New Zealand Football is sad to hear of the passing of former All White John Houghton.

Houghton, born 1945 in Scotland, played 28 games in total for New Zealand. He passed away peacefully on 4 July surrounded by his family.

He first wore the New Zealand jersey in 1971 when selected as a striker for the national team’s two-match, four-day visit to New Caledonia. The two games were part of the host’s preparation for the South Pacific Games that year. The team flew from Auckland on a Sunday playing the first game under floodlights that evening and the second game two days later.

The tour, originally offered to Auckland, was seen as an opportunity for national coach Barry Truman to give players more time together (after an earlier home fixture against the visiting Football Association of Wales  selection) in preparation for an expected six-country Oceania Cup tournament later in the year.

Houghton next wore his country’s uniform in 1975 as a central defender on a history-making tour of China, the feature of which was a full international at the Workers’ Stadium in Beijing before a reputed crowd of some 80,000 spectators.

He retained a place in the national team through to the Oceania qualifying series for the 1978 World Cup when Australia qualified top of a three-nation group.

He was a Chatham Cup winner with Mount Wellington in 1973 after having to be content with a runners-up medal the previous year when Christchurch United triumphed in an epic final that went to two replays.

He made 125 appearances for Mt Wellington in the National League from 1970 to 1977, winning championship honours in 1972 and 1974.

He had an outstanding club career, arguably one only surpassed by All Whites legend Steve Sumner.

On retiring from playing at the age of 32, he took on the coaching at Mt Wellington and had seven years in that role, winning the National League in 1979, 1980 and 1982.  His team also won three Chatham Cups in that period and finished as runners-up in 1979.

A celebration of John Houghton’s life will be held at the Purewa All Saints Chapel on Saturday 20 July at 3pm.

Article added: Thursday 11 July 2019