Wikipedia

1923 Chatham Cup

The 1923 Chatham Cup was the first annual nationwide football competition in New Zealand.

1923 Chatham Cup
Tournament details
Venue(s)Athletic Park, Wellington
Dates22 September – 1 October 1923
Final positions
ChampionsSeacliff (1st title)
Runner-upWellington Y.M.C.A.
1924 →

The competition was run on a regional basis, with separate northern and southern tournaments, with the winners of the two meeting in the final. Very few teams entered the competition, including only two from the southern South Island; Seacliff easily won the only match played there, thumping Oamaru 7–0, and repeated this in the final, accounting for Wellington's YMCA 4–0.

Of the teams taking part, it is known that four were from Wellington; contemporary reports indicate that Diamonds, Y.M.C.A. (Wellington), Hospital and Waterside took part.[1] The Wellington FA scheduled their first Chatham Cup fixture for 11 August, between the Y.M.C.A. (Wellington) and Waterside at the Basin Reserve.[2] Admission to the match cost one shilling.[3]

The management committee of the Auckland Football Association (A.F.A.) announced at its meeting on 5 June that Chatham Cup entries had closed with the North Shore, Philomel, Harbour Board, Brotherhood, Auckland Thistle, Northcote and Ponsonby clubs entering.[4] Meeting again on 12 June, the A.F.A. decided the second round of fixtures for the Auckland League Championship would count toward Chatham Cup qualification, with League Championship second round commencing on 16 June.[5] Y.M.C.A. (Auckland) was admitted to compete for the Chatham Cup by the A.F.A. at its management committee meeting on 19 June.[6]

Huntly qualified as the South Auckland Football Association representative as local league champions and were scheduled to face the Auckland Football Association qualifier, Northcote at Huntly.[7]

The Wairarapa Football Association clubs, Waingawa, Post and Telegraph, Masterton and Y.M.C.A. (Masterton) sent entrance fees to join the 1923 Chatham Cup, which were received by the N.Z.F.A. in early June.[8] The first two Chatham Cup fixtures held by the Wairarapa FA took place on June 30, with Post and Telegraph (P & T) versus the Masterton Y.M.C.A. at Masterton's Park Oval, and Waingawa playing Masterton at the Cole Street Ground.[9]

The Dawbers' Motor Depot. side changed its name to Athletic (Palmerston North) in 1925.[10]

There is some confusion about the earlier rounds of the competition, with various Charity Cups being held to decide entrants to the Chatham Cup, and with regional qualification finals, island finals, and the national final all simply being referred to in contemporary reports as "finals". Compounding this, different regional football associations were allowed to choose their champion team by whatever method they liked, meaning that some regions (such as Auckland) used league position to determine their entrant for the inter-regional matches,[11] rather than a knockout competition. Compounding matters further are the incomplete records held by the NZFA, which omit several matches (including the semi-final between Seacliff and Oamaru Rangers).

The 1923 final edit

 
Seacliff AFC winners of the first Chatham Cup final

Played at Athletic Park, Wellington on 1 October 1923, Seacliff met YMCA Wellington in the first Chatham Cup final.[12] In the final, YMCA had the better of early possession, but Seacliff gained the upper hand as the match progressed. Centre-forward Bill Hooper scored the first goal just before the half-time interval. Shortly after the break Reg Baxter doubled the lead. Late on right wing Malcolm McDougall scored again, followed only a minute later by a second from Hooper. The line-up of the first Chatham Cup winning side was as follows: Charlie Rivers, Jock Anderson, George Anderson, Bill Rogers, Hugh McKechnie, Bill Murray, Malcolm McDougall, Reg Baxter, Bill Hooper, R. "Tommy" Burns, Wattie Hanlin.[13]: 66, 167 

The Mayor of Wellington, Robert Wright presented the cup to Seacliff on the ground after the match.[14]

Participants edit

Results edit

Auckland Qualifiers edit

Northcote won Auckland's Division One league second round and thus qualified as Auckland's Chatham Cup representative.[15]

South Auckland/Auckland Final
Huntly3 – 1Northcote
Cox 2, Baber Report Knott
Huntly Recreation Ground, Waikato
Attendance: 500
Referee: Mr. A. F. Newbold

Wairarapa Qualifiers edit

Post and Telegraph10 - 2YMCA (Masterton)
Stacey 4, Watson 3, R. Miller, W. Harding, Harris Report Moore, McLauchlan
Park Oval, Masterton
Referee: Mr. R. Taylor
Waingawa3 - 2Masterton
Report
Cole Street Ground, Masterton
Referee: Mr. Rowlands
Wairarapa Final
Waingawa3 - 1Post and Telegraph
Kilmister, Birkett, (Nicholls og.) Report Watson
Park Oval, Masterton
Referee: Mr. T. Hallam

