- Second New Zealand team is the newest team in the A-League
- The club’s new kit is colored electric blue and black
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The billionaire owner of the A-League’s newest team has vowed to repeat his US ice hockey success in Las Vegas with Auckland FC, which was unveiled as the name of the expansion club along with a bold playing strip.
Bill Foley helped the Vegas Golden Knights become Stanley Cup champions in the National Hockey League within five years of their first game and has backed his ability to bring success to Auckland amid ongoing speculation about the league’s financial viability.
There were mass redundancies at the A-League earlier this year, with their media department taking the biggest hit, but officials bowed to pushing ahead with not only the expansion in Auckland, but also a possible team in Canberra.
At the launch of the club’s name and colours, which would see the home kit be electric blue and black, Foley said he wanted to put Auckland on the ‘world stage’.
“What I love about football is that it has an incredible power to inspire everyone, regardless of their age or background,” he said.
Auckland FC are the A-League’s newest team and will join the competition next year, with a vibrant new strip (pictured)
The team launched their new kit and logo on Thursday, with Steve Corica (pictured right) as the team’s first coach
‘We have a track record of building successful professional sports teams and, as in Las Vegas, I saw a unique opportunity to bring a new A-League football club with big ambitions to Auckland and onto the world stage.’
The club aims to represent Auckland and uses blue – the city’s traditional color – as the primary hue in the team logo.
The design also features an ‘A’ for Auckland, which also gives a nod to the city’s skyline and the volcanic island of Rangitoto.
The Knight crosshairs in the logo are a link to billionaire founder Bill Foley and his Black Knight Football Group.
The new club will be coached by A-League title winner Steve Corica, who has promised his team, which has no players yet, will play entertaining football.
“I look forward to building the club from the ground up, building a strong attacking team known for their entertaining style of football, and recruiting some of the best talent to grow with the club.” , he said.
The new club’s emblem features the letter ‘A’, a nod to the city and its skyline
“We will be making some exciting player announcements starting in June 2024.”
The name Auckland FC was chosen from a shortlist that included Auckland Volcanoes and Black Knights FC, and the club will play home games at Mount Smart Stadium, which is also used by the Warriors in the NRL.