Waikato Football Club is a football (soccer) club based in
HamiltonHamilton is the centre of New Zealand's fourth largest urban area, and Hamilton City is the country's seventh largest territorial authority. Hamilton is in the Waikato region of the North Island, approximately south of Auckland...
,
New ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses , and numerous smaller islands, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands. The indigenous Māori named New Zealand Aotearoa, commonly translated as The Land of the Long White Cloud...
. The club was founded in 2004 and currently play in the
New Zealand Football ChampionshipThe New Zealand Football Championship is the national football league in New Zealand. It is a sports franchise league that is operated by New Zealand Football. The league is run separately from the winter regional club competitions, and many of the teams competing in the NZFC are franchises...
.
While the club is based in
HamiltonHamilton is the centre of New Zealand's fourth largest urban area, and Hamilton City is the country's seventh largest territorial authority. Hamilton is in the Waikato region of the North Island, approximately south of Auckland...
, due to financial reasons the team will play their home games at nearby
NgaruawahiaNgāruawāhia is a town in the Waikato region of the North Island of New Zealand.The meaning of the town's name is open the food pits, which comes from a feast held hundreds of years ago to celebrate the coming together of two tribes through a marriage. The word combines the Māori words wahia...
for the
2008-09 seasonThe NZFC 2008-09 season is the fifth season of the New Zealand Football Championship competition.The previous seasons champion, Waitakere United, and second-ranked club Auckland City FC will also be competing in the 2008-09 O-League which will run alongside the NZFC season.-Changes for 2008/09:*The...
, having previously played their home fixtures at
Waikato StadiumWaikato Stadium is a major sporting and cultural events venue in Hamilton, New Zealand, with a total capacity of 25,800. Four areas contribute to this capacity: The Brian Perry Stand holding 12,000, the WEL Networks Stand holding 8,000, the Goal Line Terrace holding 800 and the Greenzone can hold...
. Previously, Waikato FC have also played home games in
RotoruaRotorua is a city on the southern shores of the lake of the same name, in the Bay of Plenty region of the North Island of New Zealand. The city is the seat of the Rotorua District, a territorial authority encompassing the city and several other nearby towns...
and
Mount MaunganuiMount Maunganui is a town in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand, located on a peninsula to the north of the neighbouring city Tauranga, which Mount Maunganui fought fiercely during the 1950s to retain independence from, then fail with the completion of the harbour bridge in 1988...
, both in the
Bay of PlentyThe Bay of Plenty , often abbreviated to BoP, is a region in the North Island of New Zealand situated around the body of water of the same name...
region, in order to expand their fanbase.
Waikato's first season in existence was a moderately successful one.
Waikato Football Club is a football (soccer) club based in
HamiltonHamilton is the centre of New Zealand's fourth largest urban area, and Hamilton City is the country's seventh largest territorial authority. Hamilton is in the Waikato region of the North Island, approximately south of Auckland...
,
New ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses , and numerous smaller islands, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands. The indigenous Māori named New Zealand Aotearoa, commonly translated as The Land of the Long White Cloud...
. The club was founded in 2004 and currently play in the
New Zealand Football ChampionshipThe New Zealand Football Championship is the national football league in New Zealand. It is a sports franchise league that is operated by New Zealand Football. The league is run separately from the winter regional club competitions, and many of the teams competing in the NZFC are franchises...
.
While the club is based in
HamiltonHamilton is the centre of New Zealand's fourth largest urban area, and Hamilton City is the country's seventh largest territorial authority. Hamilton is in the Waikato region of the North Island, approximately south of Auckland...
, due to financial reasons the team will play their home games at nearby
NgaruawahiaNgāruawāhia is a town in the Waikato region of the North Island of New Zealand.The meaning of the town's name is open the food pits, which comes from a feast held hundreds of years ago to celebrate the coming together of two tribes through a marriage. The word combines the Māori words wahia...
for the
2008-09 seasonThe NZFC 2008-09 season is the fifth season of the New Zealand Football Championship competition.The previous seasons champion, Waitakere United, and second-ranked club Auckland City FC will also be competing in the 2008-09 O-League which will run alongside the NZFC season.-Changes for 2008/09:*The...