Manawatu Qualifiers edit

Dawbers2 - 2St. Andrew's
Hearsey, ? Report Kennedy 2
Showground, Foxton
Referee: Mr. Crouch
Dawbers2 - 1
Replay		St. Andrew's
Hearsey (pen.), C. Dawber Report McLauchlan
Showground, Foxton
Referee: Rev. C. W. Duncumb
Palmerston North Rangers0 - 3Dawbers
Report Davis, C. Dawber, Hearsey
North Street Park, Palmerston North
Referee: Mr. Forbes
Wairarapa/Manawatu Final
Waingawa0 - 6Dawbers
Report Hearsey 4, Davis, Chapman,
Park Oval, Masterton
Referee: Mr. Halam

Wellington Qualifiers edit

Waterside2 - 2Wellington YMCA
Gilbertson, Anton Report Hindmarsh, Ballard
Basin Reserve, Wellington
Referee: Mr. G. Akers
Wellington YMCA2 - 1
Replay		Waterside
Hindmarsh, Campbell (pen.) Report Stacey
Association Park, Wellington
Referee: Mr. F. Campbell
Diamond0 - 1Hospital
Report Hughes
Association Park, Wellington
Referee: Mr. S. Wilson
Wellington Final
Hospital1 - 2 aetWellington YMCA
Hughes Report McGirr (pen.), Ballard
Basin Reserve, Wellington
Referee: Mr. W. Bryce

Nelson Qualifiers edit

Nelson Athletic2 - 6Nelson Wanderers
McKellor, ? Report Wheeler 4, Symons, Hurst jnr.
Referee: Mr. Hunt
Redwood Valley1 - 0Nelson Thistle
D. Brown Report
Referee: Mr. Parker
Nelson Final
Nelson Wanderers3 - 2Redwood Valley
Yorgensen, Wheeler 2 Report D. Brown, A. Brown
Referee: Mr. Parkinson
Nelson/Wellington Final
Nelson Wanderers1 - 8Wellington YMCA
Symons Report Phillips, Ballard 3, Trott 2, ? , ?
Referee: Mr. C. Parkinson
Wellington/Manawatu Final
Wellington YMCA3 – 2Dawbers
Phillips, McGirr (pen.), Ballard Report Davis, Chapman
Association Park, Kilbirnie, Wellington
Referee: Mr. W.G. Bryce

Semi-final (Island Finals) edit

South Island Final
Oamaru Rangers0 – 7Seacliff
Report Hooper 6, Burns
Referee: Mr. Rutherford
North Island Final
Wellington YMCA2 – 0Huntly
Campbell 2 Report
Referee: Mr. F. Campbell

Final edit

Teams

Seacliff: Charlie Rivers, George Anderson, Jock Anderson, Bill Rogers, Hugh McKechnie, Bill Murray, Malcolm Macdougall, Reg Baxter, Bill Hooper, Tommy Burns, Wattie Hanlin[16]

Wellington YMCA: Arthur Tarrant, W. Pearson, Les McGirr, George Wotherspoon, Bill Rarity, Charlie Trott, Les Smith, Edgar Phillips, George Campbell, Harry Hindmarsh, Charles Ballard[17]

Seacliff4 – 0Wellington YMCA
Hooper 2, Baxter, Macdougall Report
Referee: Mr. J.A. Leddy

References edit

  1. ^ Papers Past — Evening Post — 4 August 1923 — SOCCER
  2. ^ "Soccer - Wharfies Outplayed". Papers Past. 19 November 2021. Archived from the original on 19 November 2021.
  3. ^ "Amusements - Association Football - Basin Reserve". Papers Past. 19 November 2021. Archived from the original on 18 November 2021.
  4. ^ "Association Football - Management Committee - Chatham Cup". Papers Past. 19 November 2021. Archived from the original on 19 November 2021.
  5. ^ "Association Football - Management Committee - Fixtures for Saturday". Papers Past. 20 November 2021. Archived from the original on 20 November 2021.
  6. ^ "Association Football - Management Meeting". Papers Past. 20 November 2021. Archived from the original on 20 November 2021.
  7. ^ "Football - Association". Huntly Press and District Gazette. 17 August 1923. p. 3. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  8. ^ "SPORTING - New Zealand Football Association". Papers Past. 18 November 2021. Archived from the original on 17 November 2021.
  9. ^ "Meetings and Amusements - Wairarapa Football Association". Papers Past. 19 November 2021. Archived from the original on 18 November 2021.
  10. ^ "Soccer Tournament". Papers Past. 25 November 2021. Archived from the original on 25 November 2021.
  11. ^ Papers Past — Evening Post — 11 August 1923 — SOCCER
  12. ^ "First Chatham Cup football final". Ministry for Culture and Heritage. NZ History. 4 September 2020. Retrieved 3 March 2021.
  13. ^ Hilton, Tony; Smith, Barry (1991). An Association with Soccer: The NZFA Celebrates Its First 100 Years. New Zealand Football. ISBN 978-0473012915.
  14. ^ "Chatham Cup Final - Presentation of the Cup". Papers Past. 19 November 2021. Archived from the original on 19 November 2021.
  15. ^ Blackwell (1 August 1923). "Association Football - The Championship". Auckland Star. p. 8. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  16. ^ Houston, J., (1952) Association football in New Zealand. Wellington: A.H. & A. W. Reed. p. 34.
  17. ^ "An Easy Win". 19 November 2021. Archived from the original on 15 December 2019.
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