Welcome!

Welcome to the latest update from Christchurch Football Club, keeping you connected with everything happening in and around the club.
 

Dad’s Army – The Unsung Heroes of CFC

Every Wednesday morning, a loyal and legendary crew gathers at Christchurch Football Club — affectionately known as Dad’s Army. This dedicated group of retired gentlemen, made up of life members, ex-players, coaches, and managers, share a deep love for the club and an impressive talent for keeping it in top shape.

From raking leaves and tending gardens to fence staining, painting, and general maintenance, their hard work keeps the club grounds looking sharp. But it's not all physical labour — these wise men also take time over morning tea to solve the world’s problems, pick the weekend’s winning teams, and offer expert opinions on just about everything.

We’re incredibly grateful for the time, effort, and humour this group brings to the club. Thank you, Dad’s Army — CFC wouldn’t be the same without you!

Shu’s Corner - From the General Manager

I officially started in the General Manager role on the 3rd of June; however, as most of you know, I’ve been “unofficially” in the role for the past two months — multitasking in effect with two full-time roles!

Personally, I want to thank Mark Arneil for the incredible amount of work he has put in since becoming Chairman of the Board, and for assisting me in the transition into the GM position. To the Board of Directors — Andre Thompson, Matt Aked, Scott Taylor, and John Lane — thank you for your continued support and ongoing guidance. It is very much appreciated.

It is also a pleasure to welcome Lucy Dewar to the Board. As many of you know, she will bring a lot of knowledge and experience to the table. (More on Lucy’s appointment in next week’s newsletter.)

Housekeeping:

• Car parking at Westminster Park is available for our club members to use on Saturdays. However, please note that the carpark will be closed at 5:00 PM every Saturday. If your car is there after 5:00 PM, you will not be able to access it until 8:30 AM on Monday morning.

• The football fields at Westminster Park are for football only. We ask that you respect this and ensure no players or teams use those fields for game-day warmups. We appreciate that this can be difficult to fully control, but we ask our game day volunteers and club members to help keep an eye on this each Saturday.

• Christchurch Football Club does not allow BYO alcohol to be brought into Christchurch Park. This will be monitored by our bar staff and action will be taken if needed. Again, we ask club members to help monitor this and/or advise guests of the rule — your support here is appreciated.

Thank You:

• To all our volunteers across the whole club — you are amazing at what you do, and we couldn’t do any of it without you!

• To the “Dad’s Army” team, who are at the club every Wednesday taking care of the jobs that keep our grounds and buildings neat and tidy — it was great to join the team for morning tea this week!

• To Andy Scally (Manager, Premier Development & Electrician) for stepping in to help when one of the motel units had no hot water on King’s Birthday weekend, with guests arriving at 2:00 PM! Also, thank you to Tom Crouch(Sponsor & Plumber) for being available just in case it turned out to be a plumbing issue instead of an electrical one. I really appreciate you both being there for us over a long weekend.

• To Teresa and her team in the restaurant — thank you for everything you do and provide for our members and guests.

• To the Junior Committee — thank you for inviting me to your recent meeting. It was great to see and hear all the fantastic work you’re doing. Keep it up, team!

Thanks to My Team:

• To Allana, Katrina, and Milika for keeping the motel units clean and tidy for our guests — and to Allana for managing bookings and keeping everyone informed and happy.

• To Roger for all the excellent work you do maintaining the grounds and surroundings.

• To Jimmy and his team for looking after our members and guests whenever the bar is open.

• And to Budgie (Craig Mullan, Rugby Development Manager) for all the work going on behind the scenes and on the grass over the past few weeks — there have been some fantastic connections made from Juniors to Seniors.

Functions & Events:

• A huge thank you to Matt Vaughan for running a fantastic Wellbeing – Mental Health in Sport session. Following that session, it's important we all continue to look out for one another and support each other every day. I encourage you to reach out to Matt if you have any questions or want to chat further — and we’re looking forward to the next one!

• It was also awesome to host Shirley Boys’ High School and Rangiora High School on Monday the 3rd of June at 5:00 PM. It was a pleasure to give these teams the opportunity to play under lights and to see an entertaining game of footy played.

Support Our Junior Club Fundraiser!

Help us raise funds for our junior teams by ordering some delicious pies through the link below. Every order supports our young players — and if you'd prefer, you can also choose to donate your pies to a local charity, and the Junior Team will take care of the rest!

🍽️ Order or donate here

Thanks for backing our juniors!
 

CFC 2025 Hoodies – Order Yours Now!

We’re excited to announce that CFC 2025 hoodies are now available to order! Whether you're a member, supporter, or proud family member, these hoodies are the perfect way to show your club spirit and keep warm this winter.

Each hoodie is $70 and you can place your order in two easy ways:

• Fill out the online order form here.

• Order directly with the bar staff next time you’re at the club.

Make sure you don’t miss out – get your order in and wear your colours with pride!
 

Article added: Friday 06 June 2025