Waitakere wis a NZF awards

Waitakere United was last night named as New Zealand Football ‘Team of the Year’ at the Annual Awards Dinner held in Auckland.

Waitakere was rewarded for a stellar season that included winning the NZFC Minor Premiership and going on to win the O-League in a pulsating home and away final over Ba (Fiji).

Other nominees were the NZ U20 World Cup team and Auckland City.

Waitakere United Executive Chairman Rex Dawkins was a proud man.

“This is a great honour for the club and one we are grateful to New Zealand Football for bestowing upon us. It is an award that can truly be accepted on behalf of everyone associated with the club. From the players, their partners and families to our staff, volunteers, coaches and management, sponsors, commercial partners - all deserve their share of this award.”

Dawkins acknowledged the region the club is proud to represent in accepting the award.

“We are about the city of Waitakere and the community out West. The award will be talked about with pride when our players and coaching staff visit schools and clubs in the region spreading the word about this great game. This is for our 12 member clubs too.”

Waitakere will use the presentation of the award as further motivation to represent New Zealand and Oceania with pride at the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup in Japan. The 23 player squad is expected to be announced in the next few days and the team travels to Japan in early December to play Iranian side Sepahan. As well as that there is the juicy prospect of a local derby with Auckland City in the NZFC on Sunday at McLeod Rd in Henderson.

Photographer Honoured

Waitakere was further recognized when club photographer Shane Wenzlick had his work recognized with the Photographer of the Year award in the media section at the Annual Dinner. Shane is a regular sight sideline at all Waitakere United matches and major football events and deserves his recognition from New Zealand Football.