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Waitakere United
Full nameWaitakere United Football Club
Founded2004; 20 years ago (2004)
Dissolved2021; 3 years ago (2021)
GroundDouglas Field at The Trusts Arena
Capacity3,000 [1]
ChairmanPeter Bult
Manager Paul Hobson
League ISPS Handa Premiership
2019-203rd
Current season

Waitakere United was a football club based in Waitakere City, New Zealand. They were one of the franchises in the ISPS Handa Premiership. They played their home games at Fred Taylor Park in Kumeū and The Trusts Arena.

History

Waitakere United was formed as a special franchise club in 2004 to play in the New Zealand Football Championship (NZFC), New Zealand's top domestic football competition. The team represented 12 member clubs from Mt Albert to the Kaipara.

In the inaugural season (2004–05) of the NZFC, Waitakere United finished runners-up to the champions Auckland City but they followed up with a very disappointing 6th place in the next season. In the following season, however, Waitakere finished as NZFC premiers but lost in the grand final once again to Auckland City FC 3–2.

Due to the withdrawal of Vanuatu's Port Vila Sharks, Waitakere was given a berth in the inaugural OFC Champions League, for 2007, as NZFC premiers. They finished atop their group, edging out Auckland City and New Caledonia's AS Mont-Dore. They went on to defeat Ba FC of Fiji in the final, becoming the first OFC-League champions. Commins Menapi scored a crucial away goal that proved the difference as the tie finished 2–2 in aggregate. Taking this championship qualified United to compete in the 2007 FIFA Club World Cup in Japan, where they lost in the 'play-in' match to Sepahan 1–3.

Waitakere United defended their championship in capturing the 2007–08 OFC Champions League, defeating Kossa in the final 6–3 in goal aggregate. During this season, Douglas Field was under extensive renovation forcing Waitakere United to play most of their home fixtures at Fred Taylor Park in Whenuapai.

Waitakere had a notable rivalry with neighbours Auckland City. With the change of structure of football in New Zealand at the start of 2021, and the creation of the new New Zealand National League, [2] this saw the end of Waitakere United, and consequently the end of the Auckland Derby. [3]

Honours

National

International

Youth team

Performance in OFC competitions

Best: Champions in 2007 and 2007–08
2007: Champions
2007–08: Champions
2008–09: 2° in Group A
2009–10: Finalist
2010–11: 2° in Group B
2011–12: 2° in Group A
2012–13: Finalist
Season Competition Round Club Home Away Position
2007 [4] OFC Champions League Group A New Zealand Auckland City 2–2 2–2 1st
New Caledonia Mont-Dore 6–1 3–0
Final Fiji 4R Electrical Ba 1–0 1–2 2–2 ( a)
2007–08 [5] OFC Champions League Group A New Zealand Auckland City 1–1 1–0 1st
French Polynesia Mana-Ura 2–1 1–1
Final Solomon Islands Kossa 5–0 1–3 6–3
2008–09 [6] OFC Champions League Group A New Zealand Auckland City 1–3 2–2 2nd
Vanuatu Port Vila Sharks 3–0 3–2
2009–10 [7] OFC Champions League Group A New Zealand Auckland City 1–1 2–2 1st
New Caledonia Magenta 4–1 1–1
French Polynesia Manu-Ura 2–0 5–1
Final Papua New Guinea Hekari United 2–1 0–3 2–4
2010–11 [8] OFC Champions League Group B New Zealand Auckland City 1–1 0–1 2nd
New Caledonia Magenta 2–1 1–1
French Polynesia Tefana 3–1 1–3
2011–12 [9] OFC Champions League Group A French Polynesia Tefana 10–0 0–3 2nd
Fiji Ba 4–0 2–3
New Caledonia Mont-Dore 4–0 1–0
2012–13 [10] OFC Champions League Group B New Zealand Auckland City 1–3 1–0 1st
French Polynesia Dragon 0–0 1–0
New Caledonia Mont-Dore 3–1 3–2
Semi Final Vanuatu Amicale 2–1 2–0 4–1
Final New Zealand Auckland City 1–2
2013–14 [11] OFC Champions League Group A French Polynesia Pirae 1–3 3rd
Solomon Islands Solomon Warriors 1–1
Samoa Kiwi 2–0

FIFA Club World Cup History

FIFA Club World Cup History
Year Round Score Result Scorers
2007 Play-off New Zealand Waitakere United 1 – 3 Sepahan Iran Loss Aghily 74' ( o.g.)
2008 Play-off New Zealand Waitakere United 1 – 2 Adelaide United Australia Loss Seaman 34'

Current squad

As of 23 January 2021

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK England  ENG Nick Draper
2 DF Kosovo  KOS Regont Murati
3 MF New Zealand  NZL Jack Duncan
4 DF New Zealand  NZL Robert Dymond
6 MF New Zealand  NZL Dane Schnell
7 FW New Zealand  NZL Alex Connor-McLean
8 MF Spain  ESP Gerard Garriga
9 FW New Zealand  NZL Angus Kilkolly
10 MF New Zealand  NZL Sam Burfoot ( captain)
11 MF New Zealand  NZL Alex Grieve
12 MF New Zealand  NZL Hayden Aish
No. Pos. Nation Player
14 FW New Zealand  NZL Zac Zoricich
15 DF New Zealand  NZL Leon van den Hoven
17 FW New Zealand  NZL Joshua Redfearn
18 FW Chile  CHI Nicolas Zambrano
19 DF Fiji  FIJ Mohammed Khan
20 DF New Zealand  NZL Nicolas Milicich
21 DF New Zealand  NZL Andrew Cromb
21 DF New Zealand  NZL Dylan Hobson
22 GK New Zealand  NZL Elliot Munford
23 MF England  ENG Dawson Straffon
24 MF New Zealand  NZL Nathan Lobo
MF New Zealand  NZL Oscar Browne

Staff

  • Youth Team Coach: England Mark Holt
  • Goalkeeper coach: England Kevin O'Leary

Managers

References

  1. ^ "Trusts Stadium Grandstand, Waitakere". Engenium. Retrieved 11 April 2019.
  2. ^ "New National League system". New Zealand Football. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
  3. ^ "Final whistle for famous names". New Zealand Football. 15 March 2021. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
  4. ^ "2007 OFC Champions League - Oceania". Soccerway. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
  5. ^ "2007-08 OFC Champions League - Oceania". Soccerway. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
  6. ^ "2008-09 OFC Champions League - Oceania". Soccerway. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
  7. ^ "2009-10 OFC Champions League - Oceania". Soccerway. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
  8. ^ "2010-11 OFC Champions League - Oceania". Soccerway. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
  9. ^ "2011–12 OFC Champions League - Oceania". Soccerway. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
  10. ^ "2012–13 OFC Champions League - Oceania". Soccerway. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
  11. ^ "2013–14 OFC Champions League - Oceania". Soccerway. Retrieved 12 April 2021.

External links