Coastal Spirit FC is an association football club in Christchurch, New Zealand and are a part of Mainland Football's federation. Their Premier Men's team currently competes in the . Their Premier Women's team competes in the Women's South Island League and were the 2013 National Knockout Cup winners.
History Merge Coastal Spirit FC was established through the merger of New Brighton AFC and Rangers AFC in 2007, which was one of the oldest clubs in Christchurch having been founded in 1913. Prior to the merge, New Brighton and Rangers competed in the Mainland Premier League, with New Brighton getting relegated in 2006 and Rangers in 2007.
Earthquake In 2010, the 2010 and 2011 Canterbury earthquakes ruined the home ground of Bexley park and Eric Adam park was not in use anymore, Coastal had to find a new home. Less than 2 kilometres south-west from Bexley park, Cuthberts Green was decided to be the new home ground of Coastal Spirit.
Coastal Spirit SASFC In 2020, Coastal Spirit joined forces with St. Albans Shirley to help provide a pathway for women's youth and senior football. With the women's premier team having an outstanding season, by winning the league (Mainland Premier Women's League) and winning the local cup (Reta Fitzpatrick Cup). With the success of the premier season, 2021 season saw the arrangement expand into the Boys Youth competition. With the women's premier team having another outstanding season, by winning the league (Mainland Premier Women's League), the local cup (Reta Fitzpatrick Cup) and reaching the semi-finals of the delayed national cup (Kate Sheppard Cup) due to COVID-19. Following the end-of-season discussions, its now been agreed that all Girls Youth, Boys CDL Youth and Men's and Women's Premier/Reserves teams will be a joint enterprise between the two clubs for the 2022 season and beyond. The Junior and Social grades will continue to be run by the individual clubs. With the women's premier team having another outstanding season, by winning the league (Mainland Premier Women's League), the local cup (Reta Fitzpatrick Cup) and the winning the inaugural South Island Championships. In 2023, the introduction of Ōtākaro has taken the responsibility of Boys CDL Youth teams away from the 2 clubs. And the women's premier team winning the Women's South Island Qualifying League, runners-up in the local cup (Reta Fitzpatrick Cup) and reaching the semi-finals of the national cup (Kate Sheppard Cup). Throughout this time, the women's premier team have only recorded 2 losses out of 54 league games, over 4 seasons.
Ōtākaro In 2023, 6 clubs on the eastern side of Christchurch merged their Boys Youth teams to provide the players the best possible option for aspirational youth players on the East side of Christchurch. The 6 clubs that helped create the new entity of Ōtākaro FC are, Burwood, Coastal Spirit, Ferrymead Bays, Parklands United, St Albans Shirley and Western. The club has had success in the premier season, with the 13th grade boys winning their league, 14th grade boys winning their league, 15th grade boys coming runners up in their league, and the 17th grade boys coming 5th out of 6th in their league. The 17th grade boys are also competing in the Youth Southern League for qualification to the Youth National League.
Home Grounds Coastal Spirit play their home games at Linfield Park (officially known as Tāne Norton Park), as well as Linwood Rugby FC, a rugby union club in Christchurch. Prior to the move in 2020, Coastal played their home games at Cuthberts Green, but due to poor conditions and not being up to the standards in the recent years, the decision was made to move the club. Throughout the years, Coastal have had many of their home games moved to English Park.
Coastal was originally based at Bexley Park for 4 years. They would occasionally play at Eric Adam Park ((formerly known as Rangers Park), now a subdivision in Bromley) the former home of Rangers AFC, where both Eric Adam Park and Bexley Park got damaged during the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes causing for a relocation. On 19 September 2010, Coastal played Richmond Athletic FC in the second leg promotion playoff tie for promotion to Mainland Premier League at Eric Adam Park, Coastal went on to win the game 3–0. Coastal Spirit won 5–4 on aggregate, this was the fairytale ending to Eric Adam Park.
In the Southern League era, Coastal have played their home games at Tāne Norton Park, generally on Sunday compared to the normal Saturday game, this is because Linwood Rugby have the priority to play games at Tāne Norton Park. On a few occasions when the field is torn up from rugby or its unplayable (not up to standard), the home games have moved to the Artificial turf of English Park. On 6 August 2023, St. Albans Park became a new venue that's hosted a Southern League game, the venue is where St Albans Shirley FC are located, Coastal played Nelson Suburbs where Nelson won the game 2–3.
