She was respected as a player and a coach, often taking on the role of both. Jarden played for the Football Ferns between 1997 and 2003 and achieved 13 caps to her credit. Former Western player Dayna Napa describes her as a tough player and coach, who was not only great at motivating individuals, but encouraged everyone to work well together, too.

Sara Clapham

Sara Clapham played for the Football Ferns under-17 side and later for the senior women’s team in 2004, notching up three well-earned official appearances. A year later, Clapham joined the Western line-up and made an impression as a high-scoring centre midfield player. Leaving once the season was over to continue her scholarship in the United States, she then returned to Western in 2009 and was a large part of the reason Western was able to secure the league title that year. Clapham was then asked to trial for Perth Glory’s women’s side.

She is not the only Clapham with soccer skills. Her brother, Aaron, also played for Western and is involved in the All Whites set-up, while her mother was a division one regular and father is a coach. “Western gave us good quality family time,” Clapham says.

Clapham is currently studying in Australia and no longer plays football due to a serious injury sustained during her first preseason game for Perth Glory. She will be unable to play football again. “I’d consider being a water girl for the right price though,” she says.

She still has fond memories of playing for Western. “The 2009 team was definitely the best club side in Christchurch I’ve played for in terms of talent and also people,” she says. “The club has an awesome atmosphere and good support from the men’s teams and vice versa.” She misses everything but the woolly socks.

Dayna Napa

Dayna Napa is a quick-footed striker and midfielder. Her sister, Courtney, is a sure-handed goalkeeper or reliable defender. They have had the honour of playing side-by-side for the Cook Islands national team. Dayna and Courtney were involved with Western teams for more than ten years, starting at the age of 12 (Dayna) and 9 (Courtney). Dayna made her first appearance for the national side in 2010 at the Oceania Women’s Nations Cup tournament in Auckland, and rejoined the team, with her sister, for the South Pacific Games in New Caledonia, 2011.

“I was in the starting 11 and played 90 minutes of every single game in both tournaments,” Dayna Napa says. Courtney Napa was diagnosed with severe dehydration in New Caledonia and was unable to play any official games but was fortunate enough to play a friendly against Tahiti towards the end of the team’s stay there.

My best experience playing for the Cook Islands was in 2010 when I scored my first international goal against Vanuatu – a one-on-one with the keeper that I slotted into the side of the goal,” says Dayna Napa.

“Playing for Western allowed me to keep up my football by training and playing games week in and week out,” Dayna says. “This was good since I couldn’t physically train and play with the Cook Islands training squad in Rarotonga.”

Lee Maoate-Cox

Inspired by the Napa sisters, Lee Maoate-Cox inquired into playing for the Cook Islands. With a good word from her team-mates Courtney and Dayna Napa, she was invited to a training camp weekend in Auckland. A month later, Maoate-Cox played her first games for Cook Islands against New Zealand. Papua New Guinea and New Caledonia in the Under-17 World Cup qualifying tournament. In the last game of the tournament, Maoate-Cox scored her first international goal, in a 3-0 win against New Caledonia “I still have the boots at home, the seams are ripped and they have tape wrapped all around them, but I refuse to let my mother chuck them out,” she says.

Maoate-Cox believes her achievements at an international level came from the support she felt as a young player at Western. “It was an awe-inspiring moment when I began to play for the Western premier team at 14,” she says. “I was in a squad with New Zealand representatives, ex-internationals, scholarship winners and so forth. To be playing alongside them was a fairly cool experience. It sparked my aspiration to play international.”

More Recent Success

Despite changes to the league’s set-up, Western’s first and second division teams persevered, worked hard and finished the 2012 season with league titles.

At the beginning of the season, due to disbanding of two teams, division one and two teams were combined into one larger league. Upon results, the league was halved – the top six teams became the new division one and the lower half made up division two.

“Taking the top two teams out of division two made it more of an even playing field for everyone,” Western women’s convenor and division two goalkeeper, Lana Thomas, says.

The second division team relies on the experience of its older players and the development of younger players. “Players like Katherine Hose have helped our team succeed. She’s learned a lot this season and worked on crossing the ball, running down the win and cutting in.”

