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Season 09-10

Season 08-09

Season 07-08

Although official records are somewhat reticent, much of the unheralded work done on and off the field during the 1960’s was about to bear fruit.

First to shine were the Major Ladies team. Eden had won the right to go to the Dustin Cup as Auckland champions but they chose not to go so Metro were offered the chance to go to Christchurch.

Against all the odds and all the predictions they won! Many of the pundits and scribes had to eat their words of doom and gloom.

At prizegiving Paulette Walters and Jimmy Russ took home the major trophies.

The following year, they won the Auckland championship for the first time, a feat they were to repeat four more times (1947/75, 1976/77, 1980/81, 1984/85). They were to win the National Club Championship twice in a row (1985/86, 1986/87) after coming runners up for the five previous years.

In 1970 the club fielded 4 senior men’s teams, 2 senior women’s teams, 4 junior boys and 1 junior girls team. A decade later they fielded 6 senior men’s teams, 4 senior women’s teams, 5 junior boys and 4 junior girls teams.

Sue Jacobs was announced as Auckland Softballer of the Year for 1972/73 season, the first of many honours she was to win.

Letters were sent to Council regarding the building of a skin diamond.

Two championships were won in 1973/74, the Sixth Grade Girls and Eighth Grade Boys. The Premier men got a new coach – Russell Ewington, and thus began the saga of what was to be known in the popular press as “Ewington’s Circus” or “the Crazy Gang”. The team began to win consistently, culminating in the winning of the Auckland Championship in 1978/79. Other trophies they obtained included the Vic Guth, Pan Am InterCity and the Brother Patrick (twice).

The Premier women toured Australia in 1974/75 and the following year Sue Jacobs and Barbara Johnson were selected to represent New Zealand.

By 1978/79 the skin diamond was under construction and in addition to the men winning their first championship, the women won the Bonds Trophy in Christchurch. Championships also went to the Major 1 Men and Women and the Major 2 Women.

Steve Nicholas got his first call up to the New Zealand team.

A vintage year for honours.

1979/80 saw Russell Ewington stand down as coach of the Premier men. He was succeeded by Terry Skill.

Deslea Wrathall and Debbie Mygind were selected to represent New Zealand.

Bar Licencing was introduced and Metro was allowed to open from 4.30pm to 7.30pm, Monday to Saturday, but only on Sundays if games were being played.

Bar prices were set. Beer was 90c a bottle, spirits 45c a nip and soft drinks 30c.

Subscriptions ranged from $30 and 10 raffle books for the Premiers down to $25 and 5 raffle books for Minor Men while the Under14 to Under 16 paid $10.50.

Prizegiving cost $16 a ticket.

The 1980/81 season saw Ross Ardern take over as Premier Men’s coach.

Paulette Walters and Micky Brear got married but not to each other.

Money was spent on the clubrooms with 100 new chairs ordered and the Sports Club paid for a glass washer for the bar.

The club organised and held an invitational tournament on Waitangi Day. Six men’s teams and six women’s teams participated. Junior prizegiving was held at Wenderholm. Raffles continued at the Westward Ho on a roster system and $7000 was granted to the sports club. Umpires were paid $2.50 per game.

New coaches for both the top men’s and women’s teams with the Late Ken Wheeler taking the men and Don Williams in charge of the women a the 1981/82 season began.

A colour TV was rented for $30 a month.

Debbie Mygind and Edith Tuavera were both selected for the New Zealand team for the World Series in 1982/83.

Jack Matenga was selected to represent New Zealand as was Robyn Rutter.

Unfortunately the Waitangi Day Tournament had to be cancelled at the last minute due to clash with the Pan Am Inter-City.

Canadian pitcher Rick Cornelius had to leave suddenly due to a family bereavement.

$26,000 to $30,000 had to be found to pay for club extensions.

The skin diamond had been completed for some time but at the start of the 1983/84 season an outfield fence had to be built so that Premier games could be held there and the ASA charged $500 for the privilege.

A diamond marking machine was built. Wrightcars came aboard as sponsor of the Premier teams.

Sal Faleauto became a New Zealand representative.

The following season saw the Brothers club merge with Metro and it was decided to call the club Metro Brothers. This lasted the season before the name reverted to Metro College.

The Vic Guth was held at Metro’s grounds, the club received $300 hire fee.

Wedding bells rang out for both Sue Grant and Robyn Rutter.

Karen Mills, Tania Rhind and Dean Walley won New Zealand selection

The Premier women won all the games they entered while winning the National Club Championships.

In 1986/87 Debbie Mygind and Lesley King set up a coaching scheme. Lesley took over as Premier Women’s coach after Don resigned.

The 30th Anniversary of the club was celebrated with a tournament held in January and the women again toured Australia.

The 80’s closed with Fiona Timu receiving a New Zealand call up.