Father And Son Soccer Partnership

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32266, 8 April 1970, Page 17

Father And Son Soccer Partnership

One of the most astute and knowledgeable soccer coaches in New Zealand will be guiding the national league challenge of Auckland United (Blockhouse Bay) on the club’s visit to Christchurch this weekend.

And one of the players in his charge will be his 20-year-old son, who has already followed with success in father’s footsteps. The coach is the former Scottish professional, Bert Ormond, whose son, lan, will be in the Auckland United team to meet Christchurch United in the opening of the Rothmans National Soccer League at English Park on Saturday. Now the coach and selector of the Auckland team, Ormond snr., has been described as the “mainspring” of the Blockhouse Bay soccer club since 1962. As player-coach and captain until the end of last season, he kept the club at a steady level of success and built up a splendid spirit of enthusiasm and loyalty amongst the players. As a professional in Scotland, he played for five seasons with Falkirk, two with Airdrieonians and one with Dumbarton. His arrival in New Zealand in late 1960 to join Eastern Union, and then Gisborne Thistle, brought him almost immediate selection for New Zealand, in a test match against England at Auckland in June, 1961. He won the highest honour in the sport when appointed captain of the New Zealand

team which made a world tour in 1964. At the Auckland representative level, Ormond snr played against Sing Tao of Hong Kong, Sydney, New South Wales, Sparta Prague and the Los Angeles Kickers. He scored a goal against each of the first three of these sides, and in 1965 netted three for Auckland against a combined Queensland-Northern New South Wales team.

The task of welding the team of promising youngsters into a winning combination in the new national league competition has been accepted with relish by Ormond, who will now be guiding the team off the field. But there will be another Ormond on the field, lan, who i although yet to win national! honours, won his spurs in Bri-| tish professional soccer as his! father did at the same age. lan went to England in 1967 and stayed there for two years, playing for the professional club, Barnsley. On his return from England, lan was selected for the Auckland under 23 team which played Sparta Prague. Although only 20, he has al-

ready reached Auckland senior representative status and has the potential for even greater honours.