East Coast Bays AFC
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Full name | East Coast Bays Association Football Club | ||
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Nickname(s) | The Mighty Bays | ||
Gegründet | 1959 | ||
Ground | Bay City Park | ||
Capacity | 4,000 | ||
Chairman | Roger Bridge | ||
Head coach | Joseph Hall | ||
League | Northern League | ||
2023 | NRFL Championship, 2nd of 12 (promoted) | ||
Website | Club website | ||
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East Coast Bays is a football club located on Auckland's North Shore. The club competes in the Northern League, the second tier of New Zealand football. The club has won the Chatham Cup[1][2] and the NRFL Premier Division three times.[3]
History
East Coast Bays were founded following a public meeting held at the Progressive Hall (since demolished and replaced by the Bays Club) in October 1958. The committee formed from this meeting entered four junior teams for the start of the 1959 season. As some of the committee members were supporters of Glasgow Rangers, the colours of Royal Blue shirts, white shorts, and royal Blue sox were adopted.[4]
East Coast Bays picked The Maxwell Farm as its ground with the pitch running north to south. The old Progress Hall on the site was adapted to serve as clubrooms.[5]
A senior side was entered the next season and with the opening of the Auckland Harbour Bridge, the area boomed and the club grew in size to more than 1000 juniors in the late seventies and early eighties.[6] Senior sides also grew in numbers and the first team slowly made its way through the leagues, and in 1965 when the Northern League was formed they were invited to compete in the first division.[7][8]
Under coach Alan Yates, the club won promotion to the National League in 1981 but was relegated the following year.[4]
Player numbers continued to grow and Mairangi Bay simply couldn't cope with the numbers even with an additional ground at Windsor Park. This cause a breakaway of a faction of club members to form the Rangitoto club which also saw a decline in the number of junior teams.[citation needed]
Successive administrations lobbied the East Coast Bays Council for more grounds and at the same time new ground criteria for clubs playing in the Northern League Premier Division meant Mairangi Park was no longer suitable for playing top football. This meant that the club spent a couple of seasons using the new ground that was developed behind Rangitoto College.
Land off Anderson's Road originally designated but no longer required for a school was acquired by the council and it was agreed that the club would move there once facilities were built and grounds developed. In 1991 the club moved to its new headquarters at the newly named Bays City Park.[7]
Since then clubroom facilities have been developed, further grounds have been obtained at Ashley Reserve.[9]
Players
First-team squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Season to season
Source:[14]
- ^ Season was voided due to COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand
Honours
League
- Lotto Sport Italia NRFL Premier (3): 1981, 2010, 2013
- US1 Premiership (1): 2009
- NRFL Division 1 (3): 1978, 1989, 2003
Cup
- Chatham Cup (1): 2008
Youth
- U17 National Tournament (1): 2023[15]
Notable players
Tyler Bindon — New Zealand international[16][17]
Lee Jones — New Zealand international
Neil Jones — New Zealand international
Anna Leat — New Zealand international[18]
Sam Malcolmson — New Zealand international
Jacob Spoonley — New Zealand international[19]
Deklan Wynne — New Zealand international[20]
George Suri — Solomon Islands international
Grant Young — South Africa international
References
- ^ Taonga, New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu. "Chatham Cup winners, 1923–2021". teara.govt.nz. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
- ^ "Bays nab the Chatham Cup". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
- ^ "Welcome to East Coast Bays AFC". East Coast Bays AFC. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
- ^ a b "East Coast Bays Football". www.sporty.co.nz. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
- ^ "Bay pioneers honoured". Stuff. 23 August 2011. Archived from the original on 4 August 2012.
- ^ "East Coast Bays Football". www.sporty.co.nz. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
- ^ a b "Champion football club celebrates 50 years". Stuff. 3 July 2009. Archived from the original on 4 July 2009.
- ^ "1965 Northern League". ultimatenzsoccer.com. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
- ^ "Club Venues". East Coast Bays AFC. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
- ^ "East Coast Bays AFC is excited to announce the following signings for the 2023 NRFL Season!!!". 22 February 2023. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
- ^ "East Coast Bays AFC is excited to announce the following signings for the 2023 NRFL Season!!!". 1 March 2023. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
- ^ "East Coast Bays AFC is excited to announce more signings for the 2023 NRFL Season!!!". 14 March 2023. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
- ^ "East Coast Bays AFC is excited to announce more signings for the 2023 NRFL Season!!!". 16 March 2023. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
- ^ "East Coast Bays". ultimatenzsoccer.com. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
- ^ "RESULTS: East Coast Bays claim national U-17 men's title after tense final". friendsoffootballnz.com. 10 December 2023. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
- ^ "Teenager Tyler Bindon lands deal with English League One club Reading!". friendsoffootballnz.com. 8 August 2023. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
- ^ "Tyler Bindon signs with English League 1 club Reading FC". East Coast Bays AFC. 8 August 2023. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
- ^ "'Not quite what I expected' — Leat's modesty after spectacular debut for Aston Villa". friendsoffootballnz.com. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
- ^ "Soccer: Nine All Whites included in 'A' team". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
- ^ "Football: Phoenix pair to miss All Whites tour". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
External links
- Official website
- East Coast Bays A.F.C. on NFF website