New Zealand Knights FC

New Zealand Knights Football Club
Company type	Private
Industry	Professional football (soccer)
Predecessor	Football Kingz Football Club
Founded	2004
Defunct	2007
Fate	Licence withdrawn by Football Federation Australia; succeeded by Wellington Phoenix
Headquarters	Auckland, New Zealand
Area served	Australia (A-League)
Key people	Guy Hedderwick (CEO), Anthony Lee (Chairman)
Products	Professional football team competing in A-League
Owner	Octagon Sport (60%), Total Football Ltd (20%), Sky Television (5%), Chris Turner (10%), New Zealand Soccer (5%, non-monetary)

New Zealand Knights Football Club emerged in 2004 as the successor to the Football Kingz Football Club, becoming New Zealand's sole professional football team before ceasing operations. Located in Auckland, they participated in Australia's top-tier competition, the A-League, and were eventually succeeded by Wellington Phoenix.

Kingz and the NSL 1999–2004

The Football Kingz FC—marketed as "Auckland Kingz" within Australia—entered the Australian National Soccer League in 1999. Over five seasons, they failed to qualify for the playoffs. The club altered its name from "Kings" to "Kingz" after receiving legal warnings from the Sydney Kings basketball team.

Transformation from Football Kingz to New Zealand Knights

In 2004, the Football Kingz identity was discontinued and reorganized into New Zealand Knights for entry into the newly established A-League. Market analysis revealed that 76% of respondents favored a new name, increasing to 90% among those younger than 35. The name "Knights" led other options by a margin of 30%.

Guy Hedderwick, formerly General Manager of Football Kingz, assumed the role of CEO for New Zealand Knights, while Anthony Lee—previously Chairman of Kingz and Waitakere City—was appointed Chairman. Ownership stakes were distributed with Brian Katzen’s Octagon Sport holding 60%, Anthony Lee’s Total Football Ltd owning 20%, Sky Television possessing 5%, Chris Turner at 10%, and New Zealand Soccer holding a non-monetary 5%.

The main commercial partner was Zero's New Zealand (Sub Sandwiches), which secured a substantial six-figure sleeve sponsorship contract spanning three seasons.

New Zealand Knights were officially named among the eight founding members of the A-League. The inaugural manager was John Adshead, renowned for guiding New Zealand’s national team to their maiden World Cup appearance in 1982. The team’s first captain was former New Zealand international Danny Hay, who had played for Leeds United.

New Zealand Knights A-League campaigns 2005–2007

Although the squad included players with significant experience in English football, New Zealand Knights entered the A-League with low expectations and were widely predicted to finish at the bottom of the table—a forecast that proved accurate as they faced considerable difficulties during their initial season.

Following a disappointing campaign, manager John Adshead resigned in April 2006. Paul Nevin, who had been acting as caretaker manager, was officially appointed to lead the team in May.

By late October 2006, concerns arose due to poor match attendance at North Harbour Stadium coupled with ongoing subpar performance. Speculation grew that Football Federation Australia (FFA) might revoke the Knights' A-League licence and introduce a replacement club for the 2007–08 season.

On 15 November, after continued unsatisfactory results, Paul Nevin was dismissed from his coaching position. Rumors intensified throughout December suggesting FFA planned to terminate the club’s licence with five weeks left in the season, citing factors such as low crowd numbers, poor results on the pitch, and inadequate progression of local talent.

The FFA officially withdrew the Knights' licence on 14 December. Subsequently, New Zealand Soccer took over operational control for the remainder of that season and appointed former All Whites player Ricki Herbert as head coach.

The club effectively ceased operations following their final fixture on 21 January against Perth Glory FC.

After several postponements, Wellington Phoenix was confirmed on 19 March 2007 as the New Zealand Knights’ replacement in the A-League.

A-League Seasonal Performance

Season	Division	League Statistics										Leading Scorer
Season	Division	Played	Wins	Draws	Losses	Goals For	Goals Against	Goal Difference	Points	Position	Finals Outcome	Name	Goals
2005–06	A-League	21	1	3	17	15	47	–32	6	8th	–	Template:Country data NZL Template:Namespace detect showall Jeremy Brockie, Template:Country data ENG Template:Namespace detect showall Simon Yeo	4
2006–07	A-League	21	5	4	12	13	39	–26	19	8th	–	Template:Country data NZL Template:Namespace detect showall Noah Hickey, Template:Country data ENG Template:Namespace detect showall Neil Emblen	2

Stadium

Located in Albany, Auckland, North Harbour Stadium opened its doors in 1997. The venue comprises four principal seating sections and accommodates up to 25,000 spectators—19,000 seated and an additional 6,000 on grassy embankments.

