Matt Smith and Nic Somerton have played together plenty of times since then, but Tim Cook has spent much of the past two decades teaching in the South Island.
When it became known he was coming back on holiday, Thistle Massive got him transferred so he could turn out for them while he was home.
Good move. He scored a hat-trick from midfield on Saturday and was Massive’s man of the match.
Others to score were Ryan Majstrovic, filling in on the left wing, Smith from his central midfield spot alongside Cook, right midfielder Ramiro Caeiro and strikers Somerton and Raul Medina.
Thistle Massive player-coach Craig Stirton said both sides struggled for numbers.
He had two players out through suspension and his brother Kane was unable to play because of injury.
“Everyone played well, but Tim Cook and centreback Josh Blair had especially good games,” Craig Stirton said.
Thistle Reserves had some fringe first-team players away on Federation League duty in Palmerston North.
Cory Thomson and Travis White scored the Reserves’ goals. For 15-year-old Thomson, it was his first Eastern League Division 1 goal — a side-foot finish from about the middle of the penalty area.
Alex Davies gave another man-of-the-match performance in midfield and played throughout as if the score were nil-nil.
Leo Maisey, Tom Peterson and Shannon Dowsing also turned in good performances on a tough day out.
Massive have a harder assignment this Saturday. They play league leaders Sunshine Brewing Wainui Sharks at Wainui.
Stirton expects to have Cook, Smith and Somerton available again. He might also have representatives of the next generation — teenagers Oska Smith and Jimmy Somerton — on the bench because Thistle’s Federation League team have no game this weekend.
In the other Division 1 game last Saturday, Thistle Youth started brightly, and after 25 minutes were only 1-0 down.
But United found their scoring touch and the goal tally ballooned.
Aubrey Yates scored a hat-trick, Stu Cranswick, Caleb Craig and Damon Husband grabbed two goals each, and David Glassford, Jonathan Purcell, Ben Hansen and Jimmy Holden scored a goal each.
Thistle Youth coach Ross Niven said he had players who put in 200 percent, because they were playing their second game of the day.
Brett Dempster, Oli Gillies and Ethan Thompson-Sheridan were Thistle’s two-games-in-a-day stalwarts.
This Saturday, Thistle Youth play Thistle Reserves in a Childers Road Reserve match-up that should be closer than the games they had at the weekend.
Thistle Vintage 11 Gisborne Pro Roofing Bohemians 1, HES United Thirds 1 HES United 5, 1st Class Decorators Wainui Salty Dogs 7 ITM Thistle 0, Coates Associates Wainui Demons 4 Tatapouri Bohemians 2, Thistle Development 1 QRS Wairoa Athletic 0.
Tatapouri Marist Thistle 0 HES United 11, Bohemians 6 Campion College 2, Gisborne Girls’ High School 1 Gisborne Laundry Services Wainui Riverina 10.
