NUAFC 1968-2018

1977
Soccer Clubs Amalgamate
Waikato Times
March 3rd ,1977
Ngaruawahia United and
Affco Rangers soccer clubs have
joined forces to reap a double benefit
in the new season.
Last season's Affco secretary Mr
Les Vuletich said Affco had been
very strong in the senior divisions,
but did not have the up and coming
young players, whereas
Ngaruawahia had not reached any
higher than the Waikato first division,
but had a surplus of youth.
This prompted the two clubs
to amalgamate last week. The newly
formed club will be known as
Ngaruawahia-Affco United, with its
number one ground at Centennial
Park, Ngaruawahia, and the num­ber
two ground at Horotiu.
With the amalgamation the
future of soccer in the greater
Ngaruawahia area seems assured with
teams being field­ed in Northern
League fourth division, Waikato first,
second, third and fourth divisions,
women's league, Sunday league
and all junior grades„
The pre-season friendly
games start on Saturday with two teams
from Mt Wellington arriving to play.
Another friendly will be played
against Huntly Thistle Northern
League squad at Huntly next
Tuesday to enable Ngaruawahia-
Affco to confirm team positions for
Northern League and Waikato first
division.
Preparation is also well
under way in fielding teams for two
pre-season competitions — the
Cambridge tournament and the
Ngaruawahia-Affco 3rd division
tournament.
Regular Tuesday and
Thursday evening practices are
being held at Affco Park, Horotiu, at
6.30 pm for all senior teams, with
juniors practicing at Centennial Park,
Ngaruawahia.
Mr Vuletich has been named
coach for both the Northern League
and Waikato first division teams. His
brother Don is manager of the
former team and Hans Czichy is
manager of the Waikato first team.
Harry Jackson is assistant coach for
both teams.
Other coaches appointed
are: Waikato second division: Mel
Riches; third division: Jim
McCaig; fourth division: Glen
Grey; ladies team: Geoff Tozer.
50
Auckland 8th Grade
Soccer Champions
Were Guests
The Huntly Press
March 9th, 1977
The 1976 8th Grade
Soccer Champions of Auckland were
the guests of the Ngaruawahia-Affco
club juniors over the weekend.
The local 9th Grade of 1976
used both days for pre-season practice
against the Mount Wellington team.
Both squads are entered in their
respective 7th Grade competitions this
coming year,
In the first match
Ngaruawahia-Affco moved to a
healthy first-half lead through goals
from Peter Magee and John Bell. At
the turn Stuart Morrey of Mount
Wellington pulled one back when a
hurried clearance from the home
keeper rebounded in off Morrey.
John Bell netted the last with
an almost impossibly angled left-wing
drive to finish the match at 4-1 to
Ngaruawahia-Affco.
Supporters saw less of the
goal action in the Sunday game. John
Bell scored in the first half when
under pressure to give the locals an
initial edge. Mount Wellington came
close to equalising when a ball was
chipped over the advancing
Ngaruawahia keeper to bounce off the
post and along the line, to be
scrambled away.
With no further scoring
Ngaruawahia-Affco took the games
with two wins and a 5-1 aggregate.
Following the amalgamation
of Affco Rangers and Ngaruawahia
United the following officers were
appointed:
Northern League: Les
Vuletich (Coach), Don Vuletich
(Manager), Harry Jackson (Assistant
Coach).
Waikato 1st Division: Les
Vuletich (Coach), Harry Jackson
(Assistant Coach), Hans Czichy
(Manager).
Waikato 3rd Division: Jim
McCaig (Coach).
Waikato 4th Division: Glen
Gray (Coach).
Ladies Team: Geoff Tozer
(Coach & Trainer)
Soccer Clubs to
Amalgamate
The Huntly Press
Wednesday March 16th, 1977
The amalgamation of two
local soccer clubs has dramatically
strengthened football in the
Ngaruawahia and Horotiu areas.
Affco Rangers and
Ngaruawahia United negotiated a
merger to the benefit of both clubs and
assured the future of soccer as one day
being one of the areas top codes.
The new club is known as
Ngaruawahia-Affco United and have
access to two parks for their matches.
Centennial Park in Ngaruawahia will
become the No.1 ground with Horotiu
the No.2 ground and training pitch
(seniors only).
This move brings Northern
League to Ngaruawahia much earlier
than otherwise and the club will be
able to field teams in all Waikato
divisions and many of the junior
association grades.
This merger will give
impetus to the building programme
currently going on at Centennial Park
where the council have erected
showers and changing blocks, and
(where) the club is currently engaged
in the building of their two-and-a-half
thousand square foot clubrooms.
Pre-Season Soccer
Warm Up
The Huntly Press
Wednesday March 30th, 1977
The highlight of
Ngaruawahia-Affco’s pre-season
warmup was their return match against
Huntly Northern League third division
team. Huntly had won the first 1-0 and
United had arranged the return to help
finalise their Northern (League) 4th
division team line-up.
United faced an experienced
Huntly team that has been wellblooded
in top-class soccer, a team
that would help Les Vuletich, coach
for United, to form a good opinion of
his teams strengths and weaknesses.
United scored first from an
initial movement by midfielder Mike
Liddle who fed Charlie Gorman.
The shot was partially blocked and
kicked into the roof of the net by a
desperate defence. Shortly after it was
United’s Geoff Tozer who strode
away from a flat-footed defence
desperately being chased by Jim
Moyes. Tozer’s goalward run was
halted when Moyes swept his legs
from under him and conceded a freekick.
Huntly equalised when a
chipped ball from 35 metres out was
tipped onto the bar by ‘keeper Innes
and headed in by Graham Hancock.
United’s play degenerated in midfield
for a full 40-minute spell allowing
Huntly their customary mid-field build
-up, though no goals resulted.
Right on full-time the United
defence caught three Huntly forwards
off-side but the referee let the play
continue for the winning goal to
Graham Hancock.
The United squad looks to be
knitting into a cohesive unit and