New Zealand's Forgotten A-League Team | The New Zealand Knights

With the recent announcement of an Auckland based A-League side in the works - it's a good idea to look back at the team that started it all for professional football in New Zealand.

Before the Wellington Phoenix FC existed there was another team in the country. The New Zealand Knights Football Club. Who were they? And what happened to them? Could the same thing happen again?

They had such a torrid start to professional football that the FFA (Australian Football Federation) revoked their license to play in the competition at the end of the 06/07 season - as soon as it had started, it was over. After only 2 years, their second season in the competition, would be the last time they ever played in the A-league. A sad day for professional football in New Zealand.

That’s right, The first ever professional football team in New Zealand, the Auckland Based, New Zealand Knights - were so bad, they were removed from the league they were participating in.

On the surface, that does seem like a rash and excessive move from the Australian Football Federation. As kiwi football fans saw their only professional team being eradicated, dismissed and removed from existence.

New Zealand fans were in shock - how would football be able to develop without an established footballing franchise that is able to nurture homegrown talent in the country.

The FFA came out and pretty much said - “Listen, this has been a disaster.” Quoting “The clubs Financial, administrative & poor on field performances” as the main reasons for taking back the license to play in the league. Now, for a football club, I’m not sure what else they could have possibly quoted as being the issue. That is pretty much, everything that could have gone wrong, went wrong.

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Australian sharks started lurking, as they smelled blood, an opportunity for them to snatch teh licnece away from the kiwis, and to a new Australian based club. Lucky for New Zealanders, the Australian Football Federation came out to say that they preferred a New Zealand based team - this was likely due to the loss of exposure, the A-league brand would have if it was to be completely removed from the New Zealand market.

After much delay, and a lack of funds to actually purchase the A-league licence to play, in stepped wealthy Wellington Business Man, Terry Serepisos, who forked out the remained 1.2M$ required to get this new team underway.

The team would be named “The Wellington Phoenix” - in honour of the way New Zealand Football would rise from the ashes left behind by the New Zealand Knights.

The epicenter of Football in the nation, would be moved away from Auckland, and to Wellington, forever.

Links to videos:

New Zealand Knights match highlights:    • A-League 2005/06 - Round 14 - New Zea...  
Goals of the decade:    • GOAL OF THE DECADE | 2010-2019 | Vote...  
Wellington Phoenix FC Fan Chants:    • "Just Cant Get Enough" - Yellow Fever...  

#wellington #auckland #footballnz #thenewzealandknights #historynz #sporthistorynz