Brentford Stadium to Host Soccer Ashes
New Zealand and Australia to compete again for long lost trophy
Brentford FC’s Gtech Community Stadium. Picture: Getty Images
October 4, 2023
A football match between New Zealand and Australia is to take place in London in which the two nations will once again compete for a trophy thought lost forever in the fifties.
Brentford FC’s Gtech Community Stadium will host the fixture, which was first played in 1922, on Tuesday 17 October.
And, for the first time since 1954 there will be more than trans-Tasman pride at stake.
On the line will be the Soccer Ashes, a football trophy inspired by cricket’s little urn, and which was lost following a game in 1954.
It contains the ashes of cigars smoked by the New Zealand captain George Campbell and his Australian counterpart Alex Gibb after a meeting of the teams back in June 1923. The ashes were placed inside a silver-plated razor case, itself inside an elaborate wooden casket made from a combination of New Zealand honeysuckle and Australian maple by New Zealand trophy maker Harry Mayer.
The razor case was carried by Queensland Football Association Secretary Private William Fisher at the landing of Gallipoli in 1915, making the trophy a powerful symbol of the Anzac spirit - a term used to highlight the shared characteristics soldiers from both countries were said to exemplify on the battlefields of the First World War.
Having disappeared many decades ago, the Soccer Ashes were believed to be consigned to sporting history, only for them to turn up recently in the garage of former Australian Soccer Federation Association chair Sydney Story, whose relatives discovered the trophy, still in perfect condition, while sorting through his belongings.
So, for the first time in 69 years, New Zealand and Australia will once again compete for the much-loved trophy – albeit a long way from home, in suburban west London.
New Zealand Football chief executive Andrew Pragnell said, “Since the Soccer Ashes trophy was rediscovered, locking in a game against Australia to play for them was a top priority.
“This trophy represents not just the shared footballing history of our two countries but also the shared history of our two nations in general, so it will be a special occasion to see it competed for.”
Football Australia chief executive James Johnson agreed, adding, “The trophy is a powerful symbol of the many ties that bind our two nations.
“We’re delighted to provide the many Australian and New Zealand expats living in London and throughout Europe with the opportunity to support their respective national teams live, and I’d like to thank the team at Brentford Football Club for hosting us at Gtech Community Stadium.”
Tickets to the Soccer Ashes game are available, priced from £12 for under-17s, £14 for young adults (18-24) and seniors, and £16 for adults. To book a ticket click here. https://www.eticketing.co.uk/brentfordfc/EDP/Event/Index/193
Like Reading Articles Like This? Help Us Produce More This site remains committed to providing local community news and public interest journalism. Articles such as the one above are integral to what we do. We aim to feature as much as possible on local societies, charities based in the area, fundraising efforts by residents, community-based initiatives and even helping people find missing pets. We’ve always done that and won’t be changing, in fact we’d like to do more. However, the readership that these stories generates is often below that needed to cover the cost of producing them. Our financial resources are limited and the local media environment is intensely competitive so there is a constraint on what we can do. We are therefore asking our readers to consider offering financial support to these efforts. Any money given will help support community and public interest news and the expansion of our coverage in this area. A suggested monthly payment is £8 but we would be grateful for any amount for instance if you think this site offers the equivalent value of a subscription to a daily printed newspaper you may wish to consider £20 per month. If neither of these amounts is suitable for you then contact info@neighbournet.com and we can set up an alternative. All payments are made through a secure web site. One-off donations are also appreciated. Choose The Amount You Wish To Contribute. If you do support us in this way we’d be interested to hear what kind of articles you would like to see more of on the site – send your suggestions to the editor. For businesses we offer the chance to be a corporate sponsor of community content on the site. For £30 plus VAT per month you will be the designated sponsor of at least one article a month with your logo appearing if supplied. If there is a specific community group or initiative you’d like to support we can make sure your sponsorship is featured on related content for a one off payment of £50 plus VAT. All payments are made through a secure web site. |