Vivian Wickham
Encyclopedia
Vivian Wickham is a former association footballer from the Solomon Islands
. Despite this, he spent his club career in Australia
and New Zealand
, also playing seven times for the Solomon Islands national football team
. Wickham played as a midfielder
and also played beach soccer
for his country at the 2006 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup.
n club in 2001, Wickham spent two years at the recently-formed Toowoomba Raiders FC
, based in Queensland
. From there, he moved to New Zealand
club Central United
, a bigger club then playing in the Northern Premier League
. After playing for United in 2002 and 2003, Wickham signed for Mangere United
, also based in Auckland
, ahead of the 2004 season.
in a 9–1 win over the Cook Islands
on 4 June 2001 in a 2002 FIFA World Cup
qualifier. He played in three more qualifiers in June, against Vanuatu
, New Zealand and Tahiti
. He scored twice in the space of thirty minutes in the 7-2 win over Vanuatu
on 8 June. These were the only goals of his international career. In 2002 he played in OFC Nations Cup
losses against New Zealand and Tahiti
as well as a 0–0 draw with Papua New Guinea
.
at the 2006 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, held in Rio de Janeiro
, Brazil
. Wickham made his debut in the competition in the 5–2 win over Cameroon
on 2 November. He then played in the losses to Portugal
and Uruguay
as Solomon Islands were eliminated in the first stage.
, nicknamed the Bilikiki. After the 2006 Beach Soccer World Cup, Wickham became the marketing manager of the Solomon Islands Football Federation
, also holding the position of Business Development Executive in the Solomon Islands Tobacco Company. He has since become the marketing manager of Solomon Airlines
, acquiring this position in February 2010. This role has included presenting both the Solomon Islands beach soccer and under-17 football teams with sets of shirts.
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
. Despite this, he spent his club career in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, also playing seven times for the Solomon Islands national football team
Solomon Islands national football team
The Solomon Islands national football team is the national team of the Solomon Islands and is controlled by Solomon Islands Football Federation. The team shocked the football world in the 2004 Oceania Nations Cup , tying Australia 2–2 to nip heavily-favored New Zealand for second place and a spot...
. Wickham played as a midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
and also played beach soccer
Beach soccer
Beach soccer, also known as beach football or beasal, is a variant of association football played on a beach or some form of sand. The game emphasises skill, agility and shooting at goal....
for his country at the 2006 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup.
Club career
First playing for an AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n club in 2001, Wickham spent two years at the recently-formed Toowoomba Raiders FC
Toowoomba Raiders FC
Toowoomba Raiders Football Club are an Australian football club from Toowoomba, Queensland. The club was formed in 1996, and currently have teams in the Brisbane Premier League Division 1 league. They finished 12th in 2010, however despite only being 1 place above the drop zone, they did have a...
, based in Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
. From there, he moved to New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
club Central United
Central United
Central United Football Club is a semi-professional Association football club based in Sandringham, Auckland, New Zealand...
, a bigger club then playing in the Northern Premier League
Northern Premier League (Tasmania)
The Tasmania North Premier League is the highest level of association football competition in Northern Tasmania. Nationally, it is one grade lower than the A-League and is controlled by the Football Federation Tasmania , the state's governing body...
. After playing for United in 2002 and 2003, Wickham signed for Mangere United
Mangere United
Mangere United is a semi-professional football club in Mangere, Auckland, New Zealand. It is a member of No.2 District Federation of NZ Soccer and plays in the Lotto Sport Italia NRFL Division 2.-History:...
, also based in Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
, ahead of the 2004 season.
International career
Wickham made his debut for the Solomon IslandsSolomon Islands national football team
The Solomon Islands national football team is the national team of the Solomon Islands and is controlled by Solomon Islands Football Federation. The team shocked the football world in the 2004 Oceania Nations Cup , tying Australia 2–2 to nip heavily-favored New Zealand for second place and a spot...
in a 9–1 win over the Cook Islands
Cook Islands national football team
The Cook Islands national football team is the national team of the Cook Islands and is controlled by the Cook Islands Football Association. With a population of around 24,000 people it remains one of the smallest FIFA teams.-World Cup record:...
on 4 June 2001 in a 2002 FIFA World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
qualifier. He played in three more qualifiers in June, against Vanuatu
Vanuatu national football team
The Vanuatu national football team is the national team of Vanuatu and is controlled by the Vanuatu Football Federation.-History:It was known as the New Hebrides national football team until the New Hebrides became Republic of Vanuatu in 1980. It finished fourth in the OFC Nations Cup in 1973,...
