The original Waikato Fc (1987)
The original Waikato FC was formed in 1987 and bore no relation whatsoever to the 2004 incorporation later formed to contest the revamped summer national league.
There was huge ferment in Waikato football in 1987, as various parties brooded over the region's absence from the national league since 1982. This was partially fueled by the rapid emergence of Claudelands Rovers - under feisty new coach Roger Wilkinson - as a force to challenge the historic dominance of Hamilton AFC as the region's top club.
In 1987 Waikato FC was established as a privately run company - headed by former Hamilton AFC chairman Terry O'Donnell - which creatively leased Claudelands Rovers northern premier league spot for the season, with the aim of winning the league and returning national league football to the Waikato. (In the previous 1986 season Rovers had re-badged their northern league team as AFC Waikato). The long term plan was for Waikato FC to offer shares to clubs or businesses who wished to invest in a flagship Waikato football team capable of contesting the national league.
While Waikato FC immediately succeeded in winning the 1987 premier league, with home games at Porritt Stadium, when a national league berth became available the NZFA instead offered it to Hamilton AFC, which then reached agreement with Claudelands Rovers on jointly forming a completely distinct new entity, Waikato United, specifically for that purpose.
Waikato FC folded, owing tens of thousands of dollars, and the whole concept of clubs being able to 'lease" their league berths was duly outlawed. And on the player registration front the concept of "feeder clubs" was restricted to national league clubs.
There was huge ferment in Waikato football in 1987, as various parties brooded over the region's absence from the national league since 1982. This was partially fueled by the rapid emergence of Claudelands Rovers - under feisty new coach Roger Wilkinson - as a force to challenge the historic dominance of Hamilton AFC as the region's top club.
In 1987 Waikato FC was established as a privately run company - headed by former Hamilton AFC chairman Terry O'Donnell - which creatively leased Claudelands Rovers northern premier league spot for the season, with the aim of winning the league and returning national league football to the Waikato. (In the previous 1986 season Rovers had re-badged their northern league team as AFC Waikato). The long term plan was for Waikato FC to offer shares to clubs or businesses who wished to invest in a flagship Waikato football team capable of contesting the national league.
While Waikato FC immediately succeeded in winning the 1987 premier league, with home games at Porritt Stadium, when a national league berth became available the NZFA instead offered it to Hamilton AFC, which then reached agreement with Claudelands Rovers on jointly forming a completely distinct new entity, Waikato United, specifically for that purpose.
Waikato FC folded, owing tens of thousands of dollars, and the whole concept of clubs being able to 'lease" their league berths was duly outlawed. And on the player registration front the concept of "feeder clubs" was restricted to national league clubs.
K Market Waikato FC, Northern Premier league winners, 1987. (Caption names incomplete: please contact if you can confirm the details)
Rear, from left: Tommy Taylor (coach), David Grose?, Davy Jones, ..., Gary Dillistone, ..., Lance Bauerfiend, Keith Swansbury?, Darren Melville, ...?
Front: Graham Nobilo, Chris (Taffy) Roberts, Dave Merritt, Marcus Gerbich?, Leighton Edwards, Brian Chisholm?, Neil Morton?
Rear, from left: Tommy Taylor (coach), David Grose?, Davy Jones, ..., Gary Dillistone, ..., Lance Bauerfiend, Keith Swansbury?, Darren Melville, ...?
Front: Graham Nobilo, Chris (Taffy) Roberts, Dave Merritt, Marcus Gerbich?, Leighton Edwards, Brian Chisholm?, Neil Morton?
CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE
The 1987 Waikato FC programme was 16 pages, always printed on pale yellow paper, with ads for major backer, K Market Ltd (Fruit & vege merchants on Kahikatea Drive), Countrywide, Waikato Sports Foundation, Governors Tavern, and Continental Airlines.
The programme featured the club logo of "The Thoroughbreds" on the cover, a clever nod to the rich horse-breeding heritage of the Waikato.
The 1987 Waikato FC programme was 16 pages, always printed on pale yellow paper, with ads for major backer, K Market Ltd (Fruit & vege merchants on Kahikatea Drive), Countrywide, Waikato Sports Foundation, Governors Tavern, and Continental Airlines.
The programme featured the club logo of "The Thoroughbreds" on the cover, a clever nod to the rich horse-breeding heritage of the Waikato.
