The 1925 Chatham Cup was the third annual nationwide knockout football competition in New Zealand.

1925 Chatham Cup
Tournament details
Venue(s)Newtown Park, Wellington
Dates30 May – 19 September 1925
Defending championsAuckland Harbour Board
Final positions
ChampionsWellington YMCA (1st title)
Runner-upSeacliff
← 1924
1926 →

The competition was run on a regional basis. Each region held its own contest to find a regional champion, with these then being grouped into four regional associations (Auckland, Wellington, Canterbury, and Otago), each of which was represented in semi-finals by one team, followed by northern and southern semi-finals and a national final.

Entrants

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In all, 30 teams took part in the competition, though some contemporary reports say there were 29.[1] Ten of these teams were from the Wellington area, nine from Auckland, and three from Christchurch.[2] Confusion is caused by some contemporary reports which list the Pukemiro team as "Huntly", despite these being two separate sides from the same area.

The 1925 final

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The final was played at Newtown Park, Wellington, a change of venue from the previous finals which had been at Athletic Park. This new venue was to host the final again in 1927, with the Basin Reserve being preferred as a permanent venue from 1928 after its use in 1926. The 1925 final was part of an unusual double-bill, the ground also being used on the same day for a rugby league match between the New Zealand team and a touring Queensland representative XIII.[3]

The final was the first re-match of two teams who had previously contested a final; six Seacliff players and four YWCA players played in both the 1923 and 1925 finals. The game was described in The Dominion as entertaining with a number of chances, as was reflected by the scoreline, which was 2–2 at full time. The first goal came from Stewart Dempster for YMCA, but Wattie Hanlin equalised before the half-time interval. In the second half Seacliff went into the lead through Bill Hooper, who became the first player to score in two separate finals, having previously scored in Seacliff's 1923 win. this time it was YMCA who equalised with a second goal from Dempster. Dave Halley grabbed the winner for the Wellington side early in the first period of extra time.[4]: 67 

Results

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Qualifying Rounds

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Auckland Qualifiers

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North Shore3 –1Northcote
Palmer 2, Woolley Report W. Knott (pen.)
Blandford Park, Auckland
Attendance: 2000
Referee: Mr. S. Masters
Auckland Thistle3 – 2Royal Navy
Dodds, Humphries 2 Report Kernick, Merritt (pen.)
Victoria Park, Auckland
Attendance: 3000
Referee: Mr. P. Marsh
Ponsonby3 – 1Tramways
Kennedy 2, Innes Report Lewis
Auckland Domain, Auckland
Referee: Mr. G. T. Lee
Hellabys1 – 0North Shore
Report
Victoria Park, Auckland
Referee: Mr. F. Knightley
Auckland YMCA5 – 1Auckland Harbour Board
Report
Blandford Park, Auckland
Referee: Mr. L. Parkinson
Auckland Semi Final
Hellabys1 – 2Ponsonby
Margison Report Christie, Adshead
Blandford Park, Auckland
Referee: Mr. G. T. Lee
Auckland Semi Final
Auckland Thistle6 – 1Auckland YMCA
Humphries 5, Dunsmore Report Marshall
Blandford Park, Auckland
Referee: Mr. J. Ball
Auckland Final
Ponsonby2 - 1Auckland Thistle
Kennedy, Ahern Report Ritchie (pen.)
Attendance: 7000
Referee: Mr. F. Marsh

Wellington Qualifiers

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Diamond3 –1Wellington Institute
Dickinson, McLeod, Calvert 'og' Report Kallaher
Association Park, Wellington
Referee: Mr. L. F. C. Cooper
Wellington Thistle4 – 2Waterside
Logan 3, Wallace Report Stanbridge 2
Newtown Park, Wellington
Referee: Mr. C. Kelly
Hospital6 – 2Johnsonville
Smith, Mullins, Hughes 2, Simmons, Ring (Johnsonville) og. Report McFarlane, Gibbs (Hospital) og.
Referee: Mr. C. Kelly
Wellington Thistle3 – 2Diamond
Wallace 2, Logan Report J. McLeod, R. McLeod
Association Park, Wellington
Referee: Mr. A.E. Wells
Scottish Wanderers2 – 1Wellington Marist
Lothian, Galbraith Report Costello
Association Park, Wellington
Referee: Mr. L. F. C. Cooper
Wellington YMCA3 – 0Brooklyn
Ballard, Campbell, Eton Report
Kelburn Park, Wellington
Referee: Mr. C. Udy
Wellington Semi Final
Hospital0 - 1Scottish Wanderers
Report Golbright
Referee: Mr. A. E. Wells
Wellington Semi Final
Wellington YMCA2 – 1Wellington Thistle
Dempster, Nicolle Report Lennox    
Association Park, Wellington
Referee: Mr. E. Ormrod
Wellington Final
Wellington YMCA2 – 0Scottish Wanderers
Dempster, Ballard Report
Basin Reserve, Wellington
Referee: Mr. G. Goffin

