Auckland City FC
Encyclopedia
Auckland City Football Club is a football (soccer)
club based in Auckland
, New Zealand
's largest city. The club competes in the eight-team ASB Premiership which is the highest level of domestic football in the country. Auckland City play their home matches at Kiwitea Street
in Sandringham
, Auckland.
, and is the only city derby
in the ASB Premiership. These games are fiercely contested, drawing crowds between 1500 and 2500, and their 2011 Grand Final clash saw a crowd of 3500.
Auckland City began their second NZFC campaign the same way they finished off their first and led the competition for most of the season. The 2005/06 Grand Final saw the team defeat Canterbury United 5-4 on penalties after the score was tied 3-3 at full time.
Just five days after Auckland City's match in Tokyo, they had to play rivals Waitakere United in a crucial NZFC match at Kiwitea Street. After trailing 0-3 at half time, Auckland City produced a stunning comeback to win 4-3 with a 99th minute winner from Paul Urlovic. Referee Neil Fox produced an astonishing nineteen yellow and red cards in this memorable match, widely considered to be the most exciting since the competition began in October 2004. At the end of an extremely long and challenging 2006/07 season the same two sides met again in the Grand Final where Auckland City triumphed once more by 3-2, to claim their third successive NZFC title.
The 2007/08 season was a disappointing one for Auckland City and was the first time the club had tasted failure in the NZFC. Finishing 3rd was a major setback for a club that has set such high standards for itself.
Season 2008/09 saw Auckland City regain its status as the premier club side of New Zealand domestic football. A 2-1 victory over arch rivals Waitakere United in the NZFC Grand Final, with goals to Keryn Jordan and Paul Urlovic, saw the club claim it's fourth NZFC title in the past five years.
After returning from the Club World Cup in 2009 the team continued their fine form and won the NZFC’s minor premiership comfortably, losing only one match in doing so during the regular domestic season. Unfortunately the effects of a long campaign, which saw the side play nearly double the amount of matches than almost all of the other NZFC sides, finally caught up with the side. In the NZFC semi-finals the side defeated Canterbury United 2-1 away in the first leg before suffering a shock 0-3 reversal at home. This upset, only the third loss the side had suffered in 25 matches over the course of the season, was a bitter way to end a campaign which had reached such highs only a few months earlier in Abu Dhabi.
Season 2010/11 saw Auckland City regain its status once again as the premier club side in Oceania.
On the domestic front the team began the ASB Premiership season slowly as player retirements, unavailability and injury impacted on the side. As the season progressed however the side began to find some outstanding form and hit a purple patch winning ten straight matches as the semi-finals approached. After comfortably dispatching of Team Wellington by 7-2 on aggregate over two legs in the semi-finals the side lined up against old rivals Waitakere United in the Grand Final for the fourth time since the competition commenced in 2004. City had won all three of the previous encounters when the two sides had met in the domestic showpiece final however this run was to come to an end with the side going down 2-3 in an error-ridden final.
held at North Harbour Stadium
by beating AS Pirae
3-1 in the final. The Oceania title ensured Auckland City FC to play in the FIFA Club World Championship 2006.
In November 2006, Auckland City parted company with coach Roger Wilkinson less than a month before their debut at the FIFA Club World Championship 2006. Chairman Ivan Vuksich confirmed the “mutually agreed” split in a media release. Board member Paul Marshall took over as caretaker coach until a permanent replacement is signed. Auckland City gave no reason for the parting but the team, after winning the championship last season, are in fourth place on the New Zealand Football Championship
table - eight points behind arch rivals and league leaders Waitakere United
after just six rounds.
Auckland City rehired manager Allan Jones to coach the team in FIFA Club World Championship 2006. Auckland City lost their first game 2-0 to Al Ahly on December 10, 2006. Five days later, Auckland played South Korea
n club Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
in the fifth-place play-off in Tokyo
, but lost 3-0 and finished last among the six teams participating in the tournament.
Just five days after Auckland's match with Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
, Auckland had to play rivals Waitakere United in a crucial NZFC match at Kiwitea Street. After trailing 3-0 at half time, City produced a stunning comeback to win 4-3 with a 99th minute goal from Paul Urlovic
. Referee Neil Fox produced 19 yellow and red cards in this incredible match.
(GK) Ivan Vicelich
(DF) Chad Coombes
(MF) David Mulligan
(MF)
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
club 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...
, 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...
's largest city. The club competes in the eight-team ASB Premiership which is the highest level of domestic football in the country. Auckland City play their home matches at Kiwitea Street
Kiwitea Street
Kiwitea Street, also known as Freyberg Field, is a multi-purpose stadium in Auckland, New Zealand with a capacity of 3,500. It is currently used for football matches and is the home stadium of both Auckland City FC and Central United....
in Sandringham
Sandringham, New Zealand
Sandringham is a suburb of Auckland City, New Zealand. Sandringham is a bustling, multi-ethnic suburb, and has a population of 10,800.Sandringham was named after the country house of Edward, Prince of Wales. This house, which is located in Norfolk, England, is the private property of the British...
