New Zealand Football has joined other members of the football community in mourning the loss of Keith Gibson, one of the oldest living New Zealand representatives until his recent passing.

Keith debuted for his country at the age of 30 and played seven international matches as a wing-half during an Australian tour in 1954.

He also shone on the domestic scene, representing Wellington and winning back-to-back Chatham Cups with Seatoun, in 1957 and 1958.

He was captain for both cup wins and helped the club make history as it was the first time Seatoun had ever won the Chatham Cup.

In the ground-breaking 1957 final, he led Seatoun to a 3-1 victory over Christchurch Technical and also started as skipper in the following year’s final but had to come off after being injured the previous week when representing Wellington.

Seatoun went on to comfortably win 7-1 against Christchurch City.

Keith enjoyed two spells at Seatoun, firstly joining them in the 1930s before serving in the air force during the Second World War.

After the war, Seatoun became one of the leading clubs in the country in the late 1940s and throughout the 1950s, winning the Wellington championship on five occasions to go with those Chatham Cup triumphs.

Keith was a prominent player throughout this era and became a well-known name for his footballing exploits.

He passed away this month at the age of nearly 96.

Article added: Thursday 29 August 2019