YoungHeart Manawatu
Encyclopedia
YoungHeart Manawatu is a football club is based in Palmerston North
, New Zealand
. It participates in the ASB Premiership and their home ground is Memorial Park.
In the inaugural NZFC season (2004–2005), YoungHeart Manawatu finished bottom, easily the worst team in the league.
However, in 2005-2006 they finished runner-up to champions Auckland City FC
at the end of the regular season. In the finals, YoungHeart lost both their playoff matches and exited early.
The 2006-07 season was again fruitful. YoungHeart finished second again at the couclusion of the regular season, this time behind Waitakere United
. YoungHeart lost their preliminary final to Auckland and missed out on a spot in the O-League as a result.
2007-08 was a somewhat disappointing campaign given the success of the previous two seasons. YoungHeart Manawatu finished the regular season placed sixth on the table, well adrift of the playoffs.
A return to the playoffs came in the 2008/09 season, as YoungHeart finished in third place in the condensed regular season. What followed was an emphatic two-goal victory in the first leg of a two-legged semi-final against Auckland City FC
in Palmerston North
. In the return leg Auckland used their home advantage equally as well to win 3-0, consigning YoungHeart Manawatu to a 4-3 defeat on aggregate and another missed grand final and O-League appearance. Auckland went on to win the final.
2009-10 was a frustrating season for the YoungHeart faithful as the side finished in sixth place but only two points away from a playoff spot. Perhaps the highlight of the season was an unexpected 4-1 victory over Auckland City
at Kiwitea Street
. A bittersweet moment came during the 2010 off-season as standout young player Cory Chettleburgh signed a contract with professional Dutch
club Sparta Rotterdam
. This is a significant loss for the side as they look to bounce back from a fairly disappointing campaign.
Takayuki Omi
Cory Chettleburgh Michael Utting
Alick Maemae
Commins Menapi
Marco Paracchini Seule Soromon
Palmerston North
Palmerston North is the main city of the Manawatu-Wanganui region of the North Island of New Zealand. It is an inland city with a population of and is the country's seventh largest city and eighth largest urban area. Palmerston North is located in the eastern Manawatu Plains near the north bank...
, 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...
. It participates in the ASB Premiership and their home ground is Memorial Park.
History
YoungHeart Manawatu was formed in 2004 to compete in the New Zealand Football Championship (NZFC). Based in Palmerston North, they are the sole franchise in the region.In the inaugural NZFC season (2004–2005), YoungHeart Manawatu finished bottom, easily the worst team in the league.
However, in 2005-2006 they finished runner-up to champions Auckland City FC
Auckland City FC
Auckland City Football Club is a football 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...
at the end of the regular season. In the finals, YoungHeart lost both their playoff matches and exited early.
The 2006-07 season was again fruitful. YoungHeart finished second again at the couclusion of the regular season, this time behind 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:...
. YoungHeart lost their preliminary final to Auckland and missed out on a spot in the O-League as a result.
2007-08 was a somewhat disappointing campaign given the success of the previous two seasons. YoungHeart Manawatu finished the regular season placed sixth on the table, well adrift of the playoffs.
A return to the playoffs came in the 2008/09 season, as YoungHeart finished in third place in the condensed regular season. What followed was an emphatic two-goal victory in the first leg of a two-legged semi-final against Auckland City FC
Auckland City FC
Auckland City Football Club is a football 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...
in Palmerston North
Palmerston North
Palmerston North is the main city of the Manawatu-Wanganui region of the North Island of New Zealand. It is an inland city with a population of and is the country's seventh largest city and eighth largest urban area. Palmerston North is located in the eastern Manawatu Plains near the north bank...
. In the return leg Auckland used their home advantage equally as well to win 3-0, consigning YoungHeart Manawatu to a 4-3 defeat on aggregate and another missed grand final and O-League appearance. Auckland went on to win the final.
2009-10 was a frustrating season for the YoungHeart faithful as the side finished in sixth place but only two points away from a playoff spot. Perhaps the highlight of the season was an unexpected 4-1 victory over Auckland City
Auckland City FC
Auckland City Football Club is a football 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...
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....
