After weeks of anticipation, Auckland’s A-League expansion club has finally revealed its team name, its playing kit and an ambitious vision for the fledgling club.
- NAME: The team name has been confirmed as ‘Auckland FC’.
- COLOURS: The club’s colours will combine electric blue, as their primary colour, and black.
- LOGO: The club’s crest will pay tribute to Rangitoto and Auckland’s skyline, and include a nod to founder Bill Foley’s Black Knight Group.
- HOME GROUND: Go Media Stadium Mt Smart has been confirmed as the home ground for the first season, at least.
- SIGNINGS: Player signings won’t be revealed until June.
Details were made public to media at The Chamberlain, in downtown Auckland, a hotel owned by the Foley Hospitality Group where the club’s matches will be screened for fans.
Here are details shared at the launch event on March 14, 2024:
‘We’ll be called Auckland FC’
The team name was revealed as ‘Auckland FC’ which, the club said, followed “a wide-ranging consultation process that showed a desire to anchor the team to its home city and reflect a strong football heritage that both the fans and the owners wanted in the name.”
However, in a video message from founder Bill Foley, he referred to the team as the Black Knights, hinting that may become a nickname for Auckland FC.
‘Our colours and visual identity’
The club says its visual identity represents the city of Auckland throughout, from its primary colour — electric blue — building on Auckland’s traditional royal blue, to the crest.
The newly-revealed shield contains a graphic tribute to Rangitoto and Auckland’s iconic skyline, and with an ascending ‘A’ for Auckland in its centre. The Black Knight visor and the stripes in the badge link the crest to club founder Bill Foley and the teams that form part of the Black Knight Football Group.
Created in partnership with the club’s very first partner, global apparel and footwear giants New Balance, through their licensee partner Belgravia Sports Apparel, the inaugural home kit was revealed for the first time.
Featuring the club’s electric blue and black and New Balance’s cutting-edge performance technology, the kit went on pre-sale today on the club’s website.
Bill Foley: ‘Football’s incredible power to inspire …’
Owner Bill Foley said: “What I love about football is that it has an incredible power to inspire anyone, no matter their age or background. We have a track record of building successful professional sports teams and just like we did in Las Vegas, I saw a unique opportunity to bring a new A-League football club with big ambitions to Auckland and take it to the world stage.
“We can’t wait to get started, nurture talent, accelerate the pathway for promising players here and overseas, and showcase Auckland and its culture.”
Nick Becker: ‘Today is just the beginning …’
Club chief executive Nick Becker said: “We are building the elite professional team that Auckland deserves. We want to be successful on the pitch, and we want to create a club that represents Tāmaki Makaurau for generations to come.”
“More Kiwis play football than any other sport and we have seen first-hand how much Auckland has embraced football. Today is just the beginning of a very exciting journey and we can’t wait to build the future together with our community and our fans.”
Steve Corica: ‘I’ll foster a strong attacking team …’
Steve Corica, head coach and one of the A-Leagues’ most successful players and managers, said: “I’m looking forward to helping build the club from the ground up, foster a strong attacking team known for their entertaining style of football, and attract some of the best talent to grow with the club.
“We’ll have some exciting player announcements to make from June 2024.”
Dean Howard: ‘Thrilled the team will wear our gear’
Dean Howard, General Manager of New Balance New Zealand & Australia, said: “As a proud Kiwi myself, it’s truly exciting to announce our apparel partnership through our Team Sport partner Belgravia Sports Apparel with Auckland FC, diving into the heart of New Zealand’s thriving football scene.
“We’re thrilled to witness the teams donning our gear, crafted with cutting-edge performance technology and sleek style, as they embark on their journey to success.”
New club launches as football gains momentum in New Zealand
Backed by Bill Foley and his global sports consortium, Auckland FC is launching as football gains huge momentum in New Zealand as one of the fastest-growing sports, with more than 40,000 Kiwis playing across clubs in Auckland.
Now, Aotearoa’s largest city and Oceania’s fifth-largest city is firmly on the elite professional football map.
Auckland FC will join the Isuzu UTE A-League Men at the beginning of the 2024-25 season in October 2024. The season runs until May and includes a 26-round regular season followed by a finals series playoff, with 12 home games confirmed to play at Mount Smart Stadium.
Auckland FC will launch its Liberty A-League Women’s team to play in the 2025-26 season early next year.
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