Hockey teams’ fine leader

Press, 2 April 1980, Page 30

Hockey teams’ fine leader

By

KEVIN TUTTY

New Zealand hockey lost a valued administrator with the recent death in Auckland, after a short illness, of Tony Palmer. * Mr Palmer, aged 42, had achieved much in his all-too-short time in hockey administration. The climax was managing the New Zealand team when it won the gold medal at the Montreal Olympics in 1976. Ross Gillespie, the coach of that history-mak-ing team, was in partnership with Mr Palmer at four major tournaments, and said Mr Palmer had “a style all of his own.” “He was able to get the best from players without thumping the table. He managed to be one of the boys and still do an efficient job and hold their respect.” Mr Palmer was the manager on four major overseas tours' — to the World Cup in Amsterdam in 1973; the 1975 World Cup in Kuala Lumpur; the 1976 Olympics; and the 1977 tour to Australia. He was also manager at the 1974 international tournament in Christchurch. His appointment in 197.3 was a departure from the previous ■ type of manager who was usually given the position because of services rendered. Mr Palmer was the thorough, dedicated, business-like mam ager who always ensured his team got the best treatment possible. Unfortunately his best was not always enough, as was the case in 1975 at the Kuala Lumpur World Cup. New Zealand was playing Pakistan in a pool

match and:was 0-1 down a few minutes after halftime when a cloudburst made the ground unplayable. '■ The game was stopped and the New Zealanders thinking the game would be replayed the next day wound down and had a few drinks, only to find 20 minutes later the game was to be re-started across the city at another venue.

Some 90 minutes later the game restarted and New Zealand eventually lost 0-2. Mr Palmer protested strongly and although the protest was lost he must'have pricked the conscience of the International Hockey Federation officials.

They made the first ever refund of a protest deposit. As Mr Gillespie said it was a moral victory. f. .

It was also a minor miracle the protest was ever forwarded because it has to be lodged with a

sum of Swiss francs and in triplicate 30 minutes after the match was stopped. Mr Palmer managed to ■find the money, and write the protest between the chaos of getting the team to the second venue. At a tournament meets ing later Mr Palmer succeeded in forcing a change to the rule regarding pro- . tests which allowed teams more time io make 4 Qieir written submissions. A sense of humour was a vital part of Mr. Palmer’s character, but when needed he could be firm and made decisions contrary to what -the , players thought.., , - _■. ' “But he’always put the > team ~ and y its welfare first,” said Mr Gillespie. This is illustrated by an incident recalled by Mr Gillespie. ■ ■<#' On its way .to Canada for the 1976 Olympics the team had to land at Buffalo on the CanadianAmerican border because

of an air? traffic controllers*' strike in Canada. “Buffalo was a small airport and . a shambles with thousands of people landing there. Tony decided to get off first to commandeer a bus to get us to Toronto. “He did get off first and managed. to . hold enough seats for the rest of us by fighting off other passengers saying the seats were for the. Nev/ Zealand Olympic hockey team. A

lesser person would have given up.” Mr Palmer was a vicepresident of the Auckland and New Zealand Hockey Associations at the time of his death. He was chairman of the Auckland association from 1966 to 1977' A delegate for many years to the national association annual meetings, ,he always ?. spoke with quiet but persuasive logic. Mr Palmer is survived by his wife, Marion.