1926 Chatham Cup

The 1926 final

The final was played at the Basin Reserve, Wellington, a change of venue from the previous finals which had been at Newtown Park or Athletic Park. The following year the final briefly returned to Newtown Park, before making its permanent home at the Basin Reserve, a venue which was used regularly until the 1970s.

In the final, played in front of some 4000 spectators, Sunnyside's Archie Trotter became the first player to complete a Chatham Cup final hat-trick. The match was high scoring, but contemporary reports suggest that many opportunities were missed by both teams. H. Pickering put Sunnyside in front after just seven minutes. Archie Trotter doubled the lead for Sunnyside before L. Hipkins scored for North Shore. After the half-time interval Trotter scored two further goals before John Woolley scored a late consolation for North Shore.

Other notable features of the final included the appearance in the North Shore team of Reg Baxter, Dan Jones, and Ces Dacre. Baxter and Jones were the first players to play for two different sides in Chatham Cup finals, having been part of the successful 1923 Seacliff and 1924 Auckland Harbour Board teams respectively. Dacre, while a fine player and New Zealand representative at football, is best remembered as one of New Zealand's foremost early cricketers.

Post-final at the weekly meeting of the Auckland Football Association in early September, the secretary, Mr. Dawson reported to the committee. The treatment by the New Zealand Council was praised, though the Wellington Football Association, in Dawson's opinion, had profiteered by insisting the payment of £20 over and above the rent due to the Wellington City Council for use of the Basin Reserve.

Results

Auckland Qualifiers

North Auckland Qualifiers

:* Both results from Hikurangi v Y.M.C.A and Waro Corinthians v Waro Wanderers fixture's scheduled by the North Auckland Association for June 19 are yet to be found. Waro Wanderers played Hikurangi in the North Auckland District Final on July 17.

• Hikurangi

• Two players sent from field.

South Auckland Qualifiers

• Frankton Railways defaulted to Huntly. Huntly played v Huntly Thistle with 10 men.

Wellington Qualifiers

Manawatu Qualifiers

Wanganui Qualifier

Canterbury Qualifiers

Semi-finals

1926 Final

Teams

Sunnyside: Jim Callaghan, J. Simpson, H. Thompson, Archie Trotter, W. Robson, W. Bond, R. Purdie, H. Pickering, D. Sutherland, Bob McLachlan, Jim Wales

North Shore: Stewart Lipscombe, Len Colebourne, Peter Gerrard, Reg Baxter, Dick Bird, Dan Jones, L. Hipkins, Ces Dacre, George Jay, John Woolley, Jock Bradshaw.

References

• Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation New Zealand 1926 page

References

1. (3 September 1926). "Chatham Cup Final to-morrow". [[The Evening Post (New Zealand).
2. "Association Football - South Auckland Executive".
3. http://www.clubwebsite.co.uk/huntlythistleafc/history.pl{{Dead link. (February 2019)
4. (11 June 2021). "Association Football - Management Committee meets".
5. (30 June 1926). "Soccer (By "GOALIE")". Manawatu Times.
6. (7 August 1926). "Will local men redeem themselves?". Evening Post.
7. (14 June 2021). "Soccer".
8. (14 June 2021). "Soccer Football - North Auckland Association Management Committee".
9. (1991). "An Association with Soccer: The NZFA Celebrates Its First 100 Years". [[New Zealand Football]].
10. (14 June 2021). "Association Code - Meeting of the Committee".
11. (14 June 2021). "Soccer Football - North Auckland Management Committee".
12. (13 June 2021). "Association Football - Management Committee".
13. (30 July 1926). "Association Football - Management Committee". Northern Advocate.
14. "Football Association".
15. (17 July 1926). "Against Otago: Wellington's second game in English trophy series". Evening Post.
16. Houston, J., (1952) ''Association football in New Zealand.'' Wellington: A.H. & A. W. Reed. p. 34.