AUCKLAND –Team Wellington will get an early chance to avenge last season’s 0-2 Grand Final loss to Waitakere United when they kick off the fifth New Zealand Football Championship against the reigning champions at Newtown Park on November 9.
The rematch caps a mouth-watering opening weekend and mirrors last season’s opener which Wellington won 2-1 at Waitakere’s Fred Taylor Park to announce their playoff ambitions.
Canterbury United and YoungHeart Manawatu are the first clubs in action on November 8 with both clubs aiming for a return to the playoffs after each endured a relatively lean 2008-09 season.
Elsewhere, Hawke’s Bay United will be the first to see just what sort of impact Kevin Fallon can make on Waikato FC’s mid-table fortunes, while Auckland City are at home to Otago United as the three-time former champions look to reclaim the crown they lost to their cross town rivals.
Recently retired All White great Ivan Vicelich – the highest profile off-season signing to date – will make his debut as Auckland captain a week before the NZFC begins, in the heat of a November 2nd Auckland derby in the Oceania Champions League.
Auckland welcome Danny Hay’s Waitakere to Kiwitea Street with the two New Zealand clubs pitched in the same O-League pool for the third season running. Port Vila Sharks round out their group.
Like last season, Waitakere juggle three competitions in at least three different countries, with a return to Japan for the 2008 FIFA Club World Cup a pre-Christmas highlight.
But the December excursion means the West Auckland club’s New Year NZFC schedule hots up with a three-game-week to see in 2009 and then five matches in 16 days beginning in late January.
Three NZFC clubs will have new homes this season with YoungHeart returning to Memorial Park while Otago will split home matches between Sunnyvale and the Caledonian.
Waikato will move to a family-friendly Resthills Park pending work to bring aspects of the ground up to NZFC standard.
Meanwhile, the 2008 National Women’s League has been deferred to 2009 with much of the game’s playing and support infrastructure invested in hosting the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in October and November.
For all your New Zealand Football Championship news, fixtures, results and stats please visit www.nzfc.co.nz