Canterbury United Dragons
Canterbury United Dragons was a semi-professional football club from Christchurch, New Zealand. The team plays most of its matches at English Park in Christchurch, though they occasionally play in Nelson. The club last played in the ISPS Handa Premiership, the now folded top level of football in New Zealand.
| Full name | Canterbury United Dragons | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Dragons | ||
| Founded | 2002 | ||
| Ground | English Park, Christchurch | ||
| Capacity | 3,000 | ||
| Chairman | Julian Bowden | ||
| Manager | Lee Padmore | ||
| League | ISPS Handa Premiership | ||
| 2019-20 | 10th (regular season) | ||
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History
The club was founded in 2002 as a conglomerate of various Christchurch area clubs, in order to form a strong team to take part in the 2002 New Zealand National Soccer League.[1] In 2004, the league was replaced by the New Zealand Football Championship, run on a regional franchise basis, and Canterbury United became one of the eight competing teams.[2]
In Canterbury United's first season in the New Zealand Football Championship they missed out on the playoffs by four competition points, ultimately finishing fourth.[2] In 2007, the club rebranded themselves as the "Canterbury United Dragons" with a new logo and mascot.[3]
Current squad
- As of 23 January 2021[4]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Club Officials
Coaching and Medical Staff[5]
- Head coach: Lee Padmore
- Assistant coach: Dan Terris
- Goalkeeping coach: Alan Stroud
- Manager: Marcus Beaton
- Strength and conditioning: James Deehan
- Video analysis: Jesse Rawlings
- Sports science: Blair Minton
- Performance/wellbeing: Martin Field Dodgson
- Physiotherapist: James McCormack
- Club doctor: Phil Fletcher
Managers
Danny Halligan (1 July 2006 – 4 February 2008)
Korouch Monsef (5 February 2008 – 30 June 2009)- Keith Braithwaite (1 July 2009 – 30 June 2013)
Sean Devine (1 July 2014[6] – 21 April 2015)[7]- Willy Gerdsen (1 July 2015 – 14 June 2019)[8]
- Lee Padmore (1 July 2019 – Current)
Honours
ASB Phoenix Challenge[9]
- Winners (1): 2012
ASB Premiership Youth League
- Winners (2): 2009–10, 2011–12[10]
Statistics and records
Year-by-year history
| Season | Teams | League Ladder Position | Finals Qualification | Finals Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 10 | 5th | did not qualify | |
| 2003 | 10 | 6th | did not qualify | |
| 2004–05 | 8 | 4th | did not qualify | |
| 2005–06 | 8 | 3rd | Qualified for Playoffs | Runners-up |
| 2006–07 | 8 | 4th | did not qualify | |
| 2007–08 | 8 | 8th | did not qualify | |
| 2008–09 | 8 | 8th | did not qualify | |
| 2009–10 | 8 | 4th | Qualified for Playoffs | Runners-up |
| 2010–11 | 8 | 4th | Qualified for Playoffs | 3rd |
| 2011–12 | 8 | 2nd | Qualified for Playoffs | 3rd |
| 2012–13 | 8 | 3rd | Qualified for Playoffs | 3rd |
| 2013–14 | 8 | 5th | did not qualify | |
| 2014–15 | 9 | 8th | did not qualify | |
| 2015–16 | 8 | 4th | Qualified for Playoffs | 3rd |
| 2016–17 | 10 | 6th | did not qualify | |
| 2017–18 | 10 | 3rd | Qualified for Playoffs | 3rd |
| 2018–19 | 10 | 3rd[11] | Qualified for Playoffs | 3rd |
| 2019–20 | 10 | 10th | No playoffs due to Covid-19[12] |
Season summaries
| Season | Pos | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 5 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 31 | 30 | +1 | 28 |
| 2003 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 34 | 34 | 0 | 26 |
| 2004–05 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 31 | 38 | -7 | 27 |
| 2005–06 | 3 | 13 | 2 | 6 | 36 | 22 | +14 | 41 |
| 2006–07 | 4 | 9 | 4 | 8 | 33 | 30 | +3 | 31 |
| 2007–08 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 15 | 22 | 48 | -26 | 12 |
| 2008–09 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 11 | 32 | -21 | 8 |
| 2009–10 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 23 | 16 | +7 | 18 |
| 2010–11 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 20 | 19 | +1 | 20 |
| 2011–12 | 2 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 38 | 12 | +26 | 29 |
| 2012–13 | 3 | 9 | 1 | 4 | 34 | 19 | +15 | 28 |
| 2013–14 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 22 | 16 | +6 | 22 |
| 2014–15 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 10 | 22 | 32 | -10 | 14 |
| 2015–16 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 28 | 23 | +5 | 26 |
| 2016–17 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 32 | 28 | +4 | 24 |
| 2017–18 | 3 | 11 | 3 | 4 | 35 | 20 | +15 | 36 |
| 2018–19 | 3 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 34 | 29 | +5 | 34 |
| 2019–20 | 10[nb 1] | 2 | 4 | 10 | 19 | 36 | -17 | 10 |
Notes
- Season finished early due to Covid-19[12]
References
- "Canterbury United". The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
- "Canterbury United". The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
- "Tasman United v Canterbury United Programme" (PDF). Tasman United. 8 January 2017. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
- "Men's Premiership squads confirmed". Archived from the original on 12 February 2021. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
- "Mainland Football - CANTERBURY UNITED". www.mainlandfootball.co.nz. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
- "Canterbury skipper backs new Dragons coach". Stuff. 17 May 2014. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
- "Sean Devine departs Canterbury Dragons football coaching job by 'mutual consent'". Stuff. 21 April 2015. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
- "Canterbury United part company with coach Willy Gerdsen". Stuff. 14 June 2019. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
- Smith, Tony (29 November 2012). "Canterbury United upset Phoenix reserves". The Press. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
- Smith, Tony (18 December 2011). "Young Canterbury Dragons praised for win". Stuff. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
- "Canterbury United end regular season ahead of Team Wellington". Stuff. 17 March 2019. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
- "Premiership concluded, Auckland City champions". New Zealand Football. Archived from the original on 4 June 2020. Retrieved 26 October 2020.