Season by season record SeasonDivisionLeagueChatham CupTop League ScorerNameGoalsSenior (Men's)2011 Premier 219483132 -1313rdR4 —2012 Premier 2194834277314thR3 —2013 Premier 216692835 -7246thR1 —2014 Premier 2173113750 -13245thR4 —2015 Premier 2193937307304thR4 —2016 Premier 211425402416443rdR3 —2017 Premier 211236412417393rdR3 —2018 Premier 141013351025312nd R3 —2018 Championship 72142114776th2019 Premier 14617352312195th R1 —2019 Championship 741218117133rd2020 Premier 211065482622364th — —2021 Premier 1491426188282nd R3 Mika Rubuka4Senior (Women's)SeasonDivisionLeagueReta Fitzpatrick CupKate Sheppard CupTop League ScorerNameGoals2010 Premier 1914417196246 1st —R2 —2011Premier 15120350113936 2nd 1st 2nd —2012Premier 2018208277556 1st 1stSF —2013Premier 15140153114242 1st 1st —2014Premier 15140169115842 1st 1stSF —2015 Premier 1210115574831 1st 1stSF —2016Premier 181602102178548 2nd R2 —2017Premier 15140163154842 1st 1stQF —2018Premier 1274143142925 1st QF —2019Premier 1210115274531 1st 2nd —2020 Premier 1211106756234 1st 1st — —2021Premier 151500117611145 1st 1stSF ♦ Melanie Cameron Britney-Lee Nicholson31292022Premier 99004343927 1st 1st R3 ♦ Melanie Cameron152022 Championship 3300131129 1st ♦ Isla McPherson42023Qualifying 65104224016 1st SF SF ♦ Britney-lee Nicholson152023South Island 952235122317 3rd ♦ Britney-lee Nicholson152024Qualifying 6321136711 2nd SF R2 Laura Newman42024South Island 1061325141119 3rd Melanie Cameron82025South Island 16110563224133 4th QF R2 ♦ Britney-Lee Nicholson222026South Island 144191227 -1513 5th TBD R1 Saki Nagai Olivia Woollett4
+Promotion PlayoffsSeasonDivisionAggregateAgainstChatham CupSenior (Men's)2009 Promotion Playoffs2011454–5Ferrymead BaysR22010 Promotion Playoffs2101545–4Richmond Athletic FCR2
R1 Round 1 Champions R2 Round 2 Runners-up R3 Round 3 Third Place R4 Round 4 Last Place QF Quarter Final ♦ Top scorer in competition SF Semi Final
2021– (National League) SeasonSouthern LeagueNational LeagueEnglishCupChathamCupNameGoals202173041212096th Did not qualify R1 R3 92022183783443-9166th QF R3 Treye Butler, Michael Hogan 520231810173036-631 3rd SF R2 Omar Cameron 12202418143159174245 2nd 93241820-2117thW SF Alex Steinwascher 3520251814045621+3542 1st10217523−187 11thQF R2 Riku Ichimura 1720261811164536+9344thDid not qualify 2nd R1 10
SeasonLeague LeaguePositionEnglishCupChathamCupNameGoals 2027National League 1 TBD
Honours Men's League Mainland Premier League Runners up (2): 2018, 2021 Third (3): 2011, 2016, 2017 Southern Football League Third (1): 2018 Southern League Runners up (1): 2024 Third (1): 2023 Canterbury Championship League Champions (1): 2026 Canterbury Division 1 Champions (2): 2009, 2010 Cup English Cup Champions (1): 2024 Runners up (3): 2008, 2016, 2018 Chatham Cup Semi Finalist (1): 2024 Other Mainland Football Team of the Year Winners (1): 2024 Hurley Shield Winners (4): 2011, 2017, 2018, 2023 McFarlane Cup Winners (2): 2011, 2024
