The following article provides the second part of Paul Rennell’s ‘One phone call changed my life’ story when he joined Eastern Suburbs in the mid 1960’s. Paul captained some of the Lilywhites most successful Premier teams, he also went onto captain the All Whites. Paul is now the Patron of our club.

‘After flying back and forth from Rotorua for three weeks while I served out my notice with my employer, I finally arrived in Auckland on Friday, 26 June 1964. We played Eden on Saturday at Glover Park and won convincingly 7-1. John Wrathall scored four goals, Dave Buller two, and yours truly one. Strange, but my first game for Suburbs against Mt Albert was the beginning of a winning streak which ended when we lost to Mt Wellington on Saturday, 1 May 1966. It must have been a lucky charm when I joined Suburbs!

On Tuesday, 30 June I met Ken Armstrong at work and he took me to my first training run at the St Heliers Bay Reserve. We parked in Goldie Street and when we got out of the car he said “there is your changing sheds” pointing to them and said “there is your shower afterwards” pointing to the tide. I thought what the hell have I got myself into!

Early August, I was picked to play for Auckland (as inside forward) against Poverty Bay at Gisborne. About five minutes into the game, Dave Lowry (Suburbs and Auckland right half) got taken out in a very crude tackle. While the ambulance staff was attending to Dave, Ken appeared on the side line and said “Gary Dunsford you go to right half and Paul you go to left half with Ronnie Cochran going to inside forward. We won 4-1. When I went into the changing sheds, Ken shook my hand and slapped me on the bum saying “that’s the end of inside forward”. I said “I have an agreement to play inside forward”. “OK only to the end of the season”’

I was living and working in Rotorua, playing for Kahukura and on Saturday, 6 June 1964 at 9:45pm the phone rang. My landlady answered it and said it is for you. I answered and the voice on the other end said “Ken Armstrong, Coach of Eastern Suburbs speaking”. I said “what do you want?” “I want you in Auckland next Saturday to play Mt Albert at Anderson Park.” He told me he wanted me to strengthen their mid-field. I said “I play inside forward and if I can’t play there I won’t come” and hung up.

Five minutes later he called back and said “I don’t lose very often, but you can play inside forward, so I will see you next Saturday, 1:45pm at Anderson Park”. Apart from Ken and Charlie Dempsey, nobody knew I was coming. Ken met me and took me into the changing sheds and introduced me to the team. You could have heard a pin drop when Ken handed me my strip. I had jersey 6 which I said is not inside forward. “I know” he said “but the programme has you wearing 6 but you are playing inside forward”. When we ran out on to the field you could hear the supporters saying “who is this skinny bast*rd. He will never last the game”. We won 4-1 and I had a very pleasing game setting John Wrathall up with two goals.

In the Clubrooms after the game, David Garrett said “what drugs do you run on?” I put my hand on my stomach and said “guts”. One game down, one win and welcome to The Lilywhites and a life in Auckland.

by Paul Rennell

The origins of Eastern Suburbs AFC can be traced back to St. Heliers Bay Primary School and its football teams who played in a white uniform in the early part of the 20th Century. A number of the School’s past pupils formed Tamaki United FC in 1924 and adopted the white strip for the new club. Nine years later in 1933, Tamaki United and Glen Inness AFC merged to form Eastern Suburbs AFC.

Preliminary meetings around name and kit colours see-sawed from retaining Glen Innes’ name but with Tamaki colours and vice-versa. A decision was reached to name the club Eastern Suburbs and adopt the white kit (the colour of Tamaki United) and a chocolate and gold badge (in the style of Glen Innes) – the very colours that make up the Suburbs kit today.

Suburbs inaugural game was played against a Grey Lynn based club called ‘Comrades’ The game was played at St. Heliers reserve (now known as Vellenoweth Green) on Tamaki Drive, and resulted in a 5 – 3 triumph to Suburbs. Comrades was a Grey Lynn based club, and after a number of name changes and merges it is now part of Western Springs AFC.

Eastern Suburbs quickly established itself as a club of force, becoming Auckland FA Champions in 1948, and won their initial Chatham Cup trophy in 1951.

The information and images in this article was taken from the book: ‘The Lilywhites – The history of Eastern Suburbs AFC 1934 – 2015’