News stories of interest to members and supporters of Friends of Football
When Chris Wood was 14, he was already a big unit. Strong and tall, he had been playing as a junior at Cambridge Football Club, in the Waikato. He was also big on self–belief. He wanted to play senior football … Read More
New Zealand’s Football Ferns will test themselves against the world champions of women’s football when they play the United States at February’s SheBelieves Cup tournament. The four-nation tournament is being staged to provide the participating teams with the chance to … Read More
Two men’s A-League fixtures have been postponed after eight Wellington Phoenix players have tested positive for COVID-19, and their FFA Cup semi-final is likely to also be held over. The virus outbreak has left the Phoenix with only 11 players … Read More
Three saves in a tense penalty shootout have taken 19-year-old goalkeeper Alex Paulsen into club folklore after the Wellington Phoenix reached the semi-finals of the FFA Cup for the first time. Paulsen, making only his second first team start for … Read More
Six stalwarts of Auckland football have been honoured by Central United who have bestowed life memberships on them. They join the list of 19 other honorary life members at the club, recognised for their contributions to the club. They are Colin … Read More
The All Whites will get an excellent opportunity to get used to playing conditions in the Middle East when they play two matches during January’s international window. New Zealand Football have arranged games against Jordan and Uzbekistan, providing Danny Hay’s … Read More
Football’s national administrators plan to give All Whites supporters the chance to see their heroes play on home soil in late 2022 – regardless of whether New Zealand have qualified for the FIFA World Cup Finals. The September international window … Read More
A New Zealand-born midfielder has scored a sensational goal at Everton’s Goodison Park – two minutes after being sent off! The bizarre sequence of events came six minutes into added time of Everton’s 3-2 third-round English FA Youth Cup win … Read More
Between Two Beers is a podcast channel dedicated to sharing rich, insightful and funny stories of previous and current footballers for football enthusiasts in New Zealand. Friends of Football writer Jonno Ross finds out more about the men behind it … Read More
Some high profile coaching appointments are being revealed as Auckland and Waikato clubs prepare for their 2022 seasons. Recent announcements include: Auckland United – José Figueira Figueira (39) (main photo) joins Northern League club United after compiling an impressive coaching … Read More