To say Barry Smith loves the ISPS Handa Chatham Cup is an understatement. The New Zealand Football Honorary Historian, who received the Medal of Excellence from Friends of Football in 2018, will attend his 50^th Chatham Cup Final on Sunday afternoon at North Harbour Stadium. To mark the occasion, New Zealand Football has invited Barry to present the Chatham Cup trophy to the winners. It is a fitting honour for a man who has spent a lifetime around one of New Zealand’s oldest sporting competitions.

The Chatham Cup has a huge history and is steeped in tradition, what is it about the competition that makes it special for you?

People are aware that the Cup was a gift from the crew of HMS Chatham in 1923 in appreciation for hospitality shown during the ship’s lengthy deployment in New Zealand waters.  What is not so well known is that the sailors hoped the Cup would benefit local football financially in manner that it had boosted the game in England.  Unfortunately annual revenue has rarely covered the expenses of the competing teams. In 1923, when the Cup was first contested there was no National League or ISPS Handa Premiership as we have today so the winner of the Chatham Cup was looked upon as the New Zealand champion.  While things are a little different these days the Cup still has huge appeal for all club footballers. 

What do you look forward on the day of the Chatham Cup Final?

It is always a great occasion.  This one is a little bit different in the fact you don’t have a team from Auckland, Wellington or Canterbury in the final. Napier City Rovers haven’t won the Chatham Cup since 2002 so they are very keen to get their hands back on the trophy. Melville after being losing finalists [in 2003] are dead keen to get their name engraved into the Chatham Cup for the first time.

Melville can claim previous success as inheritor to the history of past winners Hamilton Tech Old Boys and Waikato United but they have never won the Cup under their own name. And I always look forward to Cup final day as an opportunity to meet and talk football with fellow enthusiasts from around the country.

What are some of your fondest memories of attending the ISPS Handa Chatham Cup Final over the past 50 years?

One final that always stands out for me is the 1962 encounter between Hamilton Technical Old Boys and Northern from Dunedin.  Northern had won the Cup in 1959 and 1961 and were expecting to add to that record.  But Tech, after being a goal down, came back to trounce their southern opposition 4-1.  It was the first ever success for a club from a minor association.  Another memorable final was the 4-4 draw between Christchurch United and Mount Wellington in 1972 with Graham Dacombe scoring all four of Christchurch’s goals.  Two replays were necessary before the southerners broke the deadlock.  Alas I missed seeing the replays. The 1971 final between Western Suburbs and Wellington City also sticks in the memory as it was played in a howling gale with goal kicks having to be retaken because the wind drove the ball back over the goal line.  With the score at 2-2 a replay seemed inevitable but an intended centre kick evaded defenders and attackers ending up in the goal.  There was scarcely time to restart before the final whistle went.

And in recent times I thoroughly enjoyed the 2016 final when Waitakere City made a brave comeback to draw even with Birkenhead United before conceding in extra time. But I guess my all-time favourite is the 1999 final when Jonathan’s Dunedin Technical team of mainly University students shocked Aucklanders by trouncing Waitakere United 4-0

You are going to present the trophy to the Chatham Cup champions on Sunday afternoon – what does that mean to you?

That is a really special honour. I have been to many over the years and always watched the dignitaries present the trophy. For many years Governor General, the patron of New Zealand Football, was invited to present the trophy. It really was a very prestigious occasion. So to think that I am going to be fulfilling that role is something very special for me.

Jonathan, your son, mentioned that you have missed only a few finals and one of them he was responsible for, can you explain that story? 

In 1978, we were living in Palmerston North and I had arranged to go to the Chatham Cup Final which was in Nelson. Our baby [Jonathan] was due to be born but the timing wasn’t quite right.  I have only missed 12 finals over the years I think. The first one I attended was in 1957 at the Basin Reserve in Wellington when Seatoun won the Chatham Cup, beating Technical Old Boys of Christchurch [3-1]. I have seen most of the finals over that period interspersed with a few that I have missed because of where I was living at the time. Also I missed the 2011 Final because Jonathan was playing in a Grand Final in Sydney so I went over there to watch his game.

To only have missed 12 Cup Finals since 1957 is a remarkable record, you must be proud of how you have supported this competition?

Yes. it was almost like a pilgrimage to start with. You would always head down to Wellington for the Cup Finals. We never had them in Auckland where I was living at the time. So to travel down to the capital and see the Chatham Cup Final live it was like going to watch the FA Cup Final in England.

When you first started attending the Chatham Cup Final – 62 years ago in Wellington – did you ever think you would be there for 50 of them?

No, not at all. I never gave that much thought to be honest with you. I saw the 1958 Final too and then I missed the next three; probably too busy with other things like chasing girls and drinking [laughs] but then I got a job transfer to Wellington so that made it easier for me to attend. With the Cup final taking place in Auckland virtually every year from 1998 on I haven’t had to travel apart from Napier in 2002, Wellington in 2012 and Christchurch in 2013.  I am very fortunate in having a wife who shares my passion for attending club football here in New Zealand. 

National Cup Finals Day

NZ Football Foundation Kate Sheppard Cup Final
Coastal Spirit vs Eastern Suburbs
Sunday 8 September, 12pm
North Harbour Stadium, Auckland

ISPS Handa Chatham Cup Final
Melville United vs Napier City Rovers
Sunday 8 September, 3pm
North Harbour Stadium, Auckland

Both games live on SKY Sport

Article added: Friday 06 September 2019