Named after Ron White, a long-serving administrator in the Waikato Football Association (Waikato FA). Ron joined the WFA in 1949 and became secretary in 1951, a position he held until 1999.
In the 1950s he introduced football to Melville Primary school. They gave Ron a patch of land, as long as he provided the goalposts himself, marked the field and could only have players once the rugby teams were full.
From 1957-68 he took junior rep teams, having gained his prelim coaching badge under Ken Armstrong. Ron was also manager of the senior Waikato rep team in the late fifties and early sixties. He served as Waikato’s delegate to NZFA annual meetings from 1951-99, and in the mid-60s was appointed to the McGuigan Committee which examined the future of New Zealand football.
This was the era before answer phones, photocopiers, computers. Being a provincial secretary was a work-intensive post, with draws done manually, and results phoned through and collated by hand. A family evening at the White household would regularly consist of sitting around collating and folding sheets of paper in envelopes ready for pasting.
For generations the WFA also met at the Whites house – every fortnight in season — and it was not unusual for meetings to go to 12.30pm and beyond.
(Extracts from Ron White’s Eulogy, by Bruce Holloway. Ron passed away in May 2006)
Note - This cup was named while Ron was alive, after a campaign spearheaded by Mark Ball.
2025 - Cambridge FC League One
Admin Login