The back page
The team line-ups were on the back page. As the season progressed Waikato FC displayed its "feeder club" basis by adding the club affiliations of its 18 players. Feeder clubs were Waikato Unicol, Claudelands Rovers, Matamata Swifts and Morrinsville. (Note also the attribution of import Davy Jones as a Chelsea player). The team was initially coached by (former West Ham player) Tommy Taylor and Roger Wilkinson, but Wilkinson soon fell out with Waikato and later in the year superceded Ray Mackintosh at Hamilton AFC, where he laid the foundations for Hamilton and Rovers forming the national league team he was to coach - Waikato United - with many of his future squad coming from the disbanded Waikato FC.
The team line-ups were on the back page. As the season progressed Waikato FC displayed its "feeder club" basis by adding the club affiliations of its 18 players. Feeder clubs were Waikato Unicol, Claudelands Rovers, Matamata Swifts and Morrinsville. (Note also the attribution of import Davy Jones as a Chelsea player). The team was initially coached by (former West Ham player) Tommy Taylor and Roger Wilkinson, but Wilkinson soon fell out with Waikato and later in the year superceded Ray Mackintosh at Hamilton AFC, where he laid the foundations for Hamilton and Rovers forming the national league team he was to coach - Waikato United - with many of his future squad coming from the disbanded Waikato FC.
v Howick, June 14, 1987 Team of the Month
Waikato FC celebrated having been selected as Team of the Month for the Countrymaid Milk League, as the premier league was then called, after registering three wins and a draw.
Waikato FC celebrated having been selected as Team of the Month for the Countrymaid Milk League, as the premier league was then called, after registering three wins and a draw.
v Howick, June 14, 1987: Feeder Club Corner
This article gave a pithy background to two of Waikato FC's feeder clubs, Claudelands Rovers (who later went cold on the relationship and aligned themselves with traditional cross-town rivals Hamilton AFC to battle against Waikato FCs national league bid) and Waikato Unicol. The other fascinating thing about this was that during the early 1980s Unicol and Rovers had been often been bitter northern league rivals, but temporarily found themselves in the same camp.
This article gave a pithy background to two of Waikato FC's feeder clubs, Claudelands Rovers (who later went cold on the relationship and aligned themselves with traditional cross-town rivals Hamilton AFC to battle against Waikato FCs national league bid) and Waikato Unicol. The other fascinating thing about this was that during the early 1980s Unicol and Rovers had been often been bitter northern league rivals, but temporarily found themselves in the same camp.
v Papakura July 5 1987: Gaining Support
Despite its exceptionally radical structure as a limited liability company running a purported "representative team", Waikato FC managed to gain the support of the Waikato Football Association, with WFA chairman Bill Thomas joining the board of directors, alongside Unicol's Tony Wilkinson and Tony Dixon. Incidentally, in this match v Papakura, won 5-1 by Waikato, Unicol player-coach Peter Cooke made his debut for Waikato FC. And while Waikato went on to win the premier league with Cooke's assistance, it was hard to overlook the fact that his Unicol team were at the same time relegated from the second division. In football it's hard to serve two masters.
Despite its exceptionally radical structure as a limited liability company running a purported "representative team", Waikato FC managed to gain the support of the Waikato Football Association, with WFA chairman Bill Thomas joining the board of directors, alongside Unicol's Tony Wilkinson and Tony Dixon. Incidentally, in this match v Papakura, won 5-1 by Waikato, Unicol player-coach Peter Cooke made his debut for Waikato FC. And while Waikato went on to win the premier league with Cooke's assistance, it was hard to overlook the fact that his Unicol team were at the same time relegated from the second division. In football it's hard to serve two masters.
v Papakura July 5 1987: Introducing Tony Dixon
Dixon, a former Hillcrest High teacher and insurance salesman at the time, bravely signed on as a director of Waikato FC and was soon acting as club secretary, and ultimately took over from Terry O'Donnell as executive director. Dixon was later left with a pile of club debts when Waikato FC folded and O'Donnell took up employment offshore.
Dixon, a former Hillcrest High teacher and insurance salesman at the time, bravely signed on as a director of Waikato FC and was soon acting as club secretary, and ultimately took over from Terry O'Donnell as executive director. Dixon was later left with a pile of club debts when Waikato FC folded and O'Donnell took up employment offshore.
v Takapuna August 2, 1987: The Home Run
With six games to go Waikato FC were fourth in the table, but just 3 points off the lead...
