1953 Chatham Cup

The 1953 Chatham Cup was the 26th annual nationwide knockout football competition in New Zealand.

1953 Chatham Cup

Tournament details
Venue(s)	Basin Reserve, Wellington
Dates	5 September 1953
Final positions
Champions	Eastern Suburbs (2nd title)
Runner-up	Northern
← 1952 1954 →

The competition was run on a regional basis, with regional associations each holding separate qualifying rounds.

Teams taking part are known to have included; Eastern Suburbs, Mount Albert Grammar Old Boys, Auckland Thistle, Grey Lynn Comrades, Auckland University, Point Chevalier, Auckland Training College, Royal New Zealand Navy, Eden, Ellerslie, North Shore United, Ōtāhuhu, Onehunga, Ponsonby (Auckland), Mangakino, Huntly Thistle (Waikato), Eastern Union (Gisborne), New Plymouth City, New Plymouth Overseas, New Plymouth Old Boys (Taranaki), Napier Rovers (Hawkes Bay), Wanganui New Settlers, St. Andrews, Palmerston North United, Waiouru (Wanganui/Manawatu), Victoria University, Miramar Rangers, Trentham Athletic, Stop Out, Institute Old Boys, Swifts, Diamond, Northern, Apollon, Waterside, Johnsonvilla, Upper Hutt United, Hospital, Seatoun, Petone, Railways, Wellington Marist, (Wellington), Millerton Thistle (Buller), Woodbourne (Marlborough), Saint Vincent, Atlantis, Wigram, Christchurch Technical Old Boys, Hinemoa, University of Canterbury, Nomads, Christchurch City, Shamrock, Western, Christchurch Thistle (Canterbury), Mornington, Dunedin Technical, Caversham, Green Island, Maori Hill, Northern, Roslyn-Wakari, Otago High School Old Boys (Dunedin), and Invercargill Thistle.

The 1953 final

The final was a repeat of the 1951 final, with Eastern Suburbs again beating Dunedin's Northern. Reg King added two further goals to his three from 1951, equalling the aggregate record of five final goals. The game was a thrilling one according to contemporary accounts, with Northern letting in a soft goal very early on and the game opening up with frequent chances at both ends. Suburbs clinched the match with the winning goal late on in the second half. Scorers were Reg King (2), Ken Fleet, and Murray Anderson for Eastern Suburbs, while Trevor McFarlane gained a brace for Northern and Bill Boardman also scored for the Dunedin side.

Results

Quarter-Finals

Eastern Suburbs	3–1	Huntly Thistle

North Island Semi-Final

1 August 1953

Blandford Park, Auckland

Seatoun	5–0	Wanganui New Settlers

North Island Semi-Final

1 August 1953

Basin Reserve, Wellington

Christchurch Thistle	4–2	Millerton Thistle

South Island Semi-Final

8 August 1953

English Park, Christchurch

Invercargill Thistle	1–8	Northern

South Island Semi-Final

1 August 1953

Invercargill Showgrounds, Invercargill

Semi-Finals

Eastern Suburbs	1–0	Seatoun

North Island Final

15 August 1953

Blandford Park, Auckland

Northern	3–0	Christchurch Thistle

South Island Final

22 August 1953

Caledonian Park, Dunedin

Final

Eastern Suburbs	4–3	Northern
King 2, Fleet, M. Anderson		McFarlane 2, Boardman

1953 Chatham Cup Final

5 September 1953

Basin Reserve, Wellington

Referee: J.K. Wellwood