Many of the division two players have been part of the Western set-up for many years. Thomas has been involved for 13 years, and Tracy Faithful, whose two daughters are now involved with Western teams, has given more than 15 years service to Western.

Thomas describes the division two side as a social group of friends that knows how to spend an afternoon in O’Sheas celebrating a well-deserved win.

The coach of the division one team has a group of core players. Long serving player Renee O’Neill, a central midfielder who finished as the second highest scorer in the league, and Tina Bosscher, who scored a total of 21 goals in the 2012 season and achieved the club’s golden boot, were key players in the team’s success, O’Neill says.

The division one team score more than 60 goals in the 2012 season and only conceded 10. The league title hinged on the team’s clash against Halswell. O’Neill says Western won 1-0. “After beating Halswell, it was as if our team had just won the FA Cup and Halswell looked as though they had lost it.”

Western’s Premier Team Makes History

Aimee Phillips recalls scoring in the national knockout cup final as a 16-year-old as one of her fondest moments in Western colours.

In 2008, for the only time in Western’s history, the women’s premier league team qualified for the cup final, eclipsing the team’s previous best showing as a semi-finalist.

After winning matches against Ferrymead Bays, Coastal Spirit, Northern and Seatoun, Western faced favourites Lynn-Avon United from Auckland in the final at North Harbour Stadium in Albany.

Western’s opposition had already won the competition 7 of the 14 times it has run by 2008, but Frank van Hattum, chairman of New Zealand Football, admitted to having a soft spot for Western, the underdog.

Much to the run of play, Lynn Avon secured the cup with a 6-2 win over a Western team that fought til the end.

“It was a fast-paced and intense game,” says Phillips, captain of Western’s premier league team in 2013. “They were shocked we even scored.”

Phillips, who scored in the final at the tender age of 16, describes It as one of her fondest Western moments. “When we scored, it was the greatest feeling,” she says. “Then we returned to Christchurch on the night of our prize giving and everyone was so happy for us because they knew we had battled hard.”

Western won the premier league title that year, an accomplishment Phillips attributes to the great team spirit.

“Every time we played you knew everyone had faith in each other and believed in their team-mates’ ability,” she says.

“It was a great atmosphere to be part of.”

“Kelly Jarden, who was the captain and coached us at the time, was the ultimate Western player; she was constantly pushing for the women’s teams to achieve more.”

‘Godfather’’ of Western Just Keeps on Going

Anyone interested in doing any research into club loyalty should have a chat with Tony Woods.

The Western life member has been around Westminster Park longer than anyone can remember.

Everyone who has worn the red and black colours over the past six plus decades would of bumped into “Woodsy” as he is affectionately known within the club.

Having started playing at the age of 9, the ‘Godfather of Western’ is this year (2013) into his 58^th season as a player. Indeed, 58 seasons of success and disappointment, 58 seasons of bumpy Western pitches, great goals and even greater yarns back in the clubrooms.

Tony says he has loved every minute of it and struggles to name what his favourite memory is. After a long pause he comes up with: “The people. I have been so lucky to meet some fantastic people at Western and in the wider football community,” says Tony, who is widely known around Christchurch footballers as the man behind summer football.

While he complains about his fading memory, Tony is really a living history book of Western.

Despite his age, the old warrior remembers details most club veterans have never heard of or long forgotten.

It all started back in 1955 when Western was still top dog in New Zealand football.

“I had a friend called Ray Richardson at Mairehau Primary who convinced several of us to join Western, who were the club of he neighbourhood,” remembers Tony.

“Mairehau was a real soccer school. They struggled to put a rugby team together but we were still not allowed to use the rugby pitch. We always had to make some goals with our jackets on a strip of grass next to the empty rugby field.”

His earliest memory is getting on his bike with his school mates on Saturdays to go to Hagley Park. “That’s where they played the junior games those days. It’s exactly the same place where we play summer football these days.”

After going home for lunch the boys would get back on their bikes to watch their heroes at English Park. “Those were the days that Western was one of the biggest clubs in the country. I remember those days very well watching the guys who had won Chatham Cups and every other trophy.”

Football dominated Tony’s life from an early age “because there wasn’t much else for young boys to do in those days.”

