Manawatu United
 |
|
| Full name | Manawatu United |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | YoungHeart |
| Founded | 2004 |
| Dissolved | 2015 |
| Ground |
Memorial Park Palmerston North, New Zealand |
| Capacity | 8,000 |
| Chairman | Paul Barris |
| Coach | Stu Jacobs |
| League | ASB Youth League |
| 2010–11 | 8th |
Manawatu United (previously known as YoungHeart Manawatu) was a football club based in Palmerston North, New Zealand. It participated in the ASB Youth League the national youth league in New Zealand. Their home ground was Memorial Park.
In 2014, the team was renamed to Manawatu United.
Manawatu United was formed in 2004, under the name YoungHeart Manawatu, to compete in the New Zealand Football Championship (NZFC). Based in Palmerston North, they were the sole franchise in the region.
In the inaugural NZFC season (2004–2005), Manawatu United finished bottom of the league.
However, in 2005–2006 they finished runner-up to champions Auckland City FC at the end of the regular season. In the finals, United lost both their playoff matches and exited early.
The 2006–07 season saw Manawatu United finish second again at the conclusion of the regular season, this time behind Waitakere United. United lost their preliminary final to Auckland and missed out on a spot in the O-League as a result.
2007–08 was a somewhat disappointing campaign given the success of the previous two seasons. Manawatu United finished the regular season placed sixth on the table, well adrift of the playoffs.
A return to the playoffs came in the 2008/09 season, as United finished in third place in the condensed regular season. What followed was an emphatic two-goal victory in the first leg of a two-legged semi-final against Auckland City FC in Palmerston North. In the return leg Auckland used their home advantage equally as well to win 3–0, consigning Manawatu to a 4–3 defeat on aggregate and another missed grand final and O-League appearance. Auckland went on to win the final.
2009–10 was a frustrating season for the Manawatu United faithful as the side finished in sixth place but only two points away from a playoff spot. Perhaps the highlight of the season was an unexpected 4–1 victory over Auckland City at Kiwitea Street.
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