, having previously played their home fixtures at
Waikato StadiumWaikato Stadium is a major sporting and cultural events venue in Hamilton, New Zealand, with a total capacity of 25,800. Four areas contribute to this capacity: The Brian Perry Stand holding 12,000, the WEL Networks Stand holding 8,000, the Goal Line Terrace holding 800 and the Greenzone can hold...
. Previously, Waikato FC have also played home games in
RotoruaRotorua is a city on the southern shores of the lake of the same name, in the Bay of Plenty region of the North Island of New Zealand. The city is the seat of the Rotorua District, a territorial authority encompassing the city and several other nearby towns...
and
Mount MaunganuiMount Maunganui is a town in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand, located on a peninsula to the north of the neighbouring city Tauranga, which Mount Maunganui fought fiercely during the 1950s to retain independence from, then fail with the completion of the harbour bridge in 1988...
, both in the
Bay of PlentyThe Bay of Plenty , often abbreviated to BoP, is a region in the North Island of New Zealand situated around the body of water of the same name...
region, in order to expand their fanbase.
Surprise Top-Three Finish
Waikato's first season in existence was a moderately successful one. Playing in the inaugural season of the New Zealand Football Championship, they managed to finish in third place, after a poor start to the campaign.
Waikato's first ever competitive game was away at
YoungHeart ManawatuYoungHeart Manawatu is a football club is based in Palmerston North, New Zealand. It participates in the New Zealand Football Championship and their home stadium is Memorial Park.- History :...
, which they won convincingly 4-0 sending them straight to the top of table. Unfortunately they only won one of their next nine games, a run which saw them slide down to seventh in the eight-team league. In a dramatic change of fortunes, Waikato went on to win their next five games, including an away win over eventual champions
Auckland CityAuckland City FC are a football team from Auckland, New Zealand competing in the New Zealand Football Championship.They are four times NZFC champions, having won the title in 2004/05, 2005/06, 2006/07 & 2008/09. They are also the current Oceania Champions League title holders and will represent...
. They only lost two more games during the season and defied pre-season predictions by claiming third place and a spot in the playoffs' "Elimination Final" against
Waitakere UnitedWaitakere United is a football club based in Waitakere City, New Zealand. They are one of the franchises in the New Zealand Football Championship...
. Waikato were crushed 4-1 by Waitakare at Trusts Stadium,
AucklandThe Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with a population approaching 1.4 million residents, percent of the country's population. Demographic trends indicate that it will continue to grow faster than the rest...
, ending their hopes of Championship victory but claiming overall third place was deemed a good achievement for a team that many expected to finish last.
Awards
Craig Flowerday won Waikato's Player' Player of the Year award, and goalkeeper Mark Fulcher won Supporters' Player of the Year. David Samson won the Young Player of the Year Award.
Striker Colin Gardyne won Sky Sports' Goal of the Season award, and was also Waikato FC's joint-top goalscorer along with Brett Derry.
Current squad
As of November 7, 2008
Nationality given from place of birth
Transfers
In
- Gregory Walters
Greg Walters is an American soccer player, currently plays for the Waikato FC of the New Zealand Football Championship.-College:...
- Carolina Railhawks
- Alex Barlow - Hawke's Bay United
Hawke's Bay United is an association football club based in Napier, New Zealand. It represents the East Coast of the North Island in the New Zealand Football Championship, a franchise-based 8 team national league played annually October to March...
- Mike Walters
Michael Charles Walters is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He bats and throws right-handed....
- USA
- Daniel Finlay - Three Kings United
-External links:*...
- Anthony Hagen - Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland , the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...