Main Grandstand — Positioned on the southern side, it includes three tiers of seating along with corporate suites and lounges; it offers 12,000 seats predominantly sheltered beneath a distinctive arched roof structure.
Open Stand — Situated opposite the main grandstand, this uncovered tier accommodates 7,000 fans.
Embankments — Grass-covered embankments are located at the eastern and western ends, providing space for 3,000 attendees; a scoreboard is installed at the western end with a replay screen facing it.

The stadium is illuminated by four floodlight towers standing 45 meters tall.

Colours and Badge

The Knights' home kit featured an all-black design accented with a silver sleeve on the left arm. Their alternate uniform consisted of white shirts paired with black shorts and white socks. The club unveiled its emblem during the January 2005 press event that coincided with their rebranding.

Supporters

The fan community supporting the Knights was known as Bloc 5.

Season	League	Average Attendance	Peak Attendance	Notes
2006/2007	A-League	3,009	7,304	Round 1 – Newcastle Jets match
2005/2006	A-League	3,989	9,827	Round 2 versus Sydney FC

Former Players

Refer to List of New Zealand Knights FC players for details

Club Captains

2005 Danny Hay
2006 Darren Bazeley

Managerial History

Manager Name	Nationality	Start Date	End Date	Performance Record
Manager Name	Nationality	Start Date	End Date	P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Points
John Adshead	Template:Country data NZL Template:Namespace detect showall	January 2005	April 2006	21	1	3	17	15	47	−32	6
Paul Nevin	Template:Country data ENG Template:Namespace detect showall	May 2006	November 2006	12	2	1	9	4	26	−22	7
Barry Simmonds^d	Template:Country data ENG Template:Namespace detect showall	November 2006	November 2006	4	0	2	2	3	8	−5	2
Ricki Herbert^e	Template:Country data NZL Template:Namespace detect showall	December 2006	"January" 2007	5	3	1	1	6	5	1	10
'Total'		August 2005		January 2007		42	6	7	29	28	86	−58	25

All-Time League Records

Biggest Win: 3–1 against Queensland Roar at home on 29 December 2006
Heaviest Loss: 0–5 away to Queensland Roar on 15 September 2006
Largest League Crowd: 9,827 spectators versus Sydney FC on 2 September 2005
Smallest League Crowd: 1,632 attendees against Central Coast Mariners FC on 28 September 2006
Longest Winning Run: Two matches (29 December 2006 – 7 January 2007)
Longest Unbeaten Run: Four games (29 December 2006 – 21 January 2007)
Longest Losing Streak: Eleven consecutive matches (18 September – 1 December 2005)
Longest Winless Streak: Eighteen matches without a win (18 September 2005 – 2 September 2006)
Most Goals in One Match: Two goals by Jeremy Brockie versus Newcastle Jets at home on 4 November 2005
Top Goalscorers in a Season: Four goals each by Jeremy Brockie and Simon Yeo during the A-League 2005–06 campaign
Most Assists in a Single Season: Three assists by Sean Devine in the A-League 2005–06 season
Player with Most Appearances Overall: Forty-one matches by Darren Bazeley
All-Time Leading Scorers: Four goals each by Jeremy Brockie and Simon Yeo

Auckland's re-entry into the A-League

Following the dissolution of both Football Kingz FC and New Zealand Knights, Auckland's football supporters remained committed to securing a spot back in the A-League. The strong fan turnout, highlighted by attendances exceeding 20,000 in November 2011 and nearly 12,000 in January 2013 at Eden Park during Wellington Phoenix fixtures, demonstrated significant enthusiasm for introducing a second New Zealand-based A-League franchise.

In March 2023, the Australian Professional Leagues, the organisation responsible for managing the A-League Men, announced plans for league expansion that included new teams in Canberra and Auckland. Business entrepreneur Bill Foley, who founded Black Knight Football Club and owns Premier League side AFC Bournemouth as well as NHL's Vegas Golden Knights, was awarded the Auckland licence. His team, named Auckland FC, began competing in the 2024–25 A-League season.

Notes

^d Interim manager following Paul Nevin’s departure from coaching responsibilities. ^e Acting manager for the remainder of the season prior to the club’s closure.

External links