Western Suburbs FC (New Zealand)
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| Full name | Western Suburbs Soccer Club |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Wests |
| Founded | 1906, as Mental Hospital AFC |
| Ground | Endeavour Park, Porirua |
| Manager | Declan Edge |
| League | Central Premier League |
| 2015 | Central Premier League, 3rd |
Western Suburbs (Wests) is an association football club in Porirua, New Zealand. They play their home matches at Endeavour Park in the Porirua suburb of Whitby and compete in the Central Premier League.
Western Suburbs have won the Chatham Cup thrice (1935, 1971, 2006) and the Central Premier League on five occasions (1996, 1998, 2005, 2007, 2009).
Western Suburbs was established in 1906 as Mental Hospital AFC, initially as a recreational outlet for staff at Porirua Mental Hospital, winning the Chatham Cup in 1935, beating Christchurch’s Western 2-0.
In 1956 the name of the club changed to Western Suburbs, reflecting its player base from Porirua and Tawa. Led by Hungarian-born coach Imre Kiss, who had represented New Zealand for one official international in 1967, the club won the Central League First Division title in 1968 and again in 1969, qualifying for the inaugural season of the National League in 1970. That year they lost the Chatham Cup to Blockhouse Bay after a replay, but achieved success for the second time in their history the following year, beating Wellington City 3-2 in the 1971 final.Western Suburbs were relegated from the National League at the end of the 1971 season.
The club name was changed to Porirua United in 1973 when Porirua gained city status. Shortly after, a faction within the club broke away to form rival club Tawa AFC. Porirua United won the Central League title in 1974
At the end of the 1983 season Porirua United and Viard amalgamated to become Porirua Viard United. The women’s team were joint National Champions in 1987, drawing the grand final with Auckland’s Eden. In 1992 Porirua Viard United amalgamated with Mana United, forming Western Suburbs.
The rebirth of Western Suburbs saw a return to the heady days of the late sixties and early seventies. Over the last 10 years, the club won two Central League First Division titles, participated in the North Island League in 1999, finishing 8th. Wests also won the inaugural Capital Federation Championship in 2000.
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