South Auckland (Waikato) Qualifiers

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South Auckland (Waikato) Semi Final
Rotowaro3 - 0Frankton Railways
Oliver 2, Buller Report
Rotowaro Ground, Rotowaro
Referee: Mr. J. Wallace
South Auckland (Waikato) Semi Final
Huntly0 - 2
Huntly protested the result
Pukemiro
Report
Huntly Recreation Ground, Huntly
Referee: Mr. G. Shand
South Auckland (Waikato) Semi Final Replay
Huntly0 – 2Pukemiro
Report Drennan 2
Huntly Recreation Ground, Huntly
Referee: Mr. R. J. Brookes (Auckland)
South Auckland (Waikato) Final
Pukemiro2 – 1Rotowaro
Drinnan, Black Report Garrick (pen.)
Huntly Recreation Ground, Huntly
Referee: Mr. J. Wallace

Manawatu Qualifiers

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St. Andrewsv
RSA won by default
Palmerston North Returned Services Association
Report
North Street Park, Palmerston North

St. Andrews continued to question the Manawatu Football Association's decision into mid July 1925.[5]

Palmerston North Athletic3 - 0 aetFoxton
Hearsey 2, Wheeler Report
North Street Park, Palmerston North
Referee: Mr. J. Forbes
Palmerston North Returned Services Association2 - 0Palmerston North Rangers
Contaur, Baigent Report
North Street Park #2, Palmerston North
Referee: Mr. Duncumb
Manawatu Final
Palmerston North Returned Services Association4 - 2Palmerston North Athletic
Stevens 2, Baigent 2 Report Hearsey, Fitzgerald
North Street Park, Palmerston North
Referee: Mr. Duncumb
Manawatu/Hawkes Bay Final
Hastings Unitedv
RSA won by default
Palmerston North Returned Services Association
Report
Cornwall Park, Hastings

Canterbury Qualifiers

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Canterbury Semi Final
Christchurch Rangers2 - 2Lyttelton
Gibson 2

Howarth  

McGilp  
Report Parle 2 Wales  
Sunnyside Hospital, Christchurch
Referee: Mr. Robinson
Canterbury Semi Final
Nomads1 - 0Sunnyside
C. McDougall Report
English Park, Christchurch
Referee: Mr. Stout
Canterbury Semi Final Replay
Christchurch Rangers3 - 1Lyttelton
Gibson, Norman, Barwell Report Parle
English Park
Referee: Mr. W. Smythe

Quarter-finals

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Auckland/South Auckland (Waikato) Final
Pukemiro0 - 4Ponsonby
Report Innes 2, Neesham, Kennedy
Huntly Domain, Huntly
Attendance: 1000
Referee: Mr. J. Wallace
Wellington/Manawatu Final
Wellington YMCA5 – 0Palmerston North Returned Services Association
Dempster 3, Campbell 2 Report
Referee: Mr. G. Cox
Otago Final
Seacliff7 – 0Oamaru Rangers
Hooper 3, Simmons 2, Cooper 2 Report
Referee: Mr. W. P. Smith
Canterbury Final
Nomads5 - 1Christchurch Rangers
J. McDougall 3, Graham (pen.), C. McDougall Report Barwell
English Park, Christchurch
Referee: Mr. F. Campbell

Semi-finals ("Island finals")

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South Island Final
Nomads0 – 2Seacliff
Report Hooper 2
Attendance: 2000
Referee: Mr. W. Campbell
North Island Final
Ponsonby1 – 2Wellington YMCA
Cheeseman Report Dempster, Campbell

Final

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Teams

Wellington YMCA: Albert Bentley, Horrie Prince, Les McGirr, W. Pearson, Neil MacArthur, Charlie Trott, Billy Nichols, Stewart Dempster, Dave Holly (or Halley), Charles Ballard, George Campbell.[6]

Seacliff: R. Gwilliam, George Anderson, Bill Rogers, Alex Waugh, Wattie Cooper, Bill Murray, D. Milne, Malcolm Macdougall, Bill Hooper, Wattie Hanlin, J. Baillie.

1925 Chatham Cup Final
Wellington YMCA3 – 2 (aet)Seacliff
Dempster 2, Halley Report Hanlin, Hooper
Referee: Mr. E. Thornley (Christchurch)

References

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  1. ^ "SOCCER". NZ Truth. No. 1020. 13 June 1925. p. 8. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  2. ^ "SOCCER CONTROL". Evening Post. No. 130. 5 June 1925. p. 4. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  3. ^ Papers Past — Evening Post — 17 September 1925 — LEAGUE FOOTBALL
  4. ^ Hilton, Tony; Smith, Barry (1991). An Association with Soccer: The NZFA Celebrates Its First 100 Years. New Zealand Football. ISBN 978-0473012915.
  5. ^ "Soccer Dispute Over Forfeited Game". Manawatu Standard. 15 July 1925. p. 8. Retrieved 7 August 2023 – via Papers Past.
  6. ^ Houston, J., (1952) Association football in New Zealand. Wellington: A.H. & A. W. Reed. p. 34.