Some of the biggest names of New Zealand soccer, past and present, graced Waikaraka Park on May 29th for the final act of Ben Sigmund’s combination ‘retirement and autobiography book launch’ tour of the country.
As a former Onehunga Sports Football Club member, Ben chose to end his tour with a benefit All Stars match at his old club. The event featured current Phoenix players Paul Ifil and Andrew Durante, former All Whites including Ivan Vicelich and Michael Ridenton, as well as a few of Ben’s old mates such as Black Cap Nathan McCullum. James McOnie and Andrew Mulligan from Prime’s “The Crowd Goes Wild” also spent time on the pitch.
The Neo-Natal Trust was the charity for the day and spectators were asked to donate a gold coin to the Trust. Ben is also donating a dollar from every book he sells to the charity.
Sadly, the weather did not come to the party. Torrential rain in the hours leading up to, and during, the game meant the crowd was not as big as had been hoped. But a hardy crowd of around 150 braved the elements to support Ben and his mates.
The weather also ruined the game as a spectacle, although with everyone struggling to cope with the conditions, it did provide a different form of entertainment. There was plenty of slipping and sliding, while a few big reputations were embarrassed by ‘air shots’ or comical falls, much to the delight of the crowd.
As for the game itself, it was a classic benefit match with many of the rules being ignored. When Ben’s blue team accidently fielded 12 players to start the game, instead of appealing to the referee the white team simply sent out an extra player of their own. The weather also resulted in both halves being considerably shorter than the standard 45 minutes each way.
Fittingly it was Ben Sigmund, playing in the forwards instead of his usual defensive position, who scored the first goal of the game. The match ended in a 3-3 draw, then it was up to the clubrooms for a drink and lots of autographs.
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