Why I Love the Chatham Cup

Why I Love the Chatham Cup

Picture this. Your team are level with your fierce local rivals heading into injury time in extra time. The match seems destined for penalties and a twelve yard lottery will decide who earns a place in the Quarter Finals. Up pops the trustworthy and talismatic striker to ping home a dramatic twenty five yard winner, sparking mass celebrations for the winner and complete dejection for the loser.

Now try picture the above in your ordinary league match. Having trouble? It's probably because it's unrealistic to believe it would happen in your ordinary league match. That is the magic of the cup and with it all the highs and lows, ups and downs, tears of joy and pain, make up the fabric that will always keep football warm.

The Chatham Cup is also the oldest and arguably most prestigious trophy within NZ football. It's this history and tradition that has been formed over several generations that makes it such a coveted prize among todays footballers. It is also the only football competition in this country that has remained relatively untouched in its entirety. This also adds to the prestige and popularity of the cup. 

There's no denying it, everyone loves a good cup run. It gives big clubs a chance to compete against the best from the rest of the country in the latter stages, and it gives small clubs a chance to claim a big scalp or two and also profit when hosting a reasonable sized club. And it brings out the romantic in us, whether you like it or not.

The magic of the cup is still well and truly alive in this country, and i'm sure this weekend will provide some more memorable cup moments from Auckland to Dunedin and everywhere in between.


Statement: Above writting after long night out may contain several mistakes if so im sorry.

Totally agree. Just ask Dunedin Tech and Caversham. Second Round, Equal top with each other  in the Footballsouth prem League, deadly rivals and one of them is gonna be out of the cup without winning out a game, which hasn't happened to either of them since 1998.

Absolutely fizzing at the bung hole about Newtown Pk derby tomorrow

Statement: Actual fizzing at said bung hole may not occur

It's been moved to Te Whaea Salmon... just about everything else is cancelled except us.

CHATHAM CUP:

Wellington United v Olympic            Transferred to Te Whaea at 3pm 

 

CAPITAL 1:

Island Bay v Brooklyn Northern        Cancelled

North Wellington v Wainuiomata       Cancelled 

 

CAPITAL 2:

University 1st XI v Upper Hutt City       Cancelled 

 

CAPITAL 6:

BNU Pilsner v Lower Hutt Sangham      Cancelled 

CAPITAL 16:

Naenae Nighthawks v Petine Prowlerz    Transferred to Awakairangi 2 at 2pm

 

MASTERS 1:
Eastbourne v Western Suburbs      Cancelled 

MASTERS 3:
Tawa Grizzles v Seatoun 99s          NOW at Te Whaea at 12.45pm

3-0 win today. My love affair with the big cup continues for a couple more weeks at least.