As far as introductions go, it is hard to go past the one former Wellington Phoenix talisman Paul Ifill was given on his return to Nelson at the weekend.
“Paul played against Cristiano Ronaldo,” announced Nelson Suburbs director of coaching Ryan ‘Skippy’ Stewart to young footballers preparing for training.
And in not just any game but the 2004 FA Cup, where Paul’s Millwall side went down 3-0 to Manchester United.
Paul turns 47 next month and is still playing, guiding Greytown FC to win the Capital Premier League and secure promotion to the Central League 2 competition.
“I am more a 10 these days, a distributor. The body is okay, but I have to be a little bit careful. Every year I say one more year,” says the player-coach who lives in nearby Masterton.
Nelson Suburbs was getting two for one with the former Tasman United player coaching and also doubling as the guest speaker at the club’s awards night.
He was planning to share a few stories, including that unforgettable FA Cup experience.
The Brighton-born Barbados international came to Nelson as a player in 2016, two years after ending a stellar six-year stint with the Phoenix.
He scored four goals, and assisted with the fifth, in a 5-2 win for Tasman in a match at Trafalgar Park in 2017, and still has fond memories of his three years in the region.
“I haven’t been back for a couple of years. I enjoyed it here. You go away and it is one of those places you forget how much you love it, so it is really nice to be back for the weekend,” declares Paul, who coached Christchurch United and then Wellington Olympic to win successive Chatham Cup finals between 2023-25.
He keeps an eye on Nelson Suburbs and reckons the club will give the Southern Premier League a “real go” next season.
“They punch way above their weight. It is really hard to navigate the league and a cup run, which they have done the past couple of years.”
As well as his coaching commitments, Paul is involved with SportBrain – an online platform for kids.
“They go on and do an assessment. It is a road map, and we give them the right module to go to. It is going very well.”
So is his 15-year-old daughter Bethany, who has made the Capital Football U18 youth squad.
“She has played all over the place but is now in the midfield. I don’t want to pump her up too much, but she could be pretty good. Bethany is a distributor, which is something I didn’t do too much when I was younger,” quips Paul.
