Blast from the Past: Paying the Penalties – The forgotten drama of Mt Smart in 1981

NZ Herald

3 Dec, 2025 09:38 PM2 mins to read

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Steve Woodin attacking as New Zealand lost to Kuwait 1-2 in an elimination game marred by bad crowd behaviour at Mt Smart Stadium. Photo / Photosport

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Forty-four years ago, Mt Smart Stadium hosted one of the most controversial and dramatic football matches in New Zealand’s sporting history. On October 10, 1981, the All Whites faced Kuwait in a Fifa World Cup qualifier, a clash that would become legendary for its high stakes, wild officiating, and the
raw emotion it unleashed in the crowd …

This week’s episode of Kärcher’s “Blast from the Past” podcast, featuring ACC Head G Lane, Jason Pine, and Dylan Cleaver, dives deep into the chaos and legacy of that day. The panel revisits the powderkeg atmosphere of 1981, a year already marked by civil unrest, and how those tensions spilled on to the pitch. With 21,000 fans packed into Mt Smart, the All Whites took an early lead thanks to Steve Wooddin’s clinical finish, only for the match to unravel under the whistle of Indonesian referee Hardjowasito Sudarso.

Sudarso’s decisions, 33 free kicks and two penalties awarded to Kuwait, compared to just 10 for New Zealand, sparked outrage. The crowd’s fury peaked when a local schoolboy hurled a can at the referee, halting the game and drawing police on to the field. The drama didn’t end there: Kuwait’s last-minute goal sealed a 2-1 win, leaving the All Whites and their supporters stunned.

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