By Max Fletcher
Waikato’s fundraiser to help footballer Johnny Konings recover from his spinal injury has raised $51,000.
Organisers confirmed the figure after last weekend’s charity event at Hamilton’s Porritt Stadium to raise money to help former Northern League player Konings (31) who was badly injured while surfing in Queensland in June.
Konings is paralysed from the waist down, with a prognosis that he may never walk again. He is undergoing a rehabilitation programme at a spinal injury unit in Brisbane, and expects to remain in hospital till early 2025.
Waikato clubs collaborated to run a series of fundraising events to help support Konings and his fiancée Charlie.
Announcing that $51,000 had been raised, organisers told event supporters: “Your generosity and energy helped make this event a huge success, and it’s a true testament to the power of community.
“Together, we’ve made a meaningful impact on Johnny and Charlie’s journey, and that’s something to be incredibly proud of!”
The event started on Friday night when the “slightly wiser” players dusted off their boots and returned to the field to play in an entertaining match between a Hamilton Wanderers Masters’ side and a JK All Stars Masters team.
Some of those names included 1992 New Zealand Player of the Year Darren Fellowes, 29-cap All White Che Bunce and New Zealand international Mark Cossey.
The game attracted a big crowd to watch the “wiser ones” back on the field.
Main photo: Porritt Stadium’s pitch was renamed JK #6 for the weekend, in honour of Johnny Konings and his shirt number.
The JK All Stars Masters
Kris Allen, Neil Mouncher, Josh Billman, Shane Comber, Alan Wilke, Keith Fraser, Wayne Bates, Jeff Sole, Gary Monaghan, Darby McDonald, Stuart Timings, Jason Chewins, Merv Williams, Sam Wilkinson, Mark Cossey, Craig Jessep, Matt Williams, Kieran Hill, Darius Jamieson.
Hamilton Wanderers All Stars Masters
Jon Marden, Darryl Ward, Gurdeep Rana, Dave Douglas, Shane Campbell, Allan Campbell, Mark Renner, Hamish Marsh, Paul Caton, Darren Fellowes, Aaron Thompson, Craig Wallace, John Shand, Richard Knight, David Parker, Hayden Miller, Warrick Anderson, Josh Mitchell, Michael Leybourne, Che Bunce.
Result
Game played on Friday September 6, 2024
Hamilton Wanderers Masters 2
JK All Stars Masters 3
On Saturday, “smarter and slightly younger ones” took to the field for a match between contemporary players.
Traditional rivalries were forgotten as players took part from local clubs including Wanderers, Melville United, Ngaruawahia United, Cambridge, Claudelands Rovers and Northern United.
Waikato footballing legends Aaron Scott and Mark Jones took the field, to the delight of a large crowd.
Hamilton Wanderers All Stars
Aaron Bayliss, Aaron Scott, Cory Mitchell, Cory Townsend, Dave Samson, David Smith, Dom Edwards, Federico Marquez, Graham Kay, Jack Marden.
JK All Stars
Alfie Cole, Ben Latham, Caeden Rogers, Calum Campbell, Daniel Finlay, Darius Palma, Elliot Cooper, Glenn Brown, Henry Stephens, Hughwyn Habib, Jack Connor, Jono Viviani, Leonel Eito, Nikali Finlay, Sam Nahna, Stefan Heuberger, Sean Sullivan, Reuben Henderson, Ryan Kerr-Bell, Darius Palma.
Result
Game played on Saturday September 7, 2024
Hamilton Wanderers All Stars 2 (Dave Smith, own goal)
JK All Stars 4 (Calum Campbell, Reuben Henderson, Jack Connor, Alfie Cole)
One goal in the All Stars game was particularly special.
Dave Smith scored and turned back the years to celebrate with an acrobatic cartwheel and flip.
“Saturday marked the day I finally made it back to football after years of injuries and a brain haemorrhage in July,” he revealed later.
“It was a privilege to lace up the boots again for a great cause and take the field with an awesome bunch of lads!”
Players in both games came together not just to play football but to catch up, stir old memories and get behind the event’s fundraising activities.
Silent auctions, TradeMe auctions, raffles and proceeds from Wanderers’ bar and kitchen sales all went towards helping Koning.
The players on both nights all come together to not just play football but for those to catch up and have a drink to celebrate the day and the event that they were supporting.
Every donation will work towards helping Konings get back on his feet.
Konings, who played for Wanderers, Ngāruawāhia United, Claudelands Rovers and Melville United, watched live streams of the games from Queensland.
He messaged the event’s Facebook page: “Completely blown away. Thank you will never be enough.”
How you can help now
As well as the Waikato fundraising event, supporters of Konings have set up a GoFundMe page, which by mid-September had raised more than $49,000 towards its $100,000 target.
The page is also being used as a platform to keep friends and family updated with his recovery.
You can visit the GoFundMe page here:
Max Fletcher
Waikato-based Max Fletcher is a writer for Friends of Football. He’s also a qualified football and futsal referee.
This story was first published on September 12, 2024.
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