NUAFC 1968-2018

the holding pens dressed as sheepdogs, rustling the
stock! They were, at one stage, caught on the training
field at AFFCo by Club Coach Dave Hall. They had painted 15
ewes green and were in the process of selling them as 1st
Division players!
As avid duck hunters they often returned from the
wilds with a mixed bag of trophies - ducks, geese, Dan's dog, the
ginger torn from next door, headless decoys and two of Rod Hill's
toes!
Since invading Narra United they have moved
into the spheres of infamy through poaching balls,
stealing goals and shooting up the pitch. As to their present
whereabouts it is believed they are under cover as aspiring unretired
players. It has bee n f ou nd t hat the se men a re
dangerous and, if encountered in the clubrooms all are
advised to take care.
These men are dangerous to the unsuspecting and
will often ply victims with treble rums, tequilla s u n r i s e s
a n d o u z o d y n a m i t e , rendering them comatose
before making their escapes.
wind, the inevitable happened and they were both banned
from the club for a week until the smell had worn off!
IAN PRETSWELL
GEOFF HARMAN
Known as Noodles from his job as a cook in the Army
Geoff played for Rotorua Schoolboys for 8 years until he was 14
then had a breather before jo in in g th e mil it a ry a t 1 6. He
subsequently made his name playing for the Army team until
sidelined for a season with injury.
While on a Singapore posting he turned out for
Army against The H igh Commission side and the
Embassy side. When not on duty p oi s o ni n g t he l oc a l
t r o o p s h e sidelined as a rickshaw boy where he m e t a n d
m a r r i e d o n e o f h i s passengers, Ivy (although he claims
they met in a paddy field while planting rice).
He joined Narra in '81 and soon made the
Northern League. Since then he has been trying to model his
wife (oops, life) on the Swedish Chef from the Muppets.
GEORGE SUNNEX
An ex-schoolboy Rugby League player who
graduated to the round-ball code when one year they ran out of
Easter Eggs and had to make do with blackballs. George's
early life interest was in wrestling heifers and he became the
South Pacific All Star Heifer & Bull Skipping Champion.
He was introduced to the great outdoors by a
great Aunt in Jumping Jim McCaig and Richard Saville
w h e n t h e y p l a y e d f o r t h e Wheeltappers and
Shunters Club. He was a founder member of Narra in 1969 and
was awarded Player of the Year in 1970. As no trophy was
available (the club was too poor), Janet cooked a haggis and
mounted it over the fireplace. It would have been there to this
day but Ian Miller discovered it and ate it.
George could always be heard on the field calling for the
ball, and once he called for it in a Northern League match,
forgetting he was a spectator!
I n t h e e a r l y d a y s b e f o r e t h e clubrooms he
was in charge of the outdoor khazi's and one evening as he
struggled with Glen Gray to empty a very full container in a high
Born in Sidney and was growing well until a kangaroo
landed on him once (or was it twice?). Because of this, Ian's
reading ability slowed down, so this column is being typed slowly
so Ian can read it.
His eyesight wasn't the best either. That is why he
was called Fractured Fender.
Of Scottish extraction Pretz was a staunch soccer
man and started out by kicking a haggis about. Known as t h e
K e n n y D a l g l i s h o f t h e Kindergarten he had to keep his
legs covered as better were seen holding up a table.
He played schoolboy soccer in Oz before coming to
NZ in 1966 on a wayward surfboard f rom Bondi Beach. He
played for Claudlands and Wanderers (earning player of the
Year at both clubs) before joining the Green machine as a
midfielder and the resident Thunderjaws.
He ability to kick with both feet had to be seen to be
believed but, as no one had ever seen him do it, it was not
believed!
NELSON GRANDONNA
Known locally as Poppa he was called Polio (meaning
'chicken') in Chile.
Nelson played as a youngster in Chile with Dynamo and
had a season in Canada playing for an Italian side where, in
one game the elastic of his shorts gave way, creating a draught in
his nether regions.
He came to NZ in '79 and played for Fraser the year the
great Donnybrook erupted. he subsequently joined Narra as he
thought the standard of Kung Fu was higher.
His job as a welder at Gallagher Engineering lead to his
knees being further apart than his ankles through sitting astride
gas bottles.
Nelson showed the club how he could bend the ball on
the field and bend the elbow over the bar.
NACHO REYES
N a ppe r ( o r B oy o) w as bo rn in Valparaiso
(Chile) and was soon to b ec o me kn o wn as t he C hil e an
Chihuahua.
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