CHATHAM CUP - THE FIRST THREE YEARS

A few years ago I embarked on a project to write a history of the Chatham Cup, not really having any clue about what it takes to write a book, never mind one that covers 90+ years. I managed to research and write up the years from 1923 to 1940, when the cup took a break due to the war. Then disaster struck and my computer died, at the time I didn't have any cloud based file systems and the only backup I had was a CD that I'd made a few months before! The result was that I was left with just three chapters. 

I have since written a book for the 125th anniversary of Wellington United and am currently doing one for Waterside Karori. Now knowing the amount of work it takes, I'm not really sure if I'll get a Chatham Cup one done anytime soon (although 2023 will be the centenary year of the trophy so thats something to aim for). In the meantime here are the first three chapters I wrote on history of the Chatham Cup.

THE CHATHAM CUP - THE FIRST THREE YEARS 

By David Webster   

HMS CHATHAM 

There have been 15 ships of the Royal Navy called HMS Chatham, named after the Chatham dockyard in Kent, England. The 14th ship with the HMS Chatham name was a town class light cruiser launched in 1911. Her first encounter with New Zealand came during WWI where she oversaw the Allied landings at Suvla Bay in Gallipoli.  

In 1919 the New Zealand Government set up a Navy and the Royal Navy offered a loan of the HMS Canterbury, an oil burner or the HMS Chatham , a coal burner. Due to the difficulty that would be encountered of arranging storage tanks for the oil burner the Government opted for the HMS Chatham. 

In preparation for her new role she underwent a £170 000 (about $14 million in today's money) refit and arrived in Auckland Harbour on January 26th 1921. The ship and her crew were welcomed by the Prime Minister of the day, William Massey, who in his speech expressed the hope that many of the crew would find permanent homes in New Zealand and many of them did. 

  

During its four year loan in New Zealand the HMS Chatham toured many ports around the country and the crew would challenge local teams to games of association football.  This was not always possible as occurred on a visit to Akaroa in May 1921. Akaroa had no clubs that played the Association game, so the HMS Chatham crew played an exhibition game and then the next day the rugby clubs of Little River, Akaroa High School & United Bays played against the ship’s teams. Unsurprisingly the regular practitioners of the association game won. 

HMS Chatham c1911

It was not unheard of for HMS Chatham crew to turn out for local sides when they were docked somewhere for a longer period of time. This caused a complaint to the Wellington FA in 1922 when Petone fielded 6 players from the HMS Chatham crew in a game against Thistle.  The Wellington FA’s rules were clear that residents of over seven days were eligible to play for a club, as the HMS Chatham had been in dock 12 days the players qualified. The complaint was dismissed; however the match was ordered to be replayed. 

As well as promoting the game of association football, HMS Chatham also helped in fundraising for the community. In December 1923 the crew came up with a novel idea to raise money for Wellington Hospital’s Radium fund – a football match was to be played a Kelburn Park in Wellington, while this doesn’t seem at all novel it was the fact that kick off would be at 8:30pm that was novel, to overcome the obvious problem of it being dark, the pitch would be illuminated not by moonlight but by the powerful searchlights of the HMS Chatham.  

In 1922 the Seacliff Mental Hospital in Dunedin formed a football team. Frank Tod wrote in his 1971 Seacliff history that the hospital’s superintendent, Dr Alexander McKillop “was a keen supporter of soccer and his staff of attendants included a number of Scotsmen who were recognised as superior players” 

The Crew of HMS Chatham were regular visitors and played Seacliff whenever they were in port. The hospital’s head attendant E.C.Treweek was reported as saying “They were always entertained well and I believe it was this that prompted them to present the beautiful Chatham Cup. If I remember rightly it was first handed to Seacliff after a game with the ship’s team.” 

The story of handing the cup to Seacliff is backed up by John Walton who spoke to Mike Cream in Sunday Star-Time’s heartland magazine in 2010 and told of how his father Tom Walton a dairy farm worker who lived near by the hospital and was called in to help make up numbers in one of the games after which he says the HMS Chatham crew presented a cup to Seacliff, who then presented it to the NZFA.  

