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Last modified: 29 Dec 2020 7:26pm

John Reid standing in a grassed sports field at Foster Park

Selwyn District Council has paid tribute to former New Zealand cricketer John F. Reid, who passed away on Monday 28 December 2020.

Mr Reid had been the Council’s Major Projects Property Manager since 2015, overseeing significant building projects in the district, including the development of Foster Park and the Selwyn Sports Centre.

The wooden floor sports hall at the Selwyn Sports Centre, currently under construction, was recently named the John F. Reid Courts in honour of Mr Reid’s role in sports nationally and in Selwyn.

Selwyn Mayor Sam Broughton says the district was fortunate to have been served by one of the country’s best sports administrators, working on projects that will serve the community for a long time to come.

“John has left a wonderful legacy to community sport in Selwyn, alongside his contribution over many years to sport throughout New Zealand,” Mayor Broughton says.

"John has been an integral part of our team and many of us have spent time learning from his kindness and determination to see the best done for Selwyn. He was an excellent man to have leading our key projects and his relational banter and pragmatic focus really stood out. He will be missed by us and our thoughts and prayers go to his family.”

Originally from Auckland, Mr Reid represented New Zealand at cricket in 19 Test Matches and 25 One Day Internationals between 1979 and 1986. He went on to become Chief Executive for Auckland Cricket and then moved to Selwyn in1996, working for New Zealand Cricket as Cricket Operations Manager and High Performance Manager.

Through these roles he led the establishment of New Zealand Cricket’s National High Performance Centre at Lincoln University, which included the development of the international standard playing facility at Bert Sutcliffe Oval.

Mr Reid also spent nine years in senior roles at Sport New Zealand (previously SPARC)  supporting community sport nationally and establishing a programme to identify and develop talented young athletes.

A champion of community sport, Mr Reid was an inaugural trustee of the Selwyn Sports Trust and advocated to the Selwyn District Council on the need for a sport and recreation centre that prioritised use by community level providers within the district.