NUAFC 1968-2018

JIM BARRY
Known affectionately as Old Knobbly Knees Jim was born
in the Emerald Isles in a hitherto unknown village called
Limerick. Once this became known Glen Gray made up a
poem ..
There was a young fellow called Jim
Whose legs were uncommonly thin.
Now, one shouldn't sneeze
At his knobbly knees
Cause the fault doesn't ly just with him!
He played his early football in England at
Elsmere Port before travelling to NZ as the principal
ballerina for the Bolshoi ballet. He kept goal for Hamilton and
Courier Rangers before joining Narra in 1982.
He was a plasterer by trade and was called upon to contract for
work on McSporran's (John McDermid's) jaw. It can be
revealed that the author James Barrie used Jim upon which to model
his Peter Pan character.
Jim met Bernadette at the Waikato Hospital following a
double knees operation which left a permanent smile on each
patella.
The operations were a success and it was not long
before Jim was giving flying lessons between uprights on the
AFFCo soccer pitch on Tuesdays and Thursdays while trying to
pick off the backpasses f rom Steve Williams and John
Mohn.
became involved in county teams and was offered trials with
Everton and Coventry.
The Tail o' The Bank off Greenock is where sea vessels do
their speed trials over the measured mile and John was discovered
there waterskiing behind the QE2.
He came to NZ in 1975 and turned out for Hamilton
the year they won the Air New Zealand Trophy. He transferred to
Courier Rangers for a season in '78 then bounced back to
Hamilton. He accompanied the All Whites on their 1979
international tour.
Arriving at Narra in '82 on a Penalty Scholarship he was
soon warned that if he missed any more Hamilton could have
him back! John was easily distinguished on the field by his
spring-heeled walk and his soft scottish brogue saying "Kick
it wi' ye heed, Jock!" and advising the referee on the finer points of
football.
One of his time honoured quotes was made in 1982 after
Narra's 7-1 win over Point Chevalier - "The game could have
gone either way, until I scored the sixth!".
JOHN MOHN
JOHN STEWART
Defender of the Faithless John started his career with
East Coast Bays moving from Juniors to Seniors faster than it
takes to break a leg.
An electrical supervisor by trade he travelled
extensively overseas and played in Libya where he was made
an honorary Sheik, presented with a caravan of camels and a
harem of goats.
He moved on to Northern Ireland where he put his
skills to use dodging grenades from the IRA and plastic bullets
from the army. He used this ability when playing for
Huntly Thistle against Narra between 1976 and 1980.
He moved to Narra for the transfer fee of a bag of
nutty slack where he immediately commenced a series of
enviable self-destruct activities, breaking various legs
three times and various knees five times. It came to the time
where Narra had a vet standing by during games in case
John needed putting down!
JOHN McDERMID
McSporran was born in Greenock and known as a
young lad by the name of Bostick but eventually
graduated to Uhu as he never let go of the ball.
Johnny Mac played as a junior for Port Glasgow
Rangers first as an amateur then as a semi-pro. He
John is known nationally as Ivan the T errible and
started socce r in Primary School with Waikeria Old Boys.
His playing experience included Tech Old Boys
(Hamilton) 1970, NZ Railways 1971, Wanderers 1972-74,
Fraser 1975-77, Narra 1978, back to Fraser, back to N arra,
back to Wanderers, back to Narra, back to back and back
to bed! He has had more transfers than the tattooed lady!
H e w a s a s ol id de f e nd er w it h attacking flair,
and teamed well with Dick Plume. Those two toothless
wonders put the fear of the devil into opposing strikers when
they grinned as they looked somewhat like a couple of gargoyles
from a cathedral facade.
Known for his total commitment to the game, John
could often be heard advising the referee how the game
should be played. Due to this he has had more bookings that
Air New Zealand!
He coached the Ladies in 1980 where his choice of word
made even them blush. He transferred the skills he learned
from Tweedy Pie & Sylvester movies to his charges and nearly cut
his career short by almost accepting the standin job as Belker
on Hill Street Blues.
JOHN CYPLES
Born in Stoke-on-Trent John was soon to be known
to one and all as Cyclops. He played for the Stoke 3rd team as an
amateur and as semi-pro for Sandbach Ramblers i n th e
Cheshire League.
He learned his soccer in the pottery factories in Stoke,
kicking the clay forms off the potters wheels. His turn of speed
came from dodging the missiles thrown by the irate potters!
Arriving in NZ in July of '81 as a refugee of the
Ugandan influx into Britain following a new immigrant
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