With six games to go Waikato FC were fourth in the table, but just 3 points off the lead...
v Hamilton AFC, August 9 1987
A major flashpoint for the season was the home match against Hamilton AFC, who were implacably opposed to everything Waikato FC was trying to do. The teams had drawn 0-0 at Muir Park back in March, but Waikato hammered them 5-0 at Porritt with Keith Swansbury (Waikato's top scorer) and Darren Melville getting two goals apiece, and Dave Merritt one. That result clearly signalled the end of Hamilton's historic dominance of Waikato football, and the pending inauguration of new premier league champions. But it probably also signalled the start of Hamilton's plans to regroup and re-strategise with new alliances forged over the bigger battle to regain national league football.
Whereas Hamiltion AFC was pretty blunt with withering criticisms of Waikato FC's set-up (see Hamilton 1980s page), Waikato executive director Terry O'Donnell (also Hamilton's immediate past president) was more measured and nuanced, as in this column. Elsewhere in this programme he wrote: "Hamilton have been the top club in the Waikato for 25 years and will probably continue to be for another 25 years. (Waikato FC has no pretensions to present itself as a club, only as a team representing its feeder clubs - one of which could be Hamilton."
A major flashpoint for the season was the home match against Hamilton AFC, who were implacably opposed to everything Waikato FC was trying to do. The teams had drawn 0-0 at Muir Park back in March, but Waikato hammered them 5-0 at Porritt with Keith Swansbury (Waikato's top scorer) and Darren Melville getting two goals apiece, and Dave Merritt one. That result clearly signalled the end of Hamilton's historic dominance of Waikato football, and the pending inauguration of new premier league champions. But it probably also signalled the start of Hamilton's plans to regroup and re-strategise with new alliances forged over the bigger battle to regain national league football.
Whereas Hamiltion AFC was pretty blunt with withering criticisms of Waikato FC's set-up (see Hamilton 1980s page), Waikato executive director Terry O'Donnell (also Hamilton's immediate past president) was more measured and nuanced, as in this column. Elsewhere in this programme he wrote: "Hamilton have been the top club in the Waikato for 25 years and will probably continue to be for another 25 years. (Waikato FC has no pretensions to present itself as a club, only as a team representing its feeder clubs - one of which could be Hamilton."
v East Coast Bays, September 9, 1987
Waikato FC clinched the Country Maid Milk Premier league title in their final home match, with a 1-0 win over an East Coast Bays team featuring former Hamilton AFC legend Keith Nelson. In the match programme Terry O'Donnell made some bold predictions that never quite materialised. NB, there was a post-season Top 5 Playoffs with $5000 first prize, with all matches played at Mt Smart, but this was incidental to league honours.
In this final programme - for the season and for the club - Terry O'Donnell offered the following farewell column, announcing his departure overseas (though bizarrely, he was later to return in the early 1990s as coach of the Vanuatu national team).
Both Hamilton AFC and Waikato FC applied for the national league vacancy created at the start of 1988 when Dunedin City withdrew at late notice from the national league. Claudelands Rovers backed the Hamilton AFC application to form the new entity of Waikato United - with Hamilton withdrawing from the northern premier league and Rovers duly reclaiming its "leased' premier league berth from Waikato FC, which then had no league entry and loads of debts.
Under the new Waikato United constitution Hamilton AFC and Claudelands Rovers were to each appoint three directors, with three independent directors also appointed.
And so ended one of the most curious chapters in Waikato football history.
Waikato FC clinched the Country Maid Milk Premier league title in their final home match, with a 1-0 win over an East Coast Bays team featuring former Hamilton AFC legend Keith Nelson. In the match programme Terry O'Donnell made some bold predictions that never quite materialised. NB, there was a post-season Top 5 Playoffs with $5000 first prize, with all matches played at Mt Smart, but this was incidental to league honours.
In this final programme - for the season and for the club - Terry O'Donnell offered the following farewell column, announcing his departure overseas (though bizarrely, he was later to return in the early 1990s as coach of the Vanuatu national team).
Both Hamilton AFC and Waikato FC applied for the national league vacancy created at the start of 1988 when Dunedin City withdrew at late notice from the national league. Claudelands Rovers backed the Hamilton AFC application to form the new entity of Waikato United - with Hamilton withdrawing from the northern premier league and Rovers duly reclaiming its "leased' premier league berth from Waikato FC, which then had no league entry and loads of debts.
Under the new Waikato United constitution Hamilton AFC and Claudelands Rovers were to each appoint three directors, with three independent directors also appointed.
And so ended one of the most curious chapters in Waikato football history.
For further background on Waikato FC, click on the image of Terry O'Donnell for a profile on him, written by Bruce Holloway in 1992.