. A bittersweet moment came during the 2010 off-season as standout young player Cory Chettleburgh signed a contract with professional Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
club Sparta Rotterdam
Sparta Rotterdam
Sparta Rotterdam is the oldest professional football team in the Netherlands, established on April 1, 1888. Sparta is one of three professional football clubs from Rotterdam, the others being Excelsior and Feyenoord , the latter playing in the Eredivisie.-History:Sparta was first founded in 1887....
. This is a significant loss for the side as they look to bounce back from a fairly disappointing campaign.
Ground
Memorial Park is the home ground of YoungHeart Manawatu. They have played at this ground since the 2008-09 season, having previously played their home fixtures at FMG Stadium. Memorial Park has a capacity of approximately 8000 people.Current squad
2010-11Staff
- Team Manager:
Steve Green. - Head Coach: Stu JacobsStu JacobsStu Jacobs is a New Zealand association football player and manager who represented New Zealand and coached the New Zealand Men's Olympic team at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.-Playing career:...
. - Assistant Coach: Andy Sawyer.
- Goalkeeper coach: Steve Green.
- Physiotherapist: Rodney Brooks-Mann.
- General Manager: Julie Keane.
- Sponsorship & Marketing Manager: Troy Thurston.
Club Records
- All-time leading goalscorer: Benjamin TotoriBenjamin TotoriBenjamin Totori is a Solomon Islands footballer who currently plays as a striker for Koloale FC.-Club career:A small but speedy striker, Totori made his name at fellow NZFC side YoungHeart Manawatu before moving to Richmond Athletic and then onto Waitakere United in 2007...
(33) - Most goals in a season: Benjamin TotoriBenjamin TotoriBenjamin Totori is a Solomon Islands footballer who currently plays as a striker for Koloale FC.-Club career:A small but speedy striker, Totori made his name at fellow NZFC side YoungHeart Manawatu before moving to Richmond Athletic and then onto Waitakere United in 2007...
(24 in 2006/07 season) - Biggest win: 8-1 vs. Hawke's Bay UnitedHawke's Bay UnitedHawke's Bay United is an association football club based in Napier, New Zealand. HB United play in the ASB Premiership - a semi-professional franchise based league, which runs independently of the winter club season. Local winter clubs provide the player pool for each franchise...
, 2005/06 season - Biggest loss: 0-8 vs. Team WellingtonTeam WellingtonTeam Wellington are one of the eight franchises in the New Zealand ASB Premiership football competition. They play their home games at Newtown Park, Wellington.- History :...
, 2007/08 season
Notable former players
Osea VakatalesauOsea Vakatalesau
Osea Vakatalesau is a Fijian football striker playing for Fiji national football team and Ba F.C.-International career:...
Takayuki Omi
Takayuki Omi
is a Japanese footballer who plays for Air India FC.-External links:* http://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/en/takayuki-omi/leistungsdaten-verein/spieler_140631.html...
Cory Chettleburgh Michael Utting
Michael Utting
Michael Utting is a New Zealand soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper.-Early years:Utting grew up in Ngaio, Wellington, the youngest of four children. His father is a civil engineer, his mother a nurse; they separated when he was 10. He went to Ngaio School and Nelson College...
Alick Maemae
Alick Maemae
Alick Leonard Maemae is a football midfielder from the Solomon Islands who currently plays for Vanuatuan side Amical FC.He hails from Suraina, North East coast of Malaita.-Club career:...
Commins Menapi
Commins Menapi
Commins Menapi is a Solomon Islands striker, who is currently a Marist FC player.-Club career:He has also played for YoungHeart Manawatu in New Zealand, Sydney United of the old National Soccer League in Australia and for Marist FC, a club from the Solomon Islands.In the 2006-2007 season, he...
Marco Paracchini Seule Soromon
Seule Soromon
Seule Soromon is an association football striker from Vanuatu who currently plays for ASB Premiership team YoungHeart Manawatu.He hails from Mele, which is located northwest of Port Vila.-Club career:...
Performance in OFC competitions
- Oceania Club Championship: (1 appearance)
-
- 2006Oceania Club Championship 2006The 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...
- 3rd place - Won against Nokia EaglesNokia EaglesNokia Eagles are a soccer team based in Nadi, Fiji. They are one of the country's leading clubs and they appeared in the final round of the 2006 OFC Club Championship.-Performance in OFC competitions:*Oceania Club Championship:...
4 - 0 (stage 4 of 4)
- 2006