Football: Past players sought to mark 40th anniversary

L-R: Matt Single, Patrick Pilz, Port Hill United, celebrating Patrick's second goal during the Federation Cup knockout match. Photo / Duncan Brown

The Port Hill Soccer Club is marking its 40th anniversary in a fortnight.

"We're very proud of being around for 40 years and the few changes we've made," says club president Shane McKenzie before the celebrations on May 15-17.

McKenzie says the club has come a long way since it was established in 1975, relocating from South Port and Napier Technical.

Club officials are in the process of trying to contact former club members and life members to attend the three-day activities planned at their clubrooms located at Marewa Club in Napier.

"A few of our past members and life members are coming from Christchurch for the weekend," he says.

A meet and greet will be held on Friday, May 15.

The sponsors and junior club will gather the next afternoon just before their flagship team, AppMed House Port Hill Prems kick-off against Western Rangers at 3pm on the No1 ground.

The Terry O'Neill-coached team have won four of their five matches to date this season in the nine-team Computer Care Pacific Premiership league.

The side are sitting in second place on the ladder, a point below undefeated leaders Alexander Electrical Napier Marist on 12 points, after thrashing Big Barrell Havelock North Wanderers 5-2 last Saturday at home.

McKenzie says the 120-member club will have a BBQ breakfast on Sunday, May 17, before the women's team and under-15 boys play their games.

Port Hill has also been named a finalist in the Grassroots Club of the Year at the HB Sports Awards on the same weekend.

The autonomous junior club also is up for the Club Operations of the Year Award that Saturday night at the Pettigrew-Green Arena, Taradale.

"A couple of our members will go to the Sport Hawke's Bay Awards and then hopefully joining us afterwards at the clubrooms," McKenzie says.

The senior club, he says, is on track to establishing stronger ties with the juniors who won a New Zealand Football "Quality Club Mark" award last month.

The juniors became the first club in the Central Football region to claim the award, which NZ Football created with its 17 federations to help clubs to operate at their peak.