However this story is at odds with the reported formal presentation on board the HMS Chatham to the NZFA of the cup. It is possible that the crew had the cup made and were showing it to Seacliff before they formally presented to the NZFA 

On 7th April 1922, Wellington’s Evening Post carried a report of the New Zealand Football Association (NZFA) meeting at which a generous offer was made by members of the ship’s company of HMS Chatham to the NZFA of a cup for competition among senior teams of the North & South Islands. 

The donors suggested the following conditions for the cup competition to be carried out

• That the cup be played for on a knock-out system 
• The cup to remain the property of the club winning it for one year and then handed back to the NZFA 
• Competitive teams to be senior league in both North & South Island 
• Naval teams should not be allowed to compete. 
• The players of various teams may if they have been in the habit of doing so, include players from the Navy in their representative teams 
• The cup cannot be won outright 

It was evident from these rules that it was desired that the cup should be run on the lines of the English FA Cup. The NZFA believed that the competition would create great interest and would be altogether successful and expressed heartfelt appreciation of the ship’s company. 

So at 4pm on 14th December 1922 on board the HMS Chatham Captain CP Prickett presented a silver challenge cup to the NZFA who were represented by president CP Skerrett, vice-presidents W Munt & HG Mayer, Chairman D Fordham, Honorary Secretary BL Salmon and other members of the executive committee. 

Captain Prickett expressed regret that Commander Hotham was unable to present the cup himself as he had been approached by a deputation of several of the ships company and stated their desire to present a football cup to New Zealand.  They had said that everybody in New Zealand had been extremely kind to them, and that they wished to do something in return. The whole of the ship's company was unanimous in its desire to present a cup. "We offer you our very best wishes and our thanks to the people of New Zealand for the good time we have always had here." 

The cup was ordered from England and the design was based on the English FA Cup. It cost £175 (about $15 000 in today's money) and was paid for by subscription by the Ship’s Company – none of the officers contributed to the cost. It is solid silver, standing on ebony and bears the inscription: "Challenge Cup.  Presented to the New Zealand Football Association by the Ship's Company. H.M.S. Chatham, December,1922."  

1923, THE FIRST COMPETITION 

While the cup was proposed in April 1922 and presented in December 1922, and the rules had been agreed in principle to emulate that of the English FA Cup it wasn’t until April 1923 that the NZFA and local FA’s started to discuss just how the competition would work.  

It was decided that the early rounds of the cup would be played on a regional basis. The local FA’s were left to decide how the clubs to represent them would be selected. The representatives would then meet in a National Round. 

It was anticipated that the smaller associations would not have a problem completing qualifying games, but the larger associations would struggle to fit in the games with their already full league competitions.  

From the outset Canterbury anticipated very considerable difficulty in the running of the competition as proposed and as a result they didn’t enter. In Wellington there was concern that the cup competition would detract from the local league and any team entering would be disadvantaged, however when entries were called for four were received from Waterside, YMCA, Diamonds & Hospital. In Auckland they decided that the team with the most points in the League at the end of round one would be their entry. This went to Northcote. 

In the South Island there was initially only one entry, that of Seacliff of Otago, the staff team from the mental hospital that were said to be instrumental in the company of HMS Chatham deciding to gift a cup to the NZFA. With only one entry and no Canterbury teams the Otago FA suggested that the competition become an Interprovincial one, but it was pointed out that the cup was gifted for a club competition and as they had commenced with this the NZFA saw no reason why it should not be given a fair trial. 

Once the locals FA’s had entries, they would play the following 

1. Winner of Auckland Competition v South Auckland representative
2. Manawatu representative v Wairarapa representative
3. Winner of Wellington competition v Nelson Representative
4. Winner of 2 v 3 to play winner of 1 (North Island Final)
5. Otago representative v North Otago (South Island Final)
6. Winner of 4 v 5 (FINAL) at Wellington 

As Auckland were using league games as Chatham Cup games as well it’s difficult to ascertain when the first Chatham Cup game was played. It is likely that the first dedicated Chatham Cup games was played on the 7th July at the Showgrounds in Foxton where St Andrews went down 2-1 to Dawber's Motor Depot. Dawbers then met Rangers at North Street in Palmerston North a week later where they won 3-0. 