Out
- Che Bunce
Che Bunce is a New Zealand football player who currently plays for Hawke's Bay United in the NZFC.-Club career:In April 2006 he signed for New Zealand Knights where he was captain for the A-League 2006-07 season....
- Hawkes Bay United
- Dale Beattie - Glenafton Athletic
- Matt Friel - Auckland City FC
Auckland City FC are a football team from Auckland, New Zealand competing in the New Zealand Football Championship.They are four times NZFC champions, having won the title in 2004/05, 2005/06, 2006/07 & 2008/09. They are also the current Oceania Champions League title holders and will represent...
- Michael Gwyther - North Shore United
North Shore United is a football club based in North Shore, Auckland, New Zealand. Their home ground, Allen Hill Stadium, is located in the suburb of Devonport.-History:...
- Jeff Sole - released
- Damien Fonoti - released
- Godwin Bebeu - Rangers Honiara
- Nathan Holten - Melville United
Melville United AFC is a football club in Hamilton, New Zealand. It competes in the Premier League division of the Northern League. The club was formed in 1996 from the merger of Melville AFC and Waikato United.-External links:**...
- Jakub Sinkora - Auckland City FC
Auckland City FC are a football team from Auckland, New Zealand competing in the New Zealand Football Championship.They are four times NZFC champions, having won the title in 2004/05, 2005/06, 2006/07 & 2008/09. They are also the current Oceania Champions League title holders and will represent...
- Scott Campbell - New Hampshire Fisher Cats
The New Hampshire Fisher Cats are a minor league baseball team based in Manchester, New Hampshire. The team, which plays in the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays major-league club....
- Junyha Kanaka - Napier City Rovers
Napier City Rovers are an association football team based in Napier. The team was founded in 1973 via a merger of Napier Rovers and Napier City....
- Tim Kautai - released
- Chris Wood
Chris Wood is a professional footballer who plays as a central defender or defensive midfielder for Boston United.-Career:...
- released
- Dale Williams
Dale Williams is a retired Welsh football player.Beginning his career as a trainee with Yeovil Town, Williams played just four minutes for the Somerset club, after coming on for Arron Davies in the 0–0 draw against Colchester United on 6 May 2006, the last day of the 2005–06...
- Technogroup Welshpool Town F.C.
- Tiberiu Marinescu - Arsenal Resita
- Boomer Kotchin - Manhattan College
Manhattan College is a Roman Catholic liberal arts college in the Lasallian tradition in New York City. Despite the college's name, it is no longer located in Manhattan but in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, roughly 10 miles north of Midtown. Manhattan College offers undergraduate programs in...
- Matt Hastings - released
- Daniel Rattray - released
The 2005/2006 Season
Despite finishing second bottom of the table, the team showed signs of promise, losing several fixtures by a single goal. Indeed, injuries to key personnel did little to dent the squad's resolve. The move to playing games outside
HamiltonHamilton is the centre of New Zealand's fourth largest urban area, and Hamilton City is the country's seventh largest territorial authority. Hamilton is in the Waikato region of the North Island, approximately south of Auckland...
, perhaps was not financially successful, as the gate numbers were not as large as expected, but
RotoruaRotorua is a city on the southern shores of the lake of the same name, in the Bay of Plenty region of the North Island of New Zealand. The city is the seat of the Rotorua District, a territorial authority encompassing the city and several other nearby towns...
became a fortress with wins over both
Hawke's Bay UtdHawke's Bay United is an association football club based in Napier, New Zealand. It represents the East Coast of the North Island in the New Zealand Football Championship, a franchise-based 8 team national league played annually October to March...
and eventual champions
Auckland CityAuckland City FC are a football team from Auckland, New Zealand competing in the New Zealand Football Championship.They are four times NZFC champions, having won the title in 2004/05, 2005/06, 2006/07 & 2008/09. They are also the current Oceania Champions League title holders and will represent...
.
External links