AFF honours Ivy Vela
Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Central United’s Ivy Vela was one of six volunteers honoured last week through the awarding of the second set of Auckland Football Federation Long Service Medals at the organisation's AGM at Mt Smart Stadium's John Walker Lounge.
Auckland Football Federation chairman Mike Loftus presented medals and certificates to the six football devotees who have each served the game in various roles.
Club stalwarts Ivy Vela (Central Utd FC), Pam Luhrs (Papatoetoe AFC), Yvonne White (Manurewa AFC) and Roy Cox (University-Mt Wellington AFC) were recognised for their contribution to the game while Nga Kairua and Terry Smith were both honoured for their services to refereeing.
Auckland Football CEO David Parker acknowledged the crucial role played by not only the sextet of medalists, but also the numerous other volunteers throughout the Auckland Football region.
“Volunteers are the heart of sport. Some are recognised for their service with Life Memberships of the Federation, some even of the national body New Zealand Football.
"Many are unheralded outside their own club environment, and even a life membership of the club is internal and often the honour escapes the attention of the ordinary member, even if it is painted onto an honours board.
“We hope the award will be valued for its importance in recognising the invaluable contributions of the unsung heroes, for the quality and the longevity of their passionate involvement in football, and their service to their club and to the game.”

Auckland Football Federation Long Service Medalists - May 2009

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Ivy Vela

Vela has served as Central United FC secretary with dignity and grace providing a service to members at her club level for 14 years. She has also been a background figure at franchise entity level since Auckland City FC’s creation for the NZFC.
Vela is never one to seek the limelight, always doing her job and way beyond it for the game, for the club and for the people that she serves so well.
She received recognition in 2006 as the NFSL Administrator of the Year award winner and then was honoured by Sport Auckland in 2007 with a Service to Sport Award.



Nga Kairua

Kairua joined as a referee in 1984, and after a short break, continues to serve the game today.
He has totalled 21 years of active service, and in the past five years also acting as a referee coach passing on his experience to others. He served as president on the committee of the Counties Manukau Referees Association from 1988 to 1996 and as the Senior Appointments Officer for what was then Soccer2 from 2006-07.
Nga’s daughter Tiana is one of the Auckland Football Federation’s leading young female referees.



Pam Luhrs

Pam has been involved in the Papatoetoe AFC club since joining as a player in 1987. After being elected secretary in 1993, Pam still holds that role today. In fact, the job she has done is so good that the task of treasurer has been merged into it.
Over the years Pam has managed a number of club ladies teams, was part of the women’s group reporting to the Board of Soccer2 in 2000. Pam also runs the canteen, is gear steward, assists behind the bar, until this year prepared the club’s programme for first team match days, organises the club’s 7-a-side summer competition, liaises with Manukau Parks, and co-ordinates the juniors.
Pam was honoured with life membership of the club in 2003, and in 2006 received an external Services to Sport award.

Yvonne White

White was elected to the Manurewa AFC junior club committee in 1972, and was registration secretary until 1984.
During this time she represented the club as delegate to the Franklin and district Junior Football Association (JFA), became chair and represented the JFA to the Franklin Control Board.
Yvonne has served two stints as club secretary; from 1985-1992 as well as her current tenure which began in 2000, while also taking on the treasurer role at times. Yvonne was awarded life membership of the club during her first period as club secretary.



Terry Smith

Smith was first active as a referee in 1973 and is still doing his time in the middle after no less than 36 years. He has found time along the way for two stints as publicity officer; firstly for the Counties Manukau Referees Association and later the Auckland Soccer Referees Association.
As an assistant referee in national leagues from 1979-85 he was in the right place to be invited to referee All Whites practice games in their most famous hour 1981-2, and then travelled to Spain to support them.
Away from football he has run 18 marathons in 10 countries. In 2008 he was recognised by his peers as winner of the Ian Hiscox Trophy for services to refereeing.



Roy Cox

One of many football immigrants from the United Kingdom, his involvement in football in New Zealand started small, as a reserve team coach at Eden AFC in 1972 - just a year later he got the job of treasurer and secretary.
Although he was involved in boys coaching for the Auckland Football Association, and played a key role in helping to fund the All Whites campaign leading to Spain in 1982, he made an indelible mark in his promotion of women’s football.
Cox has coached women’s club teams at Eden, Three Kings United and University-Mt Wellington AFC, and led Auckland representative team in three stints covering 11 years, (seven of them unbeaten) taking eight national titles.
Instead of receiving awards, he has donated them, and a shield bearing his name is still played for between Auckland and Wellington representative teams - a legacy of his early days creating regional and national structures for the women’s game. Cox remains chairman of the University-Mt Wellington club.

Photos by Auckland Football