In the Wairarapa there were two games played (either on the 7th or 14th of July) where Post & Telegraph (P&T) beat Masterton and Waingawa beat YMCA (the actual results of these games are not known). Before Waingawa beat P&T 3-1 in the Wairarapa final on the 21st July to set up a meeting with the Manawatu champions Dawbers Motor Depot. 

The game was played in Masterton on 25th August and Dawbers easily overcame a understrength Waingawa side 6-0, who for an unexplained reason didn't field their three best players. 

In Wellington, Hospital beat Diamonds 1-0 & YMCA overcame Waterside 2-1 after a 1-1 draw to set up the local final which was played at the Basin Reserve on 8th Sep. A Large crowd attended to see YMCA, who played the second half with only nine men due to injury, score a controversial winner in the last minute of extra time.  YMCA player Ballard received the ball in his own half and seeing the Hospital back out of position raced for goal, Trewick the Hospital keeper came out to meet him, but Ballard’s shot beat him. Hospital’s players appealed to the referee claiming that the ball had hit the post and rebounded away, the ref consulted with his linesman who agreed that the ball had actually hit the back stanchion and bounced out so a goal stood and YMCA ended 2-1 victors. 

YMCA then headed to Nelson where they easily overcame Wanderers 8-1. They then beat Dawbers Motor Depot 3-2 to set up a North Island Final with Huntly who had beaten Auckland’s Northcote 3-1 in front of a crowd of 500.  

According the NZFA records, Seacliff’s first game was actually the final. In An Association with Soccer the book published to celebrate the first 100 years of the NZFA it is stated that “one other team had entered from the South Island but in the end had not taken part” This ignored the fact that YMCA from Wellington had travelled to the South Island to play Nelson Wanderers (and won 8-1). However, both the Otago Daily Times and the Oamaru Mail both carried reports of Seacliff beating Oamaru Rangers 7-0 on the 25 August 1923 and in all likelihood, as these teams would not normally meet in local competition, this was most probably the South Island Final. 

The NZFA made an arrangement with the Wellington Rugby Union to use Athletic Park for both the North Island Final & Chatham Cup Final on the weekend of 29th September. This meant that the final would be played on a Monday evening (1st October). While this wasn’t ideal it was done with travel costs in mind. If Huntly overcame YMCA then they would have a day’s rest in Wellington before meeting Seacliff rather than having to return to Huntly and travel down to Wellington the next weekend. As it happened YMCA beat Huntly 2-0 to set up a final with Seacliff.  

The first Chatham Cup Final took place on Monday 1st October at Athletic Park at 3pm 

The teams were as follows 

Seacliff: Charlie Rivers; George Anderson, Jock Anderson, Bill Rodgers, Hugh McKechnie, Bill Murray, Malcolm McDougall, Reg Baxter, Bill Hooper, Tommy Burns, and Wattie Hanlon.  

Y.M.C.A.: Arthur Tarrant; Bill Rarity, Les McGirr, George Wotherspoon, W Pearson, Charlie Trott; Les Smith, Harry Hindmarsh, George Campbell, Edgar Philips and Charlie Ballard  

Seacliff outclassed YMCA 4-0, with two goals each to Bill Hooper & Malcolm McDougall. 

The Evening Post was in no doubt that the Seacliff team were vastly superior to the YMCA men and were not helped by “…Tarrant, the YMCA custodian not being at his best and two of the goals baffled him completely” 

The cup was presented to the winners by the Mayor of Wellington, Mr RA Wright and there were enthusiastic scenes where several members of the winning team were carried shoulder high from the pitch. 