, New Zealand and Tahiti
Tahiti national football team
The Tahiti national football team is the national team of French Polynesia and is controlled by the Fédération Tahitienne de Football.They finished second in the OFC Nations Cup in its first three installments, 1973, 1980, and 1996. In 2009 the under 20 team qualified for the FIFA U-20 World Cup in...
. He scored twice in the space of thirty minutes in the 7-2 win over Vanuatu
Vanuatu national football team
The Vanuatu national football team is the national team of Vanuatu and is controlled by the Vanuatu Football Federation.-History:It was known as the New Hebrides national football team until the New Hebrides became Republic of Vanuatu in 1980. It finished fourth in the OFC Nations Cup in 1973,...
on 8 June. These were the only goals of his international career. In 2002 he played in OFC Nations Cup
OFC Nations Cup
The OFC Nations Cup is an international association football tournament held among the Oceania Football Confederation member nations. It was held every two years from 1996 to 2004; before 1996 there were two other tournaments held at irregular intervals, under the name Oceania Nations Cup...
losses against New Zealand and Tahiti
Tahiti national football team
The Tahiti national football team is the national team of French Polynesia and is controlled by the Fédération Tahitienne de Football.They finished second in the OFC Nations Cup in its first three installments, 1973, 1980, and 1996. In 2009 the under 20 team qualified for the FIFA U-20 World Cup in...
as well as a 0–0 draw with Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea national football team
The Papua New Guinea national football team is the national team of Papua New Guinea and is controlled by the Papua New Guinea Football Association....
.
Beach soccer
In November 2006, Wickham played for the Solomon Islands national beach soccer teamSolomon Islands national beach soccer team
The Solomon Islands national beach soccer team represents Solomon Islands in international beach soccer competitions and is controlled by S.I.F.F, the governing body for football in Solomon Islands....
at the 2006 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, held in Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. Wickham made his debut in the competition in the 5–2 win over Cameroon
Cameroon national beach soccer team
The Cameroon national beach soccer team represents Cameroon in international beach soccer competitions and is controlled by Fédération Camerounaise de Football, the governing body for football in Cameroon.-Current squad:Correct as of July 2008...
on 2 November. He then played in the losses to Portugal
Portugal national beach soccer team
The Portugal national beach soccer team represents Portugal in international beach soccer competitions, and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. They are the only team to put Brazil out of the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, having done it...
and Uruguay
Uruguay national beach soccer team
Uruguay national beach soccer team represents Uruguay in international beach soccer competitions and is controlled by the AUF, the governing body for football in Uruguay.-Current squad:Correct as of July 2008...
as Solomon Islands were eliminated in the first stage.
After retirement
Since ending his playing career, Wickham has coached the Solomon Islands beach soccer teamSolomon Islands national beach soccer team
The Solomon Islands national beach soccer team represents Solomon Islands in international beach soccer competitions and is controlled by S.I.F.F, the governing body for football in Solomon Islands....
, nicknamed the Bilikiki. After the 2006 Beach Soccer World Cup, Wickham became the marketing manager of the Solomon Islands Football Federation
Solomon Islands Football Federation
The Solomon Islands Football Federation is a member of the Oceania Football Confederation.The Solomon Islands national football team made history when they made it to the final Oceania stages of the World Cup Qualification against Australia...
, also holding the position of Business Development Executive in the Solomon Islands Tobacco Company. He has since become the marketing manager of Solomon Airlines
Solomon Airlines
Solomon Airlines is the national airline of the Solomon Islands, based in Honiara.- History :Solomon Airlines was established in 1962 as a charter airline by Laurie Crowley. Crowley had been flying around Papua New Guinea when he started to fly charter flights on a single Piper Aztec plane to the...
, acquiring this position in February 2010. This role has included presenting both the Solomon Islands beach soccer and under-17 football teams with sets of shirts.