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Birkenhead United

Full name	Birkenhead United Association Football Club
Nickname(s)	Birko
Founded	1960
Ground	Shepherds Park, Beach Haven, North Shore
President	William Taylor
Manager	Paul Hobson
League	Northern League National League
2024	Northern League, 4th of 12 National League, 1st of 10
Website	https://birkenheadunited.org.nz/
Home colours Away colours
Current season

Birkenhead United AFC is an amateur football club based in Beach Haven, on the North Shore of Auckland, New Zealand. They currently compete in the Northern League.

Club history

The club was established as Birkenhead in 1960 before it amalgamated with Birkdale in 1963 taking its current name as Birkenhead United.

Present day

Since 1965, Birkenhead have mainly played either in Division 1 or Division 2 of the Northern League though they twice early on, made it into Premier Division in 1968 and 1970, only to be relegated again that same year. They also had one of their best early runs in the 1970 Chatham Cup, making it to the 5th round before losing to Eden 1–4. They wouldn't repeat that success in the cup again until 2010. Again going down in the 5th round, this time to Glenfield Rovers.

Birkenhead started to see more success in the 2010s, with them again making the Premier Division in 2013 and they have stayed there since. They have just missed out on winning the division four times in 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017. The success in the local league was also replicated in the Chatham Cup, where in 2012 and 2013 they made the quarter-finals. 2015 they made the semi-finals, only losing 3–4 on penalties to Napier City Rovers, before they finally won the cup in 2016, beating local rivals Waitakere City 3–2 in extra time. They wouldn't have to wait very long before they won the cup again, when in the 2018 Chatham Cup, they made the finals. This time they were facing Wellington side Western Suburbs and after 120 minutes the score was tied 1–1 before Birkenhead prevailed on penalties 5–4 to claim the cup for a second time in three years.

In 2021, the club formed a strategic partnership with Scottish Premiership outfit, St Mirren FC alongside Nelson Suburbs.

Season by season record

Season	Qualifying league	League										New Zealand National League									Chatham Cup	Top scorer
		P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts	Pos		P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts	Pos		Name	Goals
2021	Northern League	19	10	3	6	50	33	+17	33	4th		Cancelled									R5	Alex Greive ♦	19
2022		22	16	2	4	56	24	+32	50	2nd		9	4	2	3	19	17	+2	14	4th	R5	Cameron MacKenzie	8
2023		22	7	4	11	46	44	+2	25	8th		Did not qualify									R5	Luke Jorgensen	9
2024		22	13	4	5	54	31	+23	43	4th		9	6	2	1	23	16	+7	20	1st	SF	Monty Patterson	14

Notes

1. 2021 National League season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic in Northern regions. Championship played as South Central Series, with the northern clubs missing in the first edition.
2. Finished first in the league but lost the Grand Final.

References

1. ^ Ruane, Jeremy. "Birkenhead United". The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
2. Ruane, Jeremy. "1970 Chatham Cup". The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
3. "New Zealand 1970". RSSSF. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
4. "2010 Chatham Cup". The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
5. "New Zealand 2009/10". RSSSF. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
6. Ruane, Jeremy. "2012 Chatham Cup". The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
7. "New Zealand 2011/12". RSSSF. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
8. Ruane, Jeremy. "2013 Chatham Cup". The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
9. "New Zealand 2012/13". RSSSF. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
10. "2015 Chatham Cup". The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
11. Voerman, Andrew (11 September 2016). "Birkenhead United survive scare to beat Waitakere City and claim Chatham Cup". Stuff. Archived from the original on 8 December 2017. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
12. "Football: Birkenhead claim Chatham Cup". NZ Herald. 11 September 2016. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
13. Voerman, Andrew (9 September 2018). "Birkenhead United win penalty shootout to claim second Chatham Cup in three years". Stuff. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
14. "Chatham Cup: Birkenhead United beat Western Suburbs in final". Newshub. 9 September 2018. Archived from the original on 16 April 2021. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
15. "Birkenhead United form Strategic Partnership with St Mirren". 29 May 2021. Archived from the original on 9 August 2021. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
16. "2021 Northern League – New Zealand". Archived from the original on 12 April 2021. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
17. "National League Championship cancelled, new interregional competition announced and Chatham Cup moved to 2022". New Zealand Football. Archived from the original on 2 November 2021. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
18. "2022 Northern League – New Zealand". Archived from the original on 24 August 2022. Retrieved 4 September 2022.
19. "2023 Northern League – New Zealand". Archived from the original on 24 August 2022. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
20. "2024 Northern League – New Zealand". Retrieved 2 December 2024.

External links

• Club website

v t e Northern League
Seasons	1965→2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Clubs	2024 clubs Auckland City Auckland United Bay Olympic Birkenhead United East Coast Bays Eastern Suburbs Hamilton Wanderers Manurewa Melville United Tauranga City West Coast Rangers Western Springs *Former clubs Manukau United North Shore United Northern Rovers Takapuna Waiheke United
*From 2021 season onwards (following league restructure)

• Association football clubs in Auckland
• Association football clubs established in 1963
• 1963 establishments in New Zealand