On their return to Seacliff, the team was given a tremendous welcome. Seacliff historian Frank Tod wrote “Residents from near and far turned up at the railway station to greet the team and a triumphant procession led by piper Duncan Cameroon proceeded to the hospital” 

Evening Post report on the 1st Chatham Cup Final 

1924-25 GROWTH & MONEY 

For the second edition of the Chatham Cup some new rules were introduced this season the main one regarding the distribution of prize money. It was decided that the following would apply:- 

• After paying out advertising, ground, other match expenses, approved hotel and second-class train fares for the visiting team, the proceeds would be distributed as follows
• Matches prior to district matches – NZFA 25%, Organising FA 50%, Clubs 25%
• In district matches – NZFA 50%, Contributing FA’s 20% each, Clubs 10%
• In Semi-Final & Final - NZFA 50%, Contributing FA’s 20% each, Clubs 5% each 

There was also a change to which team changed strips when there was a colour clash. The new rule stated that it was the visiting team that must change this was the first time it had been done this way around. 

There were at least 17 entries for the competition.  Auckland again used their league for the qualifying games and the top two teams played each other to decide who went through to represent the region. This caused some concern in Wellington as they didn’t think this was a fair way to do it and it also deprived the NZFA of income from the cup games. An objection was raised by the Wellington FA but this seems to must have been rejected although Auckland did stage a final between the top two teams after the first round of the league competition, which saw Harbour Board trash YMCA 5-0 in front of 3000 at Blandford Park.

On the 14th June, it was reported that the NZFA had authorised the South Auckland FA to accept an entry from the Rotorua club, however there is no record of them actually playing a game and it was the railwaymen of Pukemiro Junction that took on Auckland’s Harbour Board in the Auckland final, a game they lost 3-0.

In Wellington eight teams entered, they were Institute Old Boys, Swifts, Hospital, Diamonds, Waterside, Marist, YMCA & YMCA B. Their games doubled up as Charity Cup fixtures as well and it was Marist who beat Hospital 3-1 in the local final. 

Manawatu’s Dawbers Motor Depot beat Wakatu of Nelson 5-1 to set up a meeting with Marist in the Wellington final. The game was played in Foxton in front of a crowd of 400 and Marist ran out 5-2 winners. Marist then travelled to Auckland to meet Harbour Board in the North Island Final, which Harbour Board won 2-0. 

In the South Island, defending champions, Seacliff had overcome Oamaru Rangers 4-0 to set up a mental hospital final against Christchurch’s Sunnyside. The first match in Dunedin ended in a well fought 1-1 draw. Under the rules the replay was supposed to take place on the Monday after the game, but the Sunnyside staff couldn’t get enough leave to stay the extra days so requested that the game be played a week later. This was granted and in Christchurch, Seacliff won 4-2 in a game that went into extra time.  

So, on 27th September at Athletic Park again, Harbour Board met defending champions Seacliff. The day was intended to be a feast of football for the fans, with Wellington’s Charity Cup being played as the curtain raiser. Unfortunately, due to heavy rain in the preceding couple of days and the curtain raiser made the ground very heavy and far from a fit state for play. However, with fine weather and no real option to postpone the game due to the teams coming from Dunedin & Auckland, New Zealand's premier football competition went ahead.  The Evening Post said of the game “…a more uninspiring game could not have been imagined. Both teams were lacking in vim, and at times play was very much below senior form.” 

Seacliff took the lead through Simmons in the first half, Harbour Board evened up the score in the second half through Palmer. The game went to extra time when Harbour Board score twice more to win 3-1 and claim the second Chatham Cup 

1925 

The third edition of the Chatham Cup saw at least 35 entries. From North Auckland,

Waro FC entered although there is no record of any games they played. 

In Auckland the AFA decided to come into line with the rest of the country and play the Chatham Cup games separately from their league competition and received entries from North Shore, Northcote, YMCA, Watersiders (new name for defending champions Harbour Board), Navy, Thistle, Tramways, Ponsonby & Hellaby. 

The cup holders had changed their name from Harbour Board to Watersiders and crashed out in their 1st game getting hammered 5-1 by YMCA. It was YMCA’s turn to be hammered in the next round when they lost 6-1 to Thistle, Thistle in turn lost the Auckland Final 2-1 to Ponsonby. 

