The NZFC 2009–10 season is the sixth season of the New Zealand Football Championship competition.

The previous season's champion, Auckland City FC, and premier Waitakere United will also be competing in the 2009–10 O-League which will run alongside the NZFC season.

Changes for 2009/10 Otago United will return to Carisbrook after using Sunnyvale Park as their home ground during the previous season. Waitakere United will now play their home fixtures at Fred Taylor Park.

Team locations

Participating clubs Club Name Home City Stadium 2008-09Placing 2008-09 Notes Auckland City FC Auckland Kiwitea Street 2nd 2008-09 NZFC ChampionQualified for O-League 2009-10 Canterbury United Christchurch English Park 8th 2008-09 NZFC Wooden Spoon Hawke's Bay United Napier Bluewater Stadium 5th Otago United Dunedin Carisbrook 7th Team Wellington Wellington Newtown Park 4th Waikato FC Ngaruawahia Centennial Park 6th Waitakere United Waitakere City Fred Taylor Park 1st 2008-09 PremierQualified for O-League 2009-10 YoungHeart Manawatu Palmerston North Memorial Park 3rd

Canterbury United had initially announced in mid June they would not be competing. However they revoked their decision within two weeks and re-entered the competition. There was also hope from some parties to have a youth/reserve team for Wellington Phoenix FC to participate in the competition. However, the FIFA rules and regulations preventing a professional Australian team from competing in a New Zealand amateur competition meant this was not feasible.

The NZF has looked at including alternative teams in case any of the current eight franchises pull out. In September 2009, a syndicate from North Shore and another from Manukau were approached and asked if they could step in at late notice if one of the eight franchises withdrew."NZFC looks at alternatives as season looms ", New Zealand Herald, 20 September 2009

This season is the final one in the five-year licences for each franchise and NZF are undertaking a major review of their competition structures, including the national league. Significant changes like reverting to a winter league and a club competition complete with promotion/relegation are being considered.

League table

Competition schedule The competition fixtures were announced on 21 September 2009

Round 1

HomeScoreAwayMatch InformationDateVenueReports Otago United0–0 Auckland City FC1 November 2009Carisbrook(Report) Team Wellington0–4 YoungHeart Manawatu1 November 2009Newtown Park(Report) Waikato FC4–2 Hawke's Bay United1 November 2009Centennial Park(Report) Waitakere United1–0 Canterbury United1 November 2009Fred Taylor Park(Report)

Round 2 HomeScoreAwayMatch InformationDateVenueReports Hawke's Bay United2–1 Otago United8 November 2009Bluewater Stadium(Report) Canterbury United2–0 Waikato FC8 November 2009English Park(Report) Team Wellington0–1 Auckland City FC14 November 2009Newtown Park(Report) YoungHeart Manawatu0–1 Waitakere United14 November 2009Memorial Park(Report)

Round 3 HomeScoreAwayMatch InformationDateVenueReports Auckland City FC2–1 Waitakere United22 November 2009Kiwitea Street(Report) Canterbury United1–1 Hawke's Bay United22 November 2009English Park(Report) Team Wellington0–2 Otago United22 November 2009Newtown Park(Report) Waikato FC1–2 YoungHeart Manawatu22 November 2009Centennial Park(Report)

Round 4 HomeScoreAwayMatch InformationDateVenueReports YoungHeart Manawatu0–0 Canterbury United6 December 2009Memorial Park(Report) Hawke's Bay United0–2 Team Wellington6 December 2009Bluewater Stadium(Report) Otago United1–2 Waitakere United6 December 2009Carisbrook(Report) Auckland City FC5–0 Waikato FC25 October 2009Kiwitea Street(Report)

Round 5 HomeScoreAwayMatch InformationDateVenueReports Waikato FC 0–1 Otago United13 December 2009Centennial Park (Report) Waitakere United 2–1 Team Wellington13 December 2009Fred Taylor Park (Report) YoungHeart Manawatu 1–0 Hawke's Bay United13 December 2009Memorial Park (Report) Canterbury United1–3 Auckland City FC21 March 2010Match postponed due to 2009 FIFA Club World CupEnglish Park (Report)

