WINSTON FROM WESTHAM
Big footballing names are few and far between in New Zealand, but in recent times, the national side have had a genuine star of the game leading the way to the FIFA World Cup.
In 2010, Ryan Nelsen famously led the All Whites to an unbeaten Cup run, and his underling in that tournament has re-emerged to repeat the dose in 2018. All Whites captain, Winston Reid is now that genuine star.
Until his 2010 World Cup appearances, there was a good chance the vast majority of Kiwi footballing fans never heard a whisper about Reid; all of his junior football feats were achieved in Denmark and as a Danish citizen. Moving there as a 10 year old with his mother and Danish stepfather, Reid blossomed into a footballer of note and represented his adopted country up until Under 21 level. He was nowhere near or on the All Whites’ radar. The opportunity to go to the 2010 World Cup, however, was a huge factor in Reid deciding late in the piece that he’d put himself forward to play for Ricki Herbert and his country of birth.
Up until his patriotic switch, the intel on Reid was light. As a teenager he had played in the Danish Superliga for FC Midtjylland and became a fixture in the side soon after he turned 20. His club’s European jaunt in the UEFA Cup gave him some valuable exposure to the transfer market and his performances had caught the eye of Herbert who probably wondered what other eligible gems were out there. Reid was suitably fast-tracked into the All Whites squad that had already qualified on the back of a campaign with emotional levels rivalling 1982’s dramatic results.
Soon, it was obvious how good the Maori boy from Auckland’s North Shore really was, with some polished performances in South Africa alongside New Zealand’s foremost player and skipper, Nelsen. Reid’s goal in injury time against Slovakia not only ensured a draw but New Zealand’s first-ever point at a World Cup. The All Whites would go on to become the only team at the tournament not to lose a game and Reid’s star had grown enough to get his boarding pass to the English Premier League. His signing for West Ham confirmed his status and he became the natural successor to Nelsen for the national side. In 2013, Reid officially had the armband.
At the club coalface, Reid would only get better and in 2013 was voted ‘Hammer of the Year’ for the London club. In 2014, a huge 6½-year extension to his contract would see him remain at the club until the turn of the decade and Reid, at his peak, was winning all the plaudits in the most followed sporting league in the world. Already established at the apex of the club game, Reid now has a chance to cement himself in the All Whites history.
THE MONTHLY SPORTS AGENDA
ALL WHITES DO-OR-DIE FOR RUSSIA
There was two schools of thought for local football fans as world giants, Argentina were poised to visit New Zealand for the first leg of their FIFA Intercontinental Playoff. This was the year the All Whites first qualified. With the odds traditionally stacked against an All Whites’ result in the away leg, the home fixture takes on huge significance and if the night in the Capital is anything like the epic against Bahrain in 2009, it will be something special. The All Whites have built slowly but surely over this qualifying cycle with their overseas contingent starting to shine.
ALL BLACKS ON NORTHERN TOUR
The black brand took a hit in July with the lacklustre results against the Lions and the proverbial ‘rock under the beach towel’ can be biffed if they sweep aside the Barbarians, France, Wales and Scotland. A return match-up with Warren Gatland awaits in Cardiff for a coaching panel who admit they ‘didn’t play enough rugby’ against the tourists. To add interest to the touring party, coach Steve Hansen and his fellow selectors have made it clear World Cup planning is well underway and their fresh faces will get a lot of game time to prove they have what it takes.
THE RACE THAT STOPS A NATION
The ‘race that stops a nation’ and unofficial public holiday is the most exciting Tuesday on the planet for Antipodeans and makes an amateur punter out of many office workers. It’s also a good excuse to get off work and dress up in the number ones. The Melbourne Cup is much more than horses and the event – held on the first Tuesday of November – transcends normal interest in horse racing with over a hundred thousand attending the Flemington grounds. The TAB estimated 10% of the Kiwi population had a flutter in 2013.
If a New Zealand-bred entry wins this year’s Melbourne Cup, it’ll be the 44th time a Kiwi horse rides away with the spoils.