, Auckland.
Club Information
The ASB Premiership was formed in 2004 and Auckland City FC is one of the most successful clubs in the league having won the competition in four of the seven years since its inception. It is an amateur league with most players having full-time occupations outside of football.Rivalry
Auckland City FC's rival is cross-town team Waitakere UnitedWaitakere United
Waitakere United is a football club based in Waitakere City, New Zealand. They are one of the franchises in the ASB Premiership. They play their home games at Fred Taylor Park in Kumeu.-History:...
, and is the only city derby
Auckland derby
The Auckland derby is a local football rivalry between two ASB Premiership clubs based in the Auckland Region. Auckland City FC are located within Auckland City itself while Waitakere United are from neighbouring city Waitakere City...
in the ASB Premiership. These games are fiercely contested, drawing crowds between 1500 and 2500, and their 2011 Grand Final clash saw a crowd of 3500.
Season Summaries
In the inaugural 2004/05 season Auckland City FC beat cross town rivals Waitakere United 3-2 in the Grand Final. Keryn Jordan, who joined City a season later, was one of the goalscorers for Waitakere United, whilst Liam Mulrooney and Grant Young, who scored twice, secured the Championship for the highly favoured home team.Auckland City began their second NZFC campaign the same way they finished off their first and led the competition for most of the season. The 2005/06 Grand Final saw the team defeat Canterbury United 5-4 on penalties after the score was tied 3-3 at full time.
Just five days after Auckland City's match in Tokyo, they had to play rivals Waitakere United in a crucial NZFC match at Kiwitea Street. After trailing 0-3 at half time, Auckland City produced a stunning comeback to win 4-3 with a 99th minute winner from Paul Urlovic. Referee Neil Fox produced an astonishing nineteen yellow and red cards in this memorable match, widely considered to be the most exciting since the competition began in October 2004. At the end of an extremely long and challenging 2006/07 season the same two sides met again in the Grand Final where Auckland City triumphed once more by 3-2, to claim their third successive NZFC title.
The 2007/08 season was a disappointing one for Auckland City and was the first time the club had tasted failure in the NZFC. Finishing 3rd was a major setback for a club that has set such high standards for itself.
Season 2008/09 saw Auckland City regain its status as the premier club side of New Zealand domestic football. A 2-1 victory over arch rivals Waitakere United in the NZFC Grand Final, with goals to Keryn Jordan and Paul Urlovic, saw the club claim it's fourth NZFC title in the past five years.
After returning from the Club World Cup in 2009 the team continued their fine form and won the NZFC’s minor premiership comfortably, losing only one match in doing so during the regular domestic season. Unfortunately the effects of a long campaign, which saw the side play nearly double the amount of matches than almost all of the other NZFC sides, finally caught up with the side. In the NZFC semi-finals the side defeated Canterbury United 2-1 away in the first leg before suffering a shock 0-3 reversal at home. This upset, only the third loss the side had suffered in 25 matches over the course of the season, was a bitter way to end a campaign which had reached such highs only a few months earlier in Abu Dhabi.
Season 2010/11 saw Auckland City regain its status once again as the premier club side in Oceania.
On the domestic front the team began the ASB Premiership season slowly as player retirements, unavailability and injury impacted on the side. As the season progressed however the side began to find some outstanding form and hit a purple patch winning ten straight matches as the semi-finals approached. After comfortably dispatching of Team Wellington by 7-2 on aggregate over two legs in the semi-finals the side lined up against old rivals Waitakere United in the Grand Final for the fourth time since the competition commenced in 2004. City had won all three of the previous encounters when the two sides had met in the domestic showpiece final however this run was to come to an end with the side going down 2-3 in an error-ridden final.
Auckland's World Club Championship campaign
The New Zealand Football Championship allowed Auckland City FC to represent New Zealand in the Oceania Champions League without having to qualify. Auckland won the Oceania Club Championship 2006Oceania Club Championship 2006
The Oceania Club Championship is organised by the Oceania Football Confederation to ascertain the champions of Oceania. The 2006 event was held in Albany, New Zealand and was the final playing of the tournament before being replaced by the OFC Champions League. The tournament was held from 10–21...
held at North Harbour Stadium
North Harbour Stadium
North Harbour Stadium is a stadium, situated in Albany, in North Shore City, in New Zealand. It was opened in 1997, after nearly a decade of discussion, planning and construction. Rugby union, football and rugby League are the only sports played on the main ground, as it is rectangular in shape....
by beating AS Pirae
AS Pirae
AS Pirae is a football team from Pirae in Tahiti. They are one of the most successful teams in Tahiti having won the Tahiti Division Fédérale seven times...
3-1 in the final. The Oceania title ensured Auckland City FC to play in the FIFA Club World Championship 2006.
