NUAFC 1968-2018

Preface
Excuses
This 50-year compilation is a collection of
photographs, statistics and media reports obtained from
several sources.
Much we have acquired ourselves but other
sources have been used - such as the Northern League web
site by Barry Smith and some limited data from the local
WaiBoP (Waikato Bay of Plenty) footballing organisation.
It will be obvious that there are gaping holes in
the information contained herein. We, as a club, were not
well known for keeping early records and what we did keep
and recollect may not be 100% accurate.
Over the past six months there has been an
attempt, through Facebook, to update missing data. The
contributions of those who have responded is appreciated.
No doubt now that the history has been published more
data will come rushing to the front and the questions will
arise - “How come this was not included?”, “Where is the
information about .....?”. Such responses are to be
expected.
The book is a collection of data arranged into
years and is not necessarily organised consecutively within
those years. It is just a repository for the data that has
been uncovered/recovered/discovered.
Book Sections
The majority of pages contain collections of
information grouped into years from 1968 through to
2018.
This is followed by pages on Life Members,
Personality Parades and ending with an alphabetical listing
of all those who have been (or still are) club members. This
list contains the names and years that their membership
has been valid, Juniors and Seniors, Players and Nonplayers.
There will, unfortunately, be many names missing
from this collection.
Credits
The material contained herein has been
contributed by: John Bell, Brian Harding, Maxine Duffull,
Joe Templeton, Glen Gray, Brian Webb, Doreen Clancy,
Malcolm Burt, Charles Gorman Snr, Janet Sunnex, Dave
Hall, Ian Miller, George Sunnex, Charles Gorman Jnr,
Elizabeth Gorman, Paul Fitness, Barry Smith, Ryan Kerr-
Bell, WaiBoP, Auckland Football Federation, Lisa Williams,
Jared Williams, Ngaruawahia high School, The Huntly Press,
The Waikato Times, Kirsten Henckel.
At the very worst this book can be used as an
effective door-stopper or weight-training item!
v
Hi-Lights of 50 years
Ngaruawahia United was formed in 1968 by
Ngaruawahia High School engineering teacher Joe Templeton
(an ex-Sunderland goalkeeper), mainly from players attending
the High School.
However, due to a lack of numbers, no competition
was entered into until the 1969 season, when the team
competed in the Waikato B Division.
There has been uncovered newspaper accounts of a
club formed in Ngaruawahia in 1922 with several games played
locally, including Hamilton Wanderers. There are no records of
their functioning after 1923.
Amalgamation with Northern League neighbours
AFFCo Rangers in 1977 saw Ngaruawahia gain painless entry
into the Northern League 4th Division. Also in the same year
the two-storied clubrooms were built, almost entirely by the
club membership.
In the 1980s the club and council combined to
prepare “the tomato patch” as another playing surface and,
with the later hosting of Waikato FC over the 2008 -2009
summer season, Ngaruawahia had the beginnings of a very
good playing pitch.
“The Tomato Patch” was originally designated as
Cemetery land but, due to the almost impossible task of
digging graves through the dense clay layer beneath the
topsoil, the Ngaruawahia Borough Council permitted lease of
the land to a local farmer. Some use was made of the land but
its lack of drainage was a serious problem.
The club requested access to the area to form a third
playing pitch and was assisted by the Council with two D8
bulldozers in tandem pulling a single router tooth to disrupt
the clay and allow drainage channels to be inlaid.
Ngaruawahia moved up and down the Northern
League tables over the years between Div. 4 South and
Premiers.
A club highlight was reached in 1998 when the senior
team met Dunedin Technical in the Chatham Cup semi-finals
(losing 0-2) in Dunedin.
2006 saw the establishment of the club website and
the regular matchday programmes that were published
whenever the senior team has a home game. This became a
full-coloured 20-24 page magazine in the 2009 season, strongly
sponsored by the Ngaruawahia presence of Century 21 and
then in 2010 by Print House of Hamilton.
2009 saw the passing of Club Founder Joseph (Joe)
Templeton.
In 2012 we were assisted in the production of our
match-day bulletin by the Waikato District Council.
By the beginning of the 2012 season the website had
accumulated over 25,000 photos of teams and game shots.
In 2008 Centennial Park became the home ground of
the Waikato FC summer franchise. Improvements were made