The Otago Daily Times counts down the 150 greatest moments in Otago sport.
No 94: Northern wins second Chatham Cup (1961)
For the Northern club, the powerhouse of Otago football in the 1940s and 1950s, it was a case of losing five Chatham Cups to win one.
Northern made the final of New Zealand football's premier competition for the first time in 1927, losing 3-2 to Ponsonby. It returned the following year, with a 1-0 loss to Petone.
Northern also made Chatham Cup finals in 1949 (lost to Petone 1-0), 1951 (lost to Eastern Suburbs 5-1) and 1953 (lost to Eastern Suburbs 4-3).
So, there was understandable relief in the club when it not only reached the final in 1959 but won it, beating North Shore United 3-2 at the Basin Reserve.
Two years later, Northern claimed a second Chatham Cup with a 2-0 win over the same opposition at the same ground.
The final was a free-flowing affair, with Northern taking the lead through a George Little goal in the 34th minute.
The score remained 1-0 until two minutes from fulltime, when Bruce Campbell sealed the win for the Dunedin club.
Two of the stars of the Northern side were All Whites forward Bill "Bomber" Berry, who scored more than 300 goals for the club, and goalkeeper Jim Stephenson, who would play in a record six Chatham Cup finals.
Northern got straight back to the Chatham Cup final in 1962 but was thumped 4-1 by Tech Old Boys (Hamilton).
Northern has not had a similar cup run since, but the club still plays at premier level in Dunedin and will celebrate its 125th anniversary in 2013. It claims to be the oldest continuous football club in New Zealand.
