19 July 2003
The Press, Christchurch
by Tony Smith
Christchurch Rangers will be seeking to draw on evergreen goalkeeper Alan Stroud's Chatham Cup soccer experience in tomorrow's home quarter-final against Auckland aristocrats University-Mount Wellington.
The 41-year-old former All White's association with the cup – and Mount Wellington – stretches back 22 years, before some of his current team-mates were born.
Stroud has been involved in seven cup finals. He sat on the bench as reserve goalkeeper when Dunedin City beat the Mount, 3-1, in the 1981 Cup final in Wellington.
He was between the sticks for Christchurch United in five successive finals from 1987-91, picking up two winners' medals, in 1989 against Rotorua City in 1989 and Wellington United in 1991 – the year Christchurch United did the league and cup double.
Stroud – who is adamant his retirement date is "pretty bloody soon" – was also in goal for Rangers in the 1993 Chatham Cup final against Napier City Rovers. He can be forgiven a soccer senior's moment as he struggles to remember the final score that afternoon.
"I remember the half-time score, it was nil-nil," he quipped. "They ran away with it in the second half ... they were too good ... it was 6-0 in the end.
"I love it. It's a great competition. I'm really pleased that it's the one they've stuck with, year-in, year-out. I like the knock-out format, and the whole thing, really. It's great to still be involved in it."
At the start of this season Stroud never dreamed he would be playing in the Chatham Cup quarter-finals. He was happily ensconced in Rangers' second team while coaching first-team goalkeeper Jordan Buchanan. But Buchanan, the Canterbury United national league custodian, missed last week's cup-tie against Dunedin club Roslyn-Wakari so Rangers coach Colin Curry decided to issue an S. 0.S. call: Send out Stroud. The veteran did so well in Rangers' 2-1 extra-time win he has got the nod to continue in the quarter-final.
These days the former physical education teacher paces himself at practice, training only once a week. "If I trained twice, I probably wouldn't be able to play at the weekend."
Stroud said Rangers had taken great confidence from the Roslyn win, but University-Mount Wellington would be tougher. "Most of them are national league players from East Auckland, who did very well this past season."
Possible squads for the 2pm match at Eric Adam Park (McGregor's Road, Bromley):
Rangers: Alan Stroud, Jordan Buchanan, Dean Bodger, Nick Buchanan, Nathan Wood, Willie Dennett, Mike Harvey, Adam Styles, Will Owen, Michael Lilley, Gavin Jeffs, Jacobo Egues, Chris Peck, Blair Harkerss, Andrew Ellis, Paul Stanley, Paul Hughes, Deane Hutchinson. Coach: Colin Curry.
University-Mount Wellington: Tamati Williams, Daniel Markham, Tim Broadhurst, Andy Brown, Kara Waetford, Aaron Root, Paul Bunbury, Andrew Griffiths, Heath McCormack, Paul Temple, Daniel Ellensohn, Michael Sutherland; Theary Thou, Scott Newton, Craig Ashton, Mikael Munday, Joe Waugh, Sean Dowling. Coach: Lee Root.