Personality Profile

Why back to Southland:	Invercargill is my home, it's where I was born and brought up. I needed to leave to further my football career, but always intended to return. After a slight period of dis-illusionment with football I had a change of life style and with my wife Julie bought Motels. My only football involvement was with a couple of junior teams. However my dad's illness and then subsequent death meant I travelled home a lot and in discusions with key people & friends found there was a gap to be filled in football development here. I pursued this role and was given the opportunity. I have a desire to make a difference to football in the deep south.
Favoured club and why:	Gisbourne City. I was a senior player and club member at Gisbourne City and understood the work that was going on in the club to make it successful. The business and public community was right behind the club and it was exciting to be a part of it. Running out to play our home games knowing there would be a crowd of 1000 to 1500 watching was a real buzz. Nelson United was similar I suppose and we won the Chatham Cup and were promoted from Central to National League but I was younger then and didn't fully comprehend the whole picture. My Queens Park days as a youngster were also special as I was motivated to stay in the game by watching some of those epic Queens Park v Thistle encounters. They were great days for the sport in Invercargill.
Music:	No preference in particular in fact i'm not a music person. Perhaps my calm nature lends me toward easy listening and a bit of Jazz.
Most influencial team-mate: Colin Walker (pictured above) is currently Reserve Team coach for York City FC...Stu	Colin Walker at Gisborne City is a player I respected highly. There were others too, but Colin had a special gift to read a situation and the vision and skill to work a way through it. He wasn't a fast man, you would probably outrun him Stu, (wow! really....) but he was a master at protecting the ball in possession, something that is lacking a lot in the current NZ football environment. And he scored that wonderful goal for the All Whites against Israel when he curled the ball into the net from near the corner flag with the goalkeeper coming out to narrow the angle.
Most influential opponent:	Steve Sumner, a feared opponent but a wonderful team-mate. And a player-coach while I was at Gisborne. I first met up with Steve at a NZ U19 camp and I was never to forget his forceful, determined, never say die attitude. Whenever you played a team Steve was in you knew you had a torrid 90 minutes ahead of you.
Movies:	War, Cowboy & Indian and spoof movies are what I enjoy, but i'm certainly not a movie goer. Perhaps with a preference for those spoof comedies that Leslie Neilson starred in. War movies were probably inspired by the fact that we had a set of encyclopedias at home on the wars and I used to flick through them. Although I remember thinking at the time it's not somewhere I would ever like to be.
Career highlight: Ken - 1982...ish	World Cup 82 was what dreams are made of. I was not involved in the long build up - being called into the squad for the Saudi game in Auckland and then for the tournament. Peter Simonsen and I shared a flat at the time and together we had a goal that we would make it into the All Whites. We had a circle drawn on a piece of paper pinned to the wall with World Cup Spain written in it and we would pin the qualifying game reports and articles around the circle. We worked hard on our fitness because we knew that was the main element required if we were to join the squad and then were to survive such a rigorous competition. It worked.... I have been involved in 5 Chatham Cup finals, won a National League as a player and as a coach and i'm proud of those achievements but it doesn't really compare to the World Cup. My hope is that there is another group of kiwis who will one day enjoy that experience.
Most important element for juniors:	Enthusiasm, enjoyment and being able to understand the basics of the skill requirements and the reading of a game. These aspects don't have to be "thrashed" into kids but they need to know there importance. A youngster who grasps these elements and has the attitude to put them to work will last long in the game. It's about knowing how to do the right thing at the right time.
Most important element for seniors:	In a word FITNESS it gets harder but comes into account more.
Food:	I can't off the cuff think of any food I don't like, but I am partial I suppose to a good Stir Fry.
Priority for Southland Soccer as you see it: And .....then there's the office work to be done	My immediate aim is to increase player participation in age-group teams. Not having a 13th grade rep team this year was a blow, and if not corrected will leave a gap in the pathway for players. I also plan to work on the problem of low-level participation in Southland Colleges and sustaining the already popular STARTERZ and MINI-CENTRE programmes. Then there's coaching of coaches to be attacked. We need more licensed coaches. The coaches club John Herdman set up has fallen by the wayside since he left and needs to be re-kindled. And of course we need the Southland Spirit men's and women's teams back in competition. There's plenty to be done and it's agood opportunity to stay out of our recently purchased home while Julie gets into the renovating. I'm sure i'll just get in her way.....
Football or Soccer:	Football definitely. The governing body FIFA is a football organistaion not soccer. (I have read, in May 2005 North & South that Graeme Seatter plans to drive a change back to Football in NZ.....and that fits well with me, Stu)