Oceania owes Dempsey a lot

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SIGNING OFF: Long-serving New Zealand football administrator Charlie Dempsey has died aged 86.

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New Zealand Football chairman Frank van Hattum described Charlie Dempsey's death as a "dark day" for the sport.

Dempsey died yesterday after a short illness, aged 86.

He was a life member of New Zealand Football and an honorary life member of world soccer body Fifa and had served on local, national and international football bodies since 1960.

Van Hattum, a member of the All Whites World Cup side in 1982 when Dempsey was both chairman of the New Zealand Football Association and president of Oceania Football Confederation, said soccer had lost "one of the great leaders of the game."

"On a personal level, I'm shocked and saddened that we've lost Charlie," said van Hattum, whose elevation to chairmanship yesterday coincided with Dempsey's death.

"Football owes him an immeasurable debt of gratitude for his commitment to the game, not just in New Zealand but throughout Oceania and Fifa.

"The thoughts of everyone at New Zealand Football are with Charlie's family."

Regarded as the "father of Oceania football" Dempsey was instrumental in both the founding of the Oceania Football Confederation in 1964 and the awarding of full confederation status in 1996.

He remained heavily involved in the region and with Fifa until stepping down from the presidency in 2000, although he was made honorary president of OFC in 2001.

It was his time with Fifa that he and Oceania soccer drew worldwide attention when he abstained from voting for the venue of the 2006 World Cup.

Although Oceania had indicated support for South Africa to host the tournament, Dempsey's decision not to cast a vote resulted in Germany winning the rights.

His inaction earned the ire of sections of the world soccer community but he always stood behind the decision while never disclosing his reasons.

Football Federation of Australia (FFA) chairman Frank Lowy paid tribute to Dempsey as a pioneer of Oceania and former vice-president of Fifa.

"Charlie worked tirelessly for almost 40 years to advance football in the Pacific region and to ensure that Oceania had a place at the table of Fifa," Lowy said.

"Those of us who have known him, and worked with him, over the years appreciated his dedication and commitment to this cause. He helped put football in the Oceania region well and truly on the map.'

Oceania Football Confederation secretary Tai Nicholas said the growth of the sport across the confederation that now had 11 full members and four associate members could be traced back to Dempsey's passion and hard work.

"We're now a confederation with 1.1 million players with academies in every country. Football is the most popular sport in Oceania and we've also got direct entry into all Fifa tournaments bar the senior men's World Cup -- all of that is Charlie Dempsey's legacy," Nicholas said.

Sport and Recreation Minister Clayton Cosgrove said New Zealand football had lost a great supporter.

"Charlie Dempsey brought a tremendous energy and passion to New Zealand football for nearly four decades during his involvement as an administrator," Cosgrove said.

"Part of Charlie Dempsey's legacy undoubtedly was the superb fundraising and organisational work he did around the successful 1982 World Cup campaign when the All Whites qualified under his chairmanship of New Zealand Soccer.

Dempsey was born in Scotland in 1922, and emigrated to New Zealand in 1952.

He served on Fifa's executive between 1996 and 2000 and received the Fifa Order of Merit in 2004 and was awarded the Commander of the British Empire (CBE) earlier.

- NZPA