KEITH NELSON

Keith Nelson cartoon from 1976 DB Soccer Annual

Over the years many imports have come to New Zealand. Some go and some stay. Keith Nelson was one of those that stayed and made a huge contribution to the game in this country. He sadly passed away in February 2020. This is the story of his career.
 
Keith Nelson knew how to score goals. In a career that covered Scotland and New Zealand he played 464 games and scored 360 goals, a rate of one goal every 1.2 games.

Born in Renfrew, near Glasgow in Scotland, Nelson trained as an electrician and played football at junior level in Scotland. In Scotland "Junior" refers to the level played rather than the age of the players and junior players are part-time footballers with day jobs. 

Nelson played for his hometown club Renfrew before moving to Cambuslang Rangers. He joined just as they hit their golden period in the late 60s and early 70s. While he was at the club he scored 136 games in 179 appearances. The pinnacle of the junior game in Scotland is the Scottish Junior Cup. Nelson won it three times at Cambuslang,1969,71 & 72, scoring in both the 69 & 71 finals, which were played in front of large crowds at Hampden Park. Nelson and Cambuslang also picked up two Central League titles in 1971 & 72 and the West of Scotland Cup in 1972. During his time here Nelson was also selected and played for the Scottish Junior International team four times, in which he scored five goals. His impact at Cambuslang Rangers was immense and when the club reported on his passing one fan said, "I thought he was immortal"

In 1973, Nelson and his wife took an opportunity to immigrate to New Zealand. Nelson later told people that Glasgow Rangers had shown some interest in his footballing talents, but with his furniture already packed and on it's way to New Zealand, he said "the wife would have killed me had a I changed my mind" 

Arriving in New Zealand he joined Hamilton AFC, who at the time were playing in the New Zealand's second tier, the Northern Regional Premier League.
Hamilton football stalwart, Bruce Holloway remembers his debut. "He announced his arrival at Hamilton's Muir Park with a booming header from the edge of the penalty area, but before half time he was stunningly sent off for describing the referee, in his thick Scottish accent as a "fucking cunt!" He was handed a four match ban, which was reduced to three on appeal, but despite this inauspicious start his class became quickly evident and he quickly became Hamilton's star player a real joy to watch even on the mud infested Muir Park".

Nelson fast became a Hamilton legend, he played for them for six seasons and was instrumental in helping them get promotion to the National League. The highlight was 1976 when despite Hamiton still being in the second tier they beat National League opposition in Blockhouse Bay (with Nelson scoring four goals) and Gisborne City on their way to winning the preseason Air New Zealand Cup. They went on to win the Northern League and promotion to the National League. In all competitions Nelson scored an outstanding 70 goals and won the New Zealand Player of the Year award, beating Mike Simeonoff who just happened to be captain of National League Champions Wellington Diamond United!

Keith Nelson with the Air New Zealand Cup

His skill and goal scoring prowess was being noticed and Auckland selected him for their representative team to play the touring Tottenham Hotspurs team. Nelson scored a cracker that was described as goal of the game as they went down 5-3. The New Zealand coach, Barrie Truman, picked him for games against Sunderland and Heart of Midlothian but due to him not yet being a naturalised New Zealander he was unable to take up the invitation. He also had to withdraw from the squad for the President's Cup in South Korea due to the same reason. 

He became a New Zealander in 1977 and made his International debut in a 3-0 win over New Caledonia. He quickly became an ever present in the New Zealand team for the rest of the 1970's. A management change saw him drop out of favour and ultimately saw him missing out on being part of the 1982 World Cup squad. His last appearances for New Zealand came in 1983 and he finished with 20 caps and 16 goals to his name.

Hamilton's first season in the National League saw them finish fourth with Nelson getting 15 goals in his 18 games. The next season he again scored 15 goals, almost half of Hamilton's total for the season. It wasn't enough and Hamilton were relegated. This led to Hamilton fans worst nightmare, the departure of their legend. With relegation it was inevitable that another National League club would come in for Nelson. It wasn't just any National League club it was one of the giants of NZ football, Mt Wellington.

Mt Wellington were often described as the Liverpool of New Zealand football and Nelson helped cement the reputation winning three National League titles (79,80 & 82) and three Chatham Cup's (80,82,83) scoring in both the 82 & 83 finals. In all he played 127 games scoring 65 goals.

After Mt Wellington he moved to East Coast Bays in the Northern League Premier division and played a further 31 games over three years, including taking the reins as a coach for one of those years before retiring.

Nelson was quite a character that loved a good laugh in the dressing room and the bar after the game. He was a hard, tough player and fearless when there was a goal to be scored. He was very quick of the mark and rarely was pushed of the ball and had a great shot with either foot. He wasn't the tallest but he would put his head in places to get to the ball first. Which may have accounted for his two missing front teeth.

Nelson was one of the best strikers to grace the football field in New Zealand and a real character off the field. He sadly passed away in February of this year a month shy of his 73rd birthday and is missed and fondly remembered by football fans from Cambuslang, Scotland to Hamilton, New Zealand.

Keith Nelson (1947 - 2020) RIP

                                            Games    Goals

Cambsulang Rangers         179         136

Hamilton AFC                     103         133

Mt Wellington                      127           65

East Coast Bays                   31             5

Scotland Juniors                     4             5

New Zealand                         20           16

HONOURS

New Zealand National League (3) 1979,80,82

NZ Chatham Cup (3) 1980,81,83

Scottish Junior Cup (3) 1969,71,72

Scottish Central League (2) 1971,72

Air New Zealand Cup (1) 1976

NZ Northern League (1) 1976

West of Scotland Cup (1) 1972

International

New Zealand

Scotland Juniors

Thanks to Bruce Holloway, Colin Cook, Andrew Fraser & Graeme McGinty for assistance with this article