In South Auckland (Waikato) the mines and railway workshops around Huntly were staffed predominately by ex-pat and immigrants from the UK in particular Scotland, and the North of England which gave a good base for football teams and there were four entries, Pukemiro Junction, Rotowaro, Frankton Railway & Huntly. It was Pukemiro Junction that beat Rotowaro 2-0 in the South Auckland Final, and got them a match against the Auckland winners Ponsonby which despite being at home in Huntly, they lost 4-0. 

In the Manawatu, Palmerston North Athletic beat Foxton 3-0, while the Returned Serviceman's Association (RSA) beat Rangers 2-0, and went on to win the Manawatu final 4-2 over Athletic. Their next game was against new entrants Hastings United. The game was played in Hastings on the 25th July and the RSA team won but the score is unrecorded. 

Wellington again had the largest number of entries, but this should be expected as the WFA was the largest Association with 117 teams affiliated to them (Auckland was next with 114, Otago 60 & Canterbury 51). The entries were Thistle, Waterside, Diamonds, Institute, YMCA, Hospital, Scottish Wanderers, Brooklyn, Johnsonville & Marist. Institute, a second division side later withdrew due to a number of injuries sustained by their players in league games.

Advert for Wellington Final of Chatham Cup

After three rounds YMCA beat Scottish Wanderers 2-0 in the local final at the Basin Reserve and then hammered Manawatu's RSA 5-0 in the regional final to qualify for the North Island Final 

In Canterbury entries from Sunnyside, Lyttelton, Nomads & Rangers ended in Nomads beating Rangers 5-1 and hosting the South Island Final at English Park. 

In Otago, there were only two entries and Seacliff easily dispatched Oamaru Rangers 

7-0 before travelling to Christchurch to defeat Nomads 2-0 

Meanwhile off the field, the Auckland FA sent the NZFA a letter in what was described as “somewhat terse language.” Questioning the fees and charges as well as the division of gate monies. The NZFA had made a decision that 25% of the gate money would be for ground fees. Auckland were concerned at this as Blandford park cost them £48 a week, meaning gate takings of £100 would leave them with only £25 and a considerable shortfall.

The reaction of the NZFA seems to have been influenced by the tone of the letter which they believed was uncalled for and they sent a reply explaining how they came to the decision. 

The AFA were understandably not impressed with this reply or with the fact that the caustic criticism of the letter was reported in the press. The AFA chairman Mr A Menzies, issued a press release absolving the secretary of any blame saying the letter was approved by the whole committee and the NZFA council should have known Mr Dawson (The Secretary) and other members of the local committee better than to charge them with discourtesy. He also pointed out that when Auckland entered the competition there had been no rules about the amount of gate money going for ground hire and that this rule had been bought in after entries had closed. He felt that the governing body was doing everything it could to put obstacles in the way rather than encouraging participation. 

This must have had some effect as a week later the NZFA notified the AFA of a decision to change the allocation of gate monies 

• in games prior to the district games 75% would be allotted to the controlling association and 25% divided between the competing clubs. 
• In district matches 45% would go to the controlling Association and 10% to the competing clubs. 

The AFA was pleased with this outcome as it had been what they had proposed. 

The final was set down for the 19th September at Newtown Park in Wellington. 

At the same time the Wellington Rugby League had a game organised against Queensland and due to a shortage of available grounds asked the NZFA if they would agree to a double header, to which the NZFA agreed, with the Rugby League being the curtain raiser. 

The game was affected by “a hurricane like wind across the centre of the park.” Dempster put the home side ahead before Hanlin equalised for Seacliff for a 1-1 half time scoreline. Hooper put Seacliff ahead before Dempster got a second and forced the game in too extra time when Hanley got the winner for YMCA to win 3-2 and give them a slice of revenge for the defeat in 1923. It was a fitting exit for YMCA captain G.Campbell who was playing his last game. 

The NZFA reported that the gross receipts for the final were £258. 

Of this the net income was £201, and was split the following way 

• £121 went to the NZFA
• £60 to cover Seacliff’s expenses, 
• £81 for the Rugby League. 
• Of the remaining £60, the NZFA took £30
• Otago FA & Wellington FA received £12 each 
• and the clubs YMCA & Seacliff got the princely sum of £3 each!