Soccer: Chatham Cup fever hits Hamilton

Melville Utd veteran Gavin Douglas finally got his hands on football's Holy Grail - the Chatham Cup this week.

It is 10 years since his unfancied team went agonisingly close to winning New Zealand soccer's most coveted knockout competition trophy.

The Chatham Cup, first contested in 1922, has been on display at sponsor ASB Bank's Chartwell branch this week as part of promotions for Saturday's big quarterfinal tie (2pm at Gower Park, Hamilton) between Melville and Birkenhead Utd, currently the top-ranked side in the northern region.

In 2003 Douglas, now 35, led Melville to the final. In a fevered cup run Melville upset national league clubs of the era Tauranga City Utd, Waitakere City, North Shore Utd and Central Utd, before falling 3-1 to University Mt Wellington in the final at North Harbour Stadium.

The only trophy Douglas got to lift that day was the less celebrated Bob Smith Memorial Cup, awarded each year to the cup runners-up.

Douglas said the 2003 cup run was an amazing experience which captured the imagination of football followers and generated fantastic crowd support.

He is hoping history can repeat and Melville overcomes the skilful favourites.

Melville is almost a completely new team this season, with only Douglas, Josh Billman and Aaron Scott having played last year.

"We haven't quite tapped into the same spirit, or passion of 2003 yet, in our 2013 cup run," Douglas said.

"This year we are very much a new team, scrambled together with not a lot who have played northern league.

"We were a lot more experienced in 2003. In that event, the younger players had played an awful lot of football.

"We had a tough draw and we grew in confidence as we went on.

"This season, we are getting better every week. The more we win, the more it generates belief in our less experienced players. The way we are playing, we know it will take a very good team to beat us."

Douglas praised the development of midfield teenagers Scott Hilliar and Jama Boss, the consistency of fellow defender Justin Harden and the goalscoring impact of twin Welsh strikers Jordan 'The Tractor' MacCarter and Garman Hafal.

At the same stage of the knockout competition in 2003, Melville hammered national league side North Shore Utd 5-1. Douglas has fond memories of the encounter.

"It was one of those games where everyone played really well. We backed ourselves. They'd come down thinking they'd won but we played out of our skins."

Douglas would dearly love Saturday's game to unfold the same way.

Members of Hamilton's Afghan refugee community will be among special guests at the match, with the Melville club presenting them with football gear.

CUP DETAILS

• 
  What: Chatham Cup quarterfinal, Melville Utd v Birkenhead Utd.
• 
  When: 2pm, Saturday.
• 
  Where: Gower Park, Hamilton.
• 
  Entry: $5 for adults.
• 
  The Chatham Cup is on display at the ASB Bank's Chartwell branch until Sunday.