Waterside Karori
Encyclopedia
Waterside Karori AFC is an association football club in Karori
, a suburb of Wellington
, New Zealand
.
Waterside Karori was formed in 19881 when Karori Swifts merged with Waterside. These two clubs had contrasting origins: Swifts were founded in 1894 from a Sunday School, and Waterside were founded in 1921 by dock workers. The current Waterside Karori club is still nicknamed Wharfies.
Waterside were originally based at Kaiwharawhara
at Wellington's waterfront, a location still used by Waterside Karori. Waterside were a successful club at national level in New Zealand in the 1930s and 40s, winning the Chatham Cup
in 1938, 1939, 1940 and 1947. However, the club was damaged by the wider effects of the 1951 waterfront strike
and took years to recover.
Swifts were initially itinerant but settled in Karori in 1950, changing their name to Karori Swifts in the 1960s.
At the time of the merger Waterside had sponsorship and were playing in the National League, but had a relatively small player base. Swifts, on the other hand, had a large player base, both senior and junior, but lacked top-level success. The merged club adopted the Waterside strip of black and white vertical stripes with the maroon Swifts strip being retained as a second strip.
Although Waterside Karori soon dropped out of the National League it remains one of the largest clubs in Wellington. In 2004 it became one of the founding principal clubs of the Team Wellington
franchise in the New Zealand Football Championship
.
Footnotes 1 http://www.watersidekaroriafc.org.nz/wharfies/about.asp gives 1988, http://www.teamwellington.org.nz/index.php?page=tw_clubs incorrectly gives 1978.
Karori
Karori is a suburb located at the western edge of the urban area of Wellington, New Zealand, some 4 km from the city centre.Karori is significantly larger than most other Wellington suburbs, having a population of over 14,000 at the time of the 2006 census.-History:Before the arrival of...
, a suburb of Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
, 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...
.
Waterside Karori was formed in 19881 when Karori Swifts merged with Waterside. These two clubs had contrasting origins: Swifts were founded in 1894 from a Sunday School, and Waterside were founded in 1921 by dock workers. The current Waterside Karori club is still nicknamed Wharfies.
Waterside were originally based at Kaiwharawhara
Kaiwharawhara
Kaiwharawhara, formerly known as Kaiwarra, is an urban seaside suburb of Wellington in New Zealand's North Island. It is located north of the centre of the city on the western shore of Wellington Harbour, where the Kaiwharawhara Stream reaches the sea from its headwaters in Karori. It is a...
at Wellington's waterfront, a location still used by Waterside Karori. Waterside were a successful club at national level in New Zealand in the 1930s and 40s, winning the Chatham Cup
Chatham Cup
The Chatham Cup, currently known as the ASB Chatham Cup for sponsorship purposes, is New Zealand's premier knockout tournament in men's football...
in 1938, 1939, 1940 and 1947. However, the club was damaged by the wider effects of the 1951 waterfront strike
1951 New Zealand waterfront dispute
The 1951 New Zealand waterfront dispute was the largest and most widespread industrial dispute in New Zealand history. During the time, up to twenty thousand workers went on strike in support of waterfront workers protesting financial hardships and working conditions. Thousands more refused to...
and took years to recover.
Swifts were initially itinerant but settled in Karori in 1950, changing their name to Karori Swifts in the 1960s.
At the time of the merger Waterside had sponsorship and were playing in the National League, but had a relatively small player base. Swifts, on the other hand, had a large player base, both senior and junior, but lacked top-level success. The merged club adopted the Waterside strip of black and white vertical stripes with the maroon Swifts strip being retained as a second strip.
Although Waterside Karori soon dropped out of the National League it remains one of the largest clubs in Wellington. In 2004 it became one of the founding principal clubs of the Team Wellington
Team Wellington
Team 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 :...
franchise in the New Zealand Football Championship
New Zealand Football Championship
The New Zealand Football Championship is the national association football league in New Zealand. It is a professional/semi-professional status Association football sports Franchise league that is operated by New Zealand Football...
.
Notable players
- Simon ElliottSimon ElliottSimon John Elliott is a New Zealand International footballer who currently plays for Chivas USA in Major League Soccer.-Semi-Professional & College career:...
- Duncan OughtonDuncan OughtonDuncan Oughton is a retired New Zealander footballer. Oughton played professionally in the United States for Major League Soccer club Columbus Crew and represented New Zealand internationally.-Youth and College:...
- Chris PileChris Pile (footballer)Christopher James "Chris" Pile is an English former footballer whose career was curtailed by injury.A goalkeeper, Pile never actually made a professional appearance, and in fact only made the bench for one senior game...
- Tim Brown
- Wiremu Patrick
- Mark Fulcher
- Adam Crump
- Darryl Hogg
External links
Footnotes 1 http://www.watersidekaroriafc.org.nz/wharfies/about.asp gives 1988, http://www.teamwellington.org.nz/index.php?page=tw_clubs incorrectly gives 1978.