New Zealand Football is sad to hear the news that Life Member, Eileen Langridge has passed away early in the New Year at the age of 97.

Mrs Langridge made an outstanding contribution to football in the Mainland Federation, specifically in the area of Administration, for which she received numerous awards and honours.

She was the first woman awarded Life Membership of NZ Football in 2002 and five years later, in 2007, was the recipient of Queens Service Medal (QSM) for Services to Football.

Known as a strong and determined woman and stickler for the rules, it is also testament to her tireless work that she was made Life Member of two Christchurch football clubs, Western AFC and Cashmere Technical. Both clubs named a trophy in her honour, to be played for in matches between the respective club sides.

In 1968, she began her life in football administration, taking up the position of Junior Administrator then Club Secretary with Western AFC, a role she held for 15 years. Western, a club dear to Mrs Langridge, appointed her Club Patron in the late 1990's, a post she remained in up until last year.

Through the course of the half-a-century devoted to football, she was a ‘go-to’ for any aspiring and established sports administrator.

The Mainland Football Eileen Langridge Award - named award for Administrator of the Year - was a trophy she was very proud of and up until the last couple of years, an award she insisted on being present to hand out to the recipient at the annual awards evening.  

A West Ham United supporter until the end, she will be sadly missed by all who knew her. The Staff and Board of Mainland Football, join the rest of the footballing community in wishing all of her family all the best through this difficult time.

A celebration of Eileen's life will be held on Monday 15 January at the Canterbury Crematorium, 455 Linwood Ave, Christchurch, at 2pm.