Manager Ian McGrath Ground Yarrow Stadium | 2016 1st Founded 2003 | |
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League Central Football Federation League | ||
Team Taranaki is an amateur association football club based in the Taranaki region, New Zealand.
Contents
Team Taranaki is the senior men’s provincial representative football (soccer) team currently operating in the Central Football Federation League. This flagship regional competition was established to provide the best teams within the five-member regions the highest level of football possible and comprises teams from Taranaki, Wanganui, Palmerston North, Hawkes Bay and Gisborne.
Team Taranaki is competing at two levels above the local Taranaki Premier League competition and the season is played over two full rounds, with the team that finishes in first place receiving the opportunity to gain promotion to the Central League via a play-off series.
The core of the team is made up from aspiring local club based players and is supplemented with some overseas amateur players.
The concept is contractually supported by all of the senior men’s clubs operating in the Taranaki Province and the selected players are drawn from these 13 member clubs. Originally adopted and introduced in 2003, the concept is aimed to provide elite football opportunities to all players who want to achieve and play the best possible standard without having to leave Taranaki.
Club history
The club was formed in 2003 as a composite team for Central Premier League competition, involving players from individual clubs in the Taranaki region. The club plays its home matches at Yarrow Stadium, New Plymouth.
In 2006, they were promoted to the Central League and enjoyed four successful seasons competing against some of the most prestigious club teams in the country including Miramar Rangers, Napier City Rovers, Wellington Olympic and Western Suburbs.
The club was relegated from the Central League in 2007, to be replaced with Gisborne City. However, Gisborne City elected not to exercise their right to promotion as part of a club rebuilding strategy, and as such Team Taranaki were allowed to remain in the competition.
In 2010, the team was relegated to the Central Football region Federation League and commenced a rebuilding program involving a new generation of young talent, which has seen incremental improvement in successive seasons, finishing 5th in 2011, 4th in 2012 and 3rd in 2013.
In 2014, Team Taranaki finished Runners Up to Wanganui Athletic losing narrowly in the final game of the season, having led the competition from the start. However, they had the satisfaction of reversing that disappointment by beating them 1–0 in the inaugural Federation League Cup final a few weeks later.
In 2015, Team Taranaki secured the Federation league title and was declared Champions after dominating the competition, but was unsuccessful in gaining promotion to the Central League, narrowly losing to the Wellington Phoenix Reserve team over a two leg play-off series.
In 2016, Team Taranaki secured the Federation League title for a second successive season and secured promotion to the Central League with a dramatic victory over Waterside Karori. Played over two legs (home and away), Team Taranaki found themselves 1-0 down following their home game in New Plymouth, but overturned the deficit in the away game to win 2-1 on the day (2-2 on aggregate).
Present day
The 2017 season will provide Team Taranaki an opportunity to once again compete in the prestigious Central League competition against some of the best club teams in New Zealand. The Board of Team Taranaki are confident that a combination of unanimous support from the 13 member clubs in the region, the opportunity to utilise the profile of Yarrows Stadium as their home venue and the retention of key resources within the coaching and playing structure will enable the concept to continue to thrive.
Players 2016 Season
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.