It is with great sadness that we inform Club Members that Ron Leakey passed away on Sunday 6th November 2022. Ron was a Life Member of Bay Olympic and a former President of Blockhouse Bay. He was a lifelong football devotee. His career spanned all facets of the game, including playing, coaching and administration. He will be sadly missed by all Club Members and Football Supporters. Our thoughts are with Shelia and the Leakey family at this sad time.
Ron’s funeral will be held in the Main Chapel of the Morrison Funeral Home, 220 Universal Drive, Henderson. On Saturday 12th November at 10am. The family have asked, in lieu of flowers, donations are made to the NZ Dementia Foundation.
A summary below of Ron’s life in football was provided by Tony Andrews when Ron was recognised as a life member at Bay Olympic in 2019. We have shared this summary again here.
Ron has spent his life in football. As a player, he played at a high amateur level for Southall, in London, before being brought to New Zealand by Gisborne City in 1958. He spent nine years there playing alongside the likes of Ken Armstrong and Bert Ormond. He represented Eastern Union against Tom Finney’s touring English side.
Ron moved to Auckland in 1966 to begin his coaching career initially with Mt Albert. By 1977 he was coaching the Blockhouse Bay Reserve team. In 1979 he took over from Wally Hughes as the Blockhouse Bay National League Coach. Ron also had a season coaching the Green Bay-Titirangi (GBT) senior team when that Club was in its early years.
Alongside his coaching efforts, Ron used his skills as a tradesman to assist both Blockhouse Bay and GBTU with many projects. He transported the old Newmarket Park grandstand to Whitney St with the intent of erecting it there. A project that unfortunately was never realised. Ron was President of Blockhouse Bay in 1984.
Over the years he has coached and assisted in many junior and youth team programmes. What puts Ron in a different category to many other ex-players is that he has remained in the game at the coalface. We are thankful for his skills at Bay Olympic with regards to trolleys, scoreboards and until recently could be seen working with the ground crew after games at Olympic Park.