Round 6 HomeScoreAwayMatch InformationDateVenueReports Auckland City FC 1–4 YoungHeart Manawatu2 April 2010Kiwitea Street (Report) Hawke's Bay United2–2 Waitakere United20 December 2009Bluewater Stadium (Report) Otago United1–3 Canterbury United20 December 2009Carisbrook(Report) Team Wellington2–1 Waikato FC20 December 2009Newtown Park(Report)

Round 7 HomeScoreAwayMatch InformationDateVenueReports YoungHeart Manawatu0–3 Otago United9 January 2010Memorial Park(Report) Auckland City FC2–1 Hawke's Bay United10 January 2010Kiwitea Street(Report) Canterbury United1–4 Team Wellington10 January 2010English Park(Report) Waikato FC2–3 Waitakere United10 January 2010Centennial Park(Report)

Round 8 HomeScoreAwayMatch InformationDateVenueReports Auckland City FC5–0 Otago United17 January 2010Kiwitea Street(Report) Canterbury United4–0 Waitakere United17 January 2010English Park(Report) Hawke's Bay United3–0 Waikato FC17 January 2010Bluewater Stadium(Report) YoungHeart Manawatu0–2 Team Wellington17 January 2010Memorial Park(Report)

Round 9 HomeScoreAwayMatch InformationDateVenueReports Waitakere United3–2 YoungHeart Manawatu23 January 2010Fred Taylor Park(Report) Otago United1–0 Hawke's Bay United23 January 2010Carisbrook(Report) Waikato FC1–0 Canterbury United24 January 2010Centennial Park(Report) Auckland City FC3–1 Team Wellington24 January 2010Kiwitea Street(Report)

Round 10 HomeScoreAwayMatch InformationDateVenueReports Waitakere United1–1 Auckland City FC30 January 2010Fred Taylor Park(Report) Hawke's Bay United2–1 Canterbury United6 March 2010Match postponed from 31 January 2010 due to pitch conditionBluewater Stadium(Report) Otago United3–1 Team Wellington31 January 2010Carisbrook(Report) YoungHeart Manawatu2–3 Waikato FC31 January 2010Memorial Park(Report)

Round 11 HomeScoreAwayMatch InformationDateVenueReports Canterbury United6–0 YoungHeart Manawatu7 February 2010English Park(Report) Team Wellington0–1 Hawke's Bay United7 February 2010Newtown Park(Report) Waikato FC1–2 Auckland City FC7 February 2010Centennial Park(Report) Waitakere United4–0 Otago United7 February 2010Fred Taylor Park(Report)

Round 12 HomeScoreAwayMatch InformationDateVenueReports Team Wellington4–3 Waitakere United14 February 2010Newtown Park(Report) Otago United2–2 Waikato FC21 February 2010Carisbrook(Report) Auckland City FC1–1 Canterbury United21 February 2010Kiwitea Street(Report) Hawke's Bay United2–2 YoungHeart Manawatu21 February 2010Bluewater Stadium(Report)

Round 13 HomeScoreAwayMatch InformationDateVenueReports Waikato FC2–3 Team Wellington28 February 2010Centennial Park(Report) Canterbury United2–0 Otago United28 February 2010English Park(Report) Waitakere United4–1 Hawke's Bay United28 February 2010Fred Taylor Park(Report) YoungHeart Manawatu1–1 Auckland City FC28 February 2010Memorial Park(Report)

Round 14 HomeScoreAwayMatch InformationDateVenueReports Otago United1–1 YoungHeart Manawatu13 March 2010Carisbrook(Report) Hawke's Bay United1–6 Auckland City FC14 March 2010Bluewater Stadium(Report) Team Wellington2–1 Canterbury United14 March 2010Porirua Park(Report) Waitakere United4–2 Waikato FC14 March 2010Fred Taylor Park(Report)

Finals

Semi-Finals - First leg HomeScoreAwayMatch InformationDateVenueReports Canterbury United1–2 Auckland City FC4 April 2010English Park(Report) Team Wellington3–2 Waitakere United4 April 2010Newtown Park(Report)

Semi-Finals - Second leg HomeScoreAwayMatch InformationDateVenueReports Waitakere United2–1 Team Wellington10 April 2010Fred Taylor Park(Report) Auckland City FC0–3 Canterbury United11 April 2010Kiwitea Street(Report)

Grand Final HomeScoreAwayMatch InformationDateVenueReports Waitakere United3–1 Canterbury United24 April 2010Fred Taylor Park(Report)

References

External links Official NZFC website