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Waikato Football Club is a football (soccer) club based in Hamilton, New Zealand. The club was founded in 2004 and currently play in the New Zealand Football Championship. They play most of their home games at Waikato Stadium, Hamilton, which they share with Super 14 rugby team, the Chiefs. However, in a bid to increase the fan base of the team they have recently played home games in Rotorua and Mount Maunganui.
[edit] The First Season
[edit] 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 Manawatu, 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 City. 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 United. Waikato were crushed 4-1 by Waitakare at Trusts Stadium, Auckland, 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.
[edit] 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.
[edit] Current Season Standings
[edit] Current squad
As of November 30, 2007
Nationality given from place of birth
[edit] 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 Hamilton, perhaps was not financially successful, as the gate numbers were not as large as expected, but Rotorua became a fortress with wins over both Hawke's Bay Utd and eventual champions Auckland City.
[edit] External links