In November 2006, Auckland City parted company with coach Roger Wilkinson less than a month before their debut at the FIFA Club World Championship 2006. Chairman Ivan Vuksich confirmed the “mutually agreed” split in a media release. Board member Paul Marshall took over as caretaker coach until a permanent replacement is signed. Auckland City gave no reason for the parting but the team, after winning the championship last season, are in fourth place on the New Zealand Football Championship
New Zealand Football Championship
The New Zealand Football Championship is the national association football league in New Zealand. It is a professional/semi-professional status Association football sports Franchise league that is operated by New Zealand Football...
table - eight points behind arch rivals and league leaders Waitakere United
Waitakere United
Waitakere United is a football club based in Waitakere City, New Zealand. They are one of the franchises in the ASB Premiership. They play their home games at Fred Taylor Park in Kumeu.-History:...
after just six rounds.
Auckland City rehired manager Allan Jones to coach the team in FIFA Club World Championship 2006. Auckland City lost their first game 2-0 to Al Ahly on December 10, 2006. Five days later, Auckland played South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
n club Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors are a professional football club based in Jeonju, Jeonbuk, South Korea. They won their first K-League title in 2009. Prior to this, the club won the AFC Champions League title in 2006, becoming the first club from East Asia to win the tournament since the AFC Champions...
in the fifth-place play-off in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, but lost 3-0 and finished last among the six teams participating in the tournament.
Just five days after Auckland's match with Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors are a professional football club based in Jeonju, Jeonbuk, South Korea. They won their first K-League title in 2009. Prior to this, the club won the AFC Champions League title in 2006, becoming the first club from East Asia to win the tournament since the AFC Champions...
, Auckland had to play rivals Waitakere United in a crucial NZFC match at Kiwitea Street. After trailing 3-0 at half time, City produced a stunning comeback to win 4-3 with a 99th minute goal from Paul Urlovic
Paul Urlovic
Paul Mark Urlovic is a New Zealand professional footballer player who plays as Striker for Three Kings United in the Lotto Sport Italia NRFL Premier...
. Referee Neil Fox produced 19 yellow and red cards in this incredible match.
Current squad
As of October 5, 2011 (Confirmed 2011/12 Squad)Current International players
New Zealand Jacob SpoonleyJacob Spoonley
Jacob Spoonley is a New Zealand association football goalkeeper who now plays for Auckland City in the New Zealand Football Championship.-International career:...
(GK) Ivan Vicelich
Ivan Vicelich
Ivan Robert Vicelich is a New Zealand professional footballer of Croatian origin, who currently plays as a defender for Auckland City FC in the ASB Premiership...
(DF) Chad Coombes
Chad Coombes
Chadwick Reuben Coombes is a New Zealand born association football player who currently plays as a midfielder for Auckland City FC in the ASB Premiership...
(MF) David Mulligan
David Mulligan
David James Mulligan is a New Zealand international footballer, currently playing for Auckland City FC in the ASB Premiership. Born in England, he made over 180 appearances in the English Football League between 2000 and 2008. He is able to play in both midfield and defence.His career began at...
(MF)
Coaching Staff
| Position | Name |
| Head Coach | Ramon Tribulietx |
| Director of Football | Aaron McFarland |
| Goalkeeper Coach | Paul Gothard |
Medical Staff
| Position | Name |
| Physiotherapist | Andrew Newmarch |
| Club Doctor | Dr Craig Panther |
FIFA Club World Cup History
Honours
- New Zealand Football ChampionshipNew Zealand Football ChampionshipThe New Zealand Football Championship is the national association football league in New Zealand. It is a professional/semi-professional status Association football sports Franchise league that is operated by New Zealand Football...
- Championship (4): 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
- Premiership (3): 2005, 2006, 2010.
- OFC Champions LeagueOFC Champions LeagueThe Oceania Champions League 2007 was held in January 2007 with six clubs from five member associations of the Oceania Football Confederation: New Zealand, New Caledonia, Tahiti, Fiji and the Solomon Islands. The six clubs were split into two groups of three for home and away matches.Auckland City...
(3): 2006, 2009, 2011.
Performance in OFC competitions
- OFC Champions LeagueOFC Champions LeagueThe Oceania Champions League 2007 was held in January 2007 with six clubs from five member associations of the Oceania Football Confederation: New Zealand, New Caledonia, Tahiti, Fiji and the Solomon Islands. The six clubs were split into two groups of three for home and away matches.Auckland City...
: 7 appearances
-
- Best: Champions in 2006, 2009 and 2011
- 2005: 3° in Group A
- 2006: Champions
- 2007: 2° in Group A
- 2008OFC Champions League 2007-08The Oceania Champions League 2007-08 started in 12 June 2007 with the Preliminary Tournament and was played till 4 May 2008. The league was contested by clubs from seven member associations of the Oceania Football Confederation: New Zealand, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Tahiti, Fiji...
: 2° in Group A - 2009: Champions
- 2010: 2° in Group A
- 2011: Champions