A blessing ceremony was held recently to officially open the Ascot Office Park premises in Greenlane, which is located just a short drive away from the Charles J. Dempsey Football Academy at Mt Smart Stadium.
The academy was the previous base for the General Secretariat and will continue to be used as a training and accommodation facility for visiting teams and course participants, as well as remaining the home of the OFC Technical Department staff.
All other departments – competitions, social responsibility, finance, administration, law and media – have relocated to the new office, as will the FIFA Development Office for Oceania.
OFC General Secretary Tai Nicholas says the move is a big step forward for the confederation but is keen to stress that the Charles J. Dempsey Academy will continue to function as normal.
“OFC has made a lot of progress in recent years and that success has resulted in a higher number of staff being required to manage our numerous football and social development programmes across the Pacific,” says Nicholas.
“We’ve therefore had the need to move on to larger premises and the purchase of this great facility at Ascot Park has made that possible. But the legacy of Charles Dempsey, the father of OFC, will live on – both at the academy and in the new office.”
Dempsey played a vital role in establishing OFC, serving as President from 1982-2000 and Honorary President until he passed away in 2008. His achievements have been honoured at Ascot Park through the naming of the ‘Charles J. Dempsey Conference Room’.
The room was officially unveiled during the opening ceremony by two of Dempsey’s daughters, Josephine King and Alice Banks.
The OFC Executive was represented by David Chung and Fred de Jong while Auckland City Councillor Alf Filipaina appeared on behalf of new Auckland Mayor Len Brown. Also in attendance were the OFC staff, representing at least 10 nationalities, plus member associations, consultants, partners and other special guests.
Highlights of the opening included the official cutting of the ribbon, an exhilarating performance by cultural group ‘Drums of the Pacific’ and the unveiling of the Charles J. Dempsey Conference Room plaque.
“We’re just overwhelmed really,” says King, who worked with her father as OFC General Secretary for 17 years before Nicholas took on the mantle.
“He (Dempsey) was the brains – I just did the back room work. He was so passionate about the confederation and we were a real football family.”
King says it was her father’s dream to have a viable and energetic confederation.
“He would have been delighted and I’m sure his spirit will be here.”