The All Whites have played 10 games in Dunedin. Hayden Meikle looks back at those clashes.
1. July 23, 1904
New South Wales 1, All Whites 0
Pub quiz question No 1: Where did the New Zealand football team plays its first game?Yes, it was Dunedin. The touring New South Welshmen won the inaugural international and were held to a 3-3 draw in Wellington a week later.
2. June 17, 1922
All Whites beat Australia 3-1
Pub quiz question No 2: On which famous ground did the All Whites play their first test?Carisbrook? Yes, Carisbrook.About 10,000 people gathered at the Brook for the first of three tests. The All Whites, clad in black jerseys, opened the scoring through Ted Cook but it was 1-1 at halftime. Bill Knott put New Zealand ahead and then Cook got his second. The sides were treated to a picnic at Seacliff the next day.
3. September 6, 1924
All Whites 5, Chinese Universities 3
Now there's a fixture to get the pulses racing. Cook again showed his fondness for Dunedin, scoring twice. The Dunedin game was one of four in the series.
4. June 25, 1927
All Whites 2, Canada 2
Canada beat Otago in midweek but all the talk before the game was about the hefty ticket prices to cover the cost of the 7000 tour. A ''hard winter'' led to small crowds, according to the Otago Daily Times.
Still, another crowd of 10,000 headed to Carisbrook and fans were entertained by both the Tramways and highland pipe bands. The New Zealand team included two players from Buller. Post-match entertainment was at a likely-sounding joint called Jay's Tea Rooms, decorated with maple leaves and beaver emblems.
5. July 4, 1936
All Whites 1, Australia 7
Ouch. One of the ''cleverest and most scientific'' Australian teams to visit New Zealand outclassed the home side in front of 6000 fans. The All Whites actually scored first, through a penalty from Otago's Jack Skinner.
But it was all Australia after that, with a rather harsh ODT reporter blaming New Zealand goalkeeper Don McRae and defender Merv Gordon for the lopsided scoreline.
6. June 5, 1937
All Whites 0, England Amateurs 12
Ouch again. The ground at Carisbrook was heavy after rain the previous day but that does not seem to have affected the talented Englishmen, who had beaten Hawkes Bay by the same score earlier in the tour. Otago defender Alex Sutherland captained the All Whites, who were ''outclassed in all departments''.
The English were captained by Bernard Joy, the last amateur to play for his country's top side, who had also captained Great Britain at the 1936 Olympic Games. Joy later played for Arsenal and became a journalist.
7. July 5, 1947
All Whites 0, South Africa 6
Three games, three losses, 25 goals conceded - New Zealand football bosses must have been wondering if it was worth going to Dunedin. And lo, they did not schedule another game here for 35 years.
For shame. The ''Springboks'' rattled in five goals in the first half and dazzled the Carisbrook crowd with their ball control and positional play. South Africa won all four tests in the series, scoring 24 goals.
8. May 16, 1982
All Whites 1, League of Ireland 2
Did you not realise Dunedin played a part in the glorious World Cup campaign of 1982? Five games against the Irish side and three against Watford were arranged as preparation for the tournament in Spain. Billy McClure got the goal in this one, which was the only game New Zealand lost in the series.
9. September 10, 1985
All Whites 2, Otago 1
Defender Malcolm Dunford scored both the goals for the All Whites as they warmed up for what would prove to be an unsuccessful World Cup campaign. Otago, coached by Neil Mackenzie, fielded the player of the game in goalkeeper Jim Taylor. Mark Weddle got the home side's goal.
10. October 12, 1988
All Whites 1, Australia 2
Read the story: All Whites visit stirs memories of the 'Cale'
For more on the All Whites' history, head to the excellent www.ultimatenzsoccer.com website.