Tony never made headlines as a players but did have his fifteen minutes of fame. Literally, “I did made the first team, even if it was just for a couple of games, “laughs Tony. “Vic Smith was the coach and I came on for the last 15 minutes at English Park. That was my biggest moment,” laughs Tony.

Like so many players, the young midfielder slowly moved for the backs as the years progressed.

While playing in legendary teams like Tony’s Tuggers, the veteran filled just about every role in the club, from coach, committee member, team manager and club captain.

“But I’ve never  been president, or treasurer because they don’t trust me with the money.”

In his six+ decades at the club Tony trained and coached hundreds or possibly even thousands of young footballers and says he keeps bumping into people he used to coach when they were younger.

“Even in the over-45s team I am playing in nowadays I’ve got a teammate that I used to coach when he was only a little boy.”

That over-45s team last year (2012) won their league but trophies are clearly not top of Woodsie’s agenda. Anyone who has played against him can testify that his competitive spirit has never waned while on the pitch, but he struggles to name what other honours he has claimed.

Tony rather recalls the great characters and the numerous practical jokes that attracted him to the club. Most of them can not be printed.

Outside of Western, Tony is best known as the man who keeps football going in the summer. Last summer (2012), over 30 teams played the 26^th season of summer football which started back in 1977 “just because everyone was so unfit after the summer”.

“We started it with a wee group but when they fell out after the first year I was the only one left so I just carried on.”

From the humble beginnings, Tony’s initiative grew to a four-day-a-week competition with 32 teams. While other summer league have come and gone, the Hagley Park competition has survived “because we keep it simple”.

“We just asked teams to register teams not individuals and we kept it cheap. It is the cheapest football in the country.”

Canterbury and Mainland Football have been interested in taking over the reins “but they still wanted me to run it. So I said if you want to take over you can also have to run it. They weren’t interested in that.”

Tony will keep playing until his legs can no longer carry him so the Woods dynasty is likely to last a bit longer. Son Reuben has also been part of Western since he could walk.

“My other boy Jody was more interested in cars but Reuben is a football nut.

“The poor kid didn’t stand a chance.”

They Ain’t No Mugs

Morrie’s Mugs were born in 1975 but the team originated three years earlier, when a group of Papanui Workingmen’s Club cricketers wanted to play football together during the winter season.

With seven or eight players, the nucleus of the team was formed, with the rest being made up of players who had just joined the club.

Three years on and the Mugs are officially formed as a direct challenge to another team which a year earlier started calling themselves ‘Tonys Tuggers’. Social teams now had a place in the club under friendly non-de-plumes.

We were never the best footballing side, with a mixture of good players and not so good players, but boy did we have some great times, on and off the field. We won a few titles, but can’t remember what years, after the first one in 1980.

The mugs were an entity for 20 years but we believe the team essentially ceased to exist after 1995, when we started playing in the Masters grade the following year.

About half the Mugs started playing Masters; the rest of the team either gave it away or shifted off to other teams as they were underage.

Notable playing years for the Mugs include John Hinton (Piggy) along with Lester Brain (Kermit) who featured for 12 years, while Martin Walsh (Fozzy), Brian Johnston (Animal) notched 10 years.

John and Martin went on to play Masters and only gave the game away a few years back. I’m still playing but I need a zimmer frame to get around the field. That’s 41 years for me.

Notable trips that spring to mind are Queenstown and the West Coast. Mind you, we had a trip every year and with the amber liquid flowing, brain cells have become a bit blurred.

The annual game against the Tuggers was always a highlight of the season and after the 75^th jubilee in 1988, we only won once (although there were a few draws), 4-0 in 2002. There weren’t any games after that.

We’ve had a few on-field highlights in the Masters era. In 2005 we won the third division Masters league, and there were five Mugs in that team. Two years later we did the league-cup double in the over-45s and there were six Mugs in that team. Wally Cribb has played for the club for nigh on 50 years.

In Masters, we are all on zimmer frames, but we have great joy in still playing.

After games and training along with the odd beer and the comradeship, memories always come back and discussions take place, like, if this, if that, if he, if only.

By Morris Parker