Metro FC (New Zealand)

Metro F.C. is a New Zealand association football club, based in Auckland, that will compete in the Lotto Sport Italia NRFL Division 1 for the 2020 season, after winning promotion from Lotto Sport Italia NRFL Division 2 during the 2019 season.

Metro F.C.
Founded1899
GroundPhyllis Street Reserve,
Mt Albert, Auckland, New Zealand
Capacity3000 500 + seated
Chairman Ants Owens
Manager Nathan Christie
LeagueNRFL Division 1
2019NRFL Division 2, 2nd (promoted)

The club was known as Metro College until the 1980s. They were members of the former top premier New Zealand football league the New Zealand National Soccer League which ended in 2004 to give way to the New Zealand Football Championship. The senior team is led by Nathan Christie;– an experienced coach both as a head coach and assistant coach, Nathan Christie took over in the 2018 season after the club was relegated to Lotto Sport Italia NRFL Division 2 after the 2017 season. The club has a good history of playing at one of the two top level football leagues in New Zealand after the New Zealand Football Championship, they have also won one of the top leagues in New Zealand football the Northern League in the 1998 season and also managing to set a record of scoring the most goals in any match of the top New Zealand football national cup the Chatham Cup demolishing Norwest 21–0.

History

Metro was formed in 1899 as the Tabernacle-Metropolitan Club by parishioners of the local Baptist Church, and claims to Auckland's second-oldest existing club after North Shore United (which was founded in 1898). The club shortened its name to Metropolitan in 1921. Following amalgamation with College United in 1929 it changed its name to Metro College; the name was finally shortened to Metro in 1986.[1]

The club's home ground is Phyllis Street Reserve in Mount Albert, Auckland, where it has been based since 1950.[2]

Metro jointly hold the record for the largest ever victory in any stage of the Chatham Cup. In 1991, they demolished Norwest 21–0, a record since equalled in 2005 by Central United (coincidentally also against Norwest). Metro have twice reached the semi-finals of the cup, in 1946 and 1998, but have yet to play in a final.

Major Honours

Season(s) Achievement
1946 Semi-finals of the 1946 Chatham Cup
1971 Northern League Division Two, 1st Winners
1987 Northern League Division One Knockout, Winners
1994 Northern League Division One, 1st Winners
1996 National Superclub & Northern Superclub championship, Winners
1998 Northern League, 1st Winners

Semi-finals of 1998 Chatham Cup

1999 North Island Soccer League, 6th placed
2000 New Zealand National Soccer League, 10th placed
2001 New Zealand National Soccer League, 10th placed

Current Players

2019 Current NRFL Squad Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
23 GK  NZL Sean Dowling
1 GK  NZL David Koloamatangi
2 DF  NZL Aaron Dormer
3 DF  ESP Victor Espasandin
4 MF  IND Aidan Misquita
5 DF  ENG Craig Squires
6 MF  NZL Flynn Letford
7 FW  AFG WALID!!! Omar
8 DF  NZL Zyon Smith
9 FW  ESP Mario Aroca
10 MF  NZL Oliver Moxham
11 DF  CHN Josh Chemis
12 DF  NZL Ben Robinson
13 DF  IND Daniel Pinto
14 DF  NZL Louee Cliffe
15 FW  NZL Bad Bathburns
16 MF  ENG Alex Cochran
17 MF  NZL Ian Sellar
18 DF  URU Pablo Yackson

Current coaching staff

As of 1 February 2020.
Position Name Nationality
Manager Nathan Christie  NZ/Maori
Coach John Cunningham  New Zealand
Coach Bhupinder Singh  Indian
Coach Craig Squires  England
Reserve Team Coach Tim Ragg  New Zealand
Special Assistant Matt Brunton  New Zealand
Physio Connor O'Driscoll  Ireland
Physio Donald Tse  China
Metro Mt Albert Sports Club President Ross Sanford  New Zealand
Metro FC Chairman Ants Owens  England

Youth team & Academy

Metro F.C. are known for their strong youth teams and organised academy system; The club's U-19 team had seen them reaching the Finals of the 2009 Auckland Football Federation U-19 tournament qualifications only to lose 2–1 to Mangere United U-19 team for a place at the top football national youth tournament in New Zealand the 2009 Napier National U-19 Championships where they had secured 2nd place and had qualified for the tournament then later going on to reach the semi-finals of the 2009 Napier National U-19 Championship Satellite(2nd tier).

References

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