KEY POINTS:
One half of New Zealand's greatest soccer coaching partnership has been recognised in the New Year Honours.
Kevin Fallon was made a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his services to soccer.
Alison Fitch, the other sportsperson on the list, received the same honour for
her services to swimming.
In tandem with John Adshead, Fallon took the All Whites through to the 1982 World Cup finals in Spain where they completed a winless campaign in pool play against Scotland, Brazil and Russia.
Fallon said yesterday that membership of the order "wasn't bad for a guy who arrived in New Zealand with $2 in his pocket".
He also coached the ill-fated Kingz in the Australian soccer league, and took the under-17 All Whites to a win over third-ranked European team Poland in the 1999 under-17 World Cup in New Zealand. It is the only win a New Zealand team has had at a Fifa tournament.
He has won the Chatham Cup with Nelson, the national league with Gisborne, and was instrumental in establishing the New Zealand Centres of Excellence programme for young players. Fallon was also involved in the establishment of the national soccer academy in 1987.
For the past 10 years he has run the highly successful academy at Mt Albert Grammar School as part of that school's effort to boost a number of sports.
He has received numerous awards, including New Zealand soccer personality of the year five times, and was made a member of the New Zealand soccer Hall of Fame in 1995.
Fallon, who played for Gisborne City in the 1970s, was made a life member of the New Zealand Coaches Association in 1998.
Fitch, 27, retired from competitive swimming in April this year, after more than a decade at the top of the sport.
A 100m freestyle specialist, Fitch competed in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and 1998 world championships before her form faded and she missed selection for the Sydney Olympics in 2000.
She then moved from her home in Hamilton to join Jan Cameron's North Shore squad and rediscovered her form to qualify for the 2003 Barcelona world championships.
She also contested the Athens Olympics in 2004 and Melbourne Commonwealth Games last year where she guided the relay teams to a bronze in the 4x200m freestyle and fourth placings in the 4x100m freestyle and medley relay finals.
- NZPA
