Full name | Auckland Football Club | |
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Nickname(s) | Black Knights | |
Founded | November 21, 2023[1] | |
Ground | Mount Smart Stadium | |
Capacity | 25,000 | |
Owner | Black Knight Sports & Entertainment | |
Chairman | Bill Foley | |
Manager | Steve Corica | |
League | A-League Men (from 2024/25 season) | |
Website | Club website | |
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Auckland FC is a professional football club based in Auckland, New Zealand. It will compete in the Australian A-League Men competition, under licence from the Australian Professional Leagues, from the 2024–25 season.
The club was established as part of the third tranche of expansion of the competition, and is likely to join the season prior to a team based in Canberra. Home matches will be played in Auckland. The club will also field a women's team in the A-League Women from the start of the 2025–26 season. [2]
In March 2023, the Australian Professional Leagues confirmed plans for the next two expansion clubs to be based in Canberra and Auckland, ahead of the 2024–25 season. [3] In October 2023, the preferred bidder as owner of the new Auckland licence was confirmed to be Bill Foley. [4] The licence was officially awarded to Foley on 21 November 2023. [5] Foley is an owner or a minority shareholder of four professional sports teams, principally the Vegas Golden Knights of the National Hockey League in the United States, referred to as the Black Knight Football Club ownership group. [6] [7]
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verification. (November 2023) |
Many A-League matches were played in Auckland prior to the installation of Auckland FC. Initially New Zealand Knights FC were the country's sole A-League team, and played home matches at North Harbour Stadium in the north of the Auckland region. When the Knights folded in 2007 and were replaced with Wellington Phoenix FC, the Phoenix played occasional home matches at Eden Park and Mount Smart Stadium, both of which are possible candidates for home stadiums for the new club.
In November 2023, the ownership suggested construction of a new 20,000 seater venue to be built on the Auckland waterfront. [8]
In March 2024, along with the announcement of the team's identity, it was confirmed their first home season would be played at Mount Smart Stadium. [9]
Speaking at the time of the license awarding in November 2023, Foley stated there "was a lot of work to do" to determine the name and logo for the club and that he was "not wedded to any name at this point", despite expressing a personal preference for "Black Knights". [10] On 14 March 2024, the club officially announced its name, logo and inaugural home kit. The name was announced as Auckland FC and the kit was made up of royal blue and black stripes. The kit was manufactured by New Balance. [11]
The club's crest "symbolises the identity and values" of Auckland FC, with the centralised "'Ascending A' representing ambition and paying homage to Rangitoto Island", a major geographic landmark in Auckland's harbour. The "Black Knights" nickname is referenced in the integration of a knight's helmet visor, while the black and blue colour scheme "represent the partnership between the Black Knights organisation and Auckland's sporting legacy". The shield element signifies "the multi-clubs that form the broader network of the Auckland Football Club", referencing the desire to include Auckland FC in a pyramid of teams under the Black Knight umbrella. [12]
Position | Name | Ref. |
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Head Coach | Steve Corica | [13] |
Assistant Coach | Danny Hay | [14] |
Position | Name |
---|---|
Chairman | Bill Foley |
Chief Executive Officer | Nick Becker |
Chief Commercial Officer | Mike Higgins |
Head of Football | Terry McFlynn [15] |
Head of Recruitment | Doug Kors [16] |