JIM MCMULLAN MEMORIAL AWARD
Sport honours those who have made a difference ...
H
aving started as an award for football’s Personality of the Year in the 1970s, the award was renamed and relaunched to honour legendary coach Jim McMullan . The Jim McMullan Memorial Award is now presented by the NZ Football Media Association to those whose services to the game deserve to be honoured. McMullan died in 2011, aged 90, after devoting more than half a century to coaching kids in Wellington.
He was legendary for turning up, no matter what the conditions, to help develop any child, regardless of their technical ability. Many of his proteges went on to play top level football, the most
famous being Oceania Player of the Millenium and All White striker Wynton Rufer. Irishman McMullan was awarded a Queen’s Service Medal.
Past winners 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2010 2011
Bill Fleming Alf Stamp Wally Hughes John Adshead Kevin Fallon John Adshead John Adshead Don Jones Kevin Fallon Don Jones Grant Turner Ian Marshall Ian Marshall John Cameron Ian Marshall Kevin Fallon Wynton Rufer Vic Deverill & Colin Stone Iain Ormond Bobby Clark Charlie Dempsey Wynton Rufer Kevin Fallon Chris Turner U–17 World Cup squad Warwick Gendall Barry Smith Les Coffman Gavin Roberts John Cameron Iain Gillies Dave Maisey
THE LATEST RECIPIENT of the Jim McMullan Memorial Award for services to football is long–time Onehunga Sports identity Bill Raffles (left) who received his award from executive member of the NZFMA Jeremy Ruane at the Celebration of Excellence. Raffles joined the club (known as Cornwall then) as a junior in 1960, but has since held many administration and coaching roles. Raffles is stepping down from his roles next year.
OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF FRIENDS OF FOOTBALL
AUCKLAND CITY’S achievements at the FIFA Club World Cup and winning the ASB Premiership in 2015 prompted Friends of Football to present club chairman Ivan Vuksich (left) and captain Ivan Vicelich with a momento at the Celebration of Excellence dinner in Auckland. Photo: Dave Mackay. 17