New Zealand Football has joined the football community in mourning the loss of Clive Herbert, father of All Whites legend Ricki Herbert and a significant sporting figure in his own right.

The senior Herbert passed away on 27 April in Auckland at the age of 85 after a short illness.

Aside from being father to Ricki, he was well known and successful in several sports, including cycling, harness racing and football.

He was a national cycling champion and represented New Zealand as a team official at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico.

He led home more than 150 winners as a harness racing trainer in the 1990s, winning almost $1 million in stakes. He trained 1993 Rowe Cup champion David Morris for a while, as well as open class pacer Metal Mickey.

In football, he was best known as an administrator, being the chairman of the Northern Provincial Council in the 1990s and helping to steer the restructuring of the sport with the establishment of seven regional federations.

At club level, he served in leadership roles with clubs such as the nationally-successful Mt Wellington and Manurewa, both of which he served as chairman. He was also a patron of Albany United.

Sport and family were the pillars of Clive’s life.

In 1955, he married Shirley, an athlete who was Auckland’s 100-yards sprint champion and the daughter of a champion runner.

They enjoyed six decades of marriage until Shirley’s passing in August 2016.

Clive and Shirley were supportive parents for daughter Deborah and son Ricki as they grew up in South Auckland in the 1960s.

Ricki, a member of the 1982 All Whites and successful coach of the New Zealand team at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, has often credited his parents for his success as a footballer, saying they were a major influence throughout his career.

In recent years, Clive worked tirelessly to help Ricki and grandson Kale grow and develop the Ricki Herbert Football Academy (RHFA).

His contribution included the coaching of youngsters, and sharing his knowledge and advice with players and coaches alike.

He travelled as a hands-on team manager with a number of academy squads on international tours, acting as a trusted mentor. Academy teams regularly play for the Clive Herbert Challenge Cup.

This year, Clive was also a team manager, sitting beside coach Kale Herbert in the dugout for Hamilton Wanderers during matches in the Lotto NRFL Premier League.

Ricki and Kale wish to thank players, their families and friends who are part of the RHFA for their support as the Herbert family prepares to farewell Clive.

A service for Clive Herbert will be held at 2pm this Friday at St Mary’s Cathedral in Parnell, Auckland.

Story courtesy of the Ricki Herbert Football Academy

Article added: Monday 29 April 2019