With just final training sessions on their home turf and a Saturday captain’s run on the North Harbour Stadium pitch to come before the sides battle to etch their name on one of New Zealand’s oldest sporting trophies, each team’s focus is sharpening.
“It’s exciting,” says Bay Olympic coach Shane Knowles. “But we’re trying to tone down the excitement a little bit. The guys are very focused on what’s going to be the last game of the year.”
On the surface, Miramar have history on their side boasting three titles (1966, 1992 and 2004) to the 1970 title won by Blockhouse Bay, one of Bay Olympic’s founding clubs.
But it is at an individual level where Miramar edge ahead in the experience stakes.
Miramar coach Matt Calcott coached Western Suburbs to the 2007 final and was assistant coach the year before when that club won it. His side also boast a number of players with cup final experience, including several with a similar Suburbs connection.
Goalkeeper Phil Imray picked up the Jack Batty Memorial trophy as man of the match for his penalty shootout heroics in the 2006 final, and was joined in the final by Darren Cheriton, Michael Smith and Jon Rowe.
Michael Eagar, a 15-year-old unused substitute in the 2004 final, is the sole survivor from the last time Miramar lifted the trophy, while Campbell Parkin was on the wrong side of a 1-0 defeat for Dunedin Technical in 2008.
“We’ve got a number of players who have been here before or played in Chatham Cup or national league finals before,” says Calcott. “So that experience helps settle everybody’s nerves and things have been excellent so far in the build up.
“That experience is absolutely vital. They know the run in, they know the matchday routine, so it lets them just concentrate on the football side of things rather than get caught up with all the other stuff that’s not the norm in league football.”
For Bay Olympic, Cup final experience is lead by veteran striker Andrew Campbell and captain Craig Wylie, although they were both on losing sides for Waitakere City, including Wylie’s heartbreaking extra-time loss to Miramar in 2004, while Daniel Markham picked up a winners’ medal as a squad member for University-Mt Wellington the year before.
Knowles is drawing on Wylie and Campbell to help manage his side through the week, keep a lid on the hype and maintain what he describes as a delicate balance between intensity and relaxation.
“With Craig and Andrew they’re saying don’t let the opportunity pass you by. These opportunities don’t come around very often so prepare well and enjoy it. It’s the Chatham Cup final after all.”
The game kicks off at 2pm on Sunday at North Harbour Stadium. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children under 15.

83rd Chatham Cup Final
Sunday 12 September, 2010
North Harbour Stadium, Auckland
Kickoff: 2pm
Bay Olympic:(from) 1-Danny ROBINSON (GK), 2-Daniel MARKHAM, 4-Ross McKENZIE, 5-Leighton WILLS, 7-Joe EDWARDS, 10-Colin GARDYNE, 11-Craig WYLIE (captain), 12-Andrew CAMPBELL, 14-Tristan McCORMICK, 15-Nathan STROM, 16-Yoji TANABE, 17-Michael MAYNE, 20-Julyan COLLETT, 21-Peter NORRIS, 22-Ouadhah RAGUED, 23-Richard BEESTON, 24-Triss CLARK (GK).
Coach: Shane KNOWLES
Miramar Rangers:(from) 1-Phil IMRAY (GK), 2-Tim SCHAFFERS, 3-Michael WOODSIDE (captain), 4-Campbell PARKIN, 6-Sam JENKINS, 7-Dominic ROWE, 8-John SUTHERLAND, 9-Michael WHITE, 10-Wiremu PATRICK, 11-Allen CHOTE, 12-Darren CHERITON, 13-Brook TOZER, 14-Jonathan ROWE, 15-David JOHNSTON, 16-Keiichi NGUYEN, 17-Michael EAGAR, 18-Michael SMITH, 19-Garry MCDERMOTT, 20-Joel WIECHERN, 22-Joe MORRIS (GK).
Coach: Matt CALCOTT
Match Officials
Referee: Mirko Benischke
Assistant Referee: Glen Lochrie
Assistant Referee: Mark Rule
Fourth official: Chris Kerr
Story courtesy of NZF Media.
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