Women's League Mainland Women's Premier League Champions (12) (Record): 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 Runners up (2): 2011, 2016 South Island Championship Champions (1): 2022 South Island Qualifying League Champions (1): 2023 Runners up (1): 2024 South Island League Third (2): 2023, 2024 Cup Reta Fitzpatrick Cup Champions (10) (Shared Record): 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2020, 2021, 2022 Kate Sheppard Cup Champions (1): 2013 Runners up (2): 2011, 2019 Other Mainland Football Team of the Year Winners (8): 2012, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 McFarlane Cup Winners (7): 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 Hawkey Shield Winners (9): 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
Records Men's Results per opposition Coastal Spirit Men's Southern League record vs all opponents Southern League Opposition Span Played Won Drawn Lost Win% Cashmere Technical 2021–2026 11 3 2 6 16 31 27.3% Christchurch United 2021–2026 11 5 0 6 15 21 45.5% Dunedin City Royals 2021–2026 11 7 2 2 27 15 63.6% FC Twenty 11 2023–2024 4 4 0 0 15 1 100.0% Ferrymead Bays 2022–2026 10 3 1 6 8 21 30.0% Green Island 2021–2023 5 3 0 2 11 11 60.0% Mosgiel 2022 2 1 1 0 7 2 50.0% Nelson Suburbs 2021–2026 11 3 4 4 18 23 27.3% Nomads United 2022–2026 10 7 1 2 26 13 70.0% Northern 2026 2 2 0 0 7 1 100% Otago University 2021 1 1 0 0 3 0 100% Selwyn United 2021–2026 11 8 1 2 39 18 72.7% Universities 2024-2025 4 4 0 0 24 6 100% Wānaka 2025–2026 4 4 0 0 14 2 100% Overall 2021–2026 97 55 12 30 196 165 56.7% National League Opposition Span Played Won Drawn Lost Win% Auckland City 2024-2025 2 0 0 2 1 8 0% Auckland FC Reserves 2025 1 1 0 0 1 0 100% Auckland United 2025 1 0 0 1 0 3 0% Birkenhead United 2024-2025 2 0 0 2 2 4 0% Cashmere Technical 2024 1 0 1 0 3 3 0% Christchurch United 2025 1 0 1 0 0 0 0% Eastern Suburbs 2024 1 1 0 0 2 1 100% Miramar Rangers 2025 1 0 0 1 3 1 0% Napier City Rovers 2024 1 0 0 1 3 1 0% Wellington Olympic 2024-2025 2 0 1 1 1 3 0% 2024-2025 2 1 0 1 3 1 50% Western Springs 2024-2025 2 1 0 1 3 6 50% Western Suburbs 2024-2025 2 1 0 2 5 8 50% Overall 2024-2025 19 5 3 11 23 43 26.3% Total 2021–2024 116 60 15 41 239 208 51.7%Updated to: 30 August 2026 Women's Results per opposition Coastal Spirit Women's Southern League record vs all opponents South Island League Opposition Span Played Won Drawn Lost Win% Cashmere Technical 2022–2026 9 3 1 5 16 20 33.3% Dunedin City Royals 2022–2026 10 2 1 6 10 21 20% Halswell United 2025 2 2 0 0 20 1 100.0% Nelson Suburbs 2023–2026 8 6 1 1 31 4 75% NW United 2025-2026 4 3 0 1 16 5 75% Otago University 2023–2026 7 3 1 3 16 10 42.9% Roslyn-Wakari 2022, 2024-2026 7 6 0 1 27 6 85.7% Univeristy of Canterbury 2023, 2025-2026 6 5 0 1 16 10 83.3% Overall 2022–2026 54 31 4 19 152 77 57.4% South Island League Qualifying Opposition Span Played Won Drawn Lost Win% Cashmere Technical 2022–2024 5 3 1 1 13 7 60% 2023 1 1 0 0 12 0 100.0% Halswell United 2024 1 1 0 0 3 1 100.0% FC Nomads United 2023 1 1 0 0 3 0 100.0% Nelson Suburbs 2023–2024 2 1 1 0 4 2 50.0% Nomads United 2022 3 3 0 0 18 1 100.0% Nomads-Waimakariri United 2024 1 1 0 0 2 0 100.0% Selwyn United 2023–2024 2 2 0 0 26 0 100.0% Universities 2022–2024 5 4 1 0 17 1 80.0% Overall 2022–2024 22 18 3 1 98 11 81.8% Total 2022–2024 76 49 7 20 250 88 64.5%Updated to: 30 August 2026
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