{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2019}} {{Use New Zealand English|date=June 2019}} {{Infobox football club | clubname = Birkenhead United | image = Birkenhead United AFC.png | upright = 1 | fullname = Birkenhead United Association Football Club | nickname = Birko | founded = 1960 | ground = Shepherds Park, Beach Haven, North Shore | capacity = | chrtitle = President | chairman = William Taylor | manager = Paul Hobson | league = Northern League<br>National League | season = 2025 | position = Northern League, 2nd of 12<br>National League, 6th of 11 | current = | pattern_la1 = _whiteborder | pattern_b1 = _redvertical | pattern_ra1 = _whiteborder | leftarm1 = FF0000 | body1 = FFFFFF | rightarm1 = FF0000 | shorts1 = FFFFFF | socks1 = FFFFFF | pattern_la2 = _redborder | pattern_b2 = _redcollar | pattern_ra2 = _redborder | pattern_sh1 = _redbottom | pattern_so1 = | leftarm2 = 333333 | body2 = 333333 | rightarm2 = 333333 | shorts2 = 333333 | socks2 = 333333 | website = https://birkenheadunited.org.nz/ }}
'''Birkenhead United AFC''' is a football club based in Beach Haven, on the North Shore of Auckland, New Zealand. They currently compete in the Northern League.
==Club history== The club was established as Birkenhead in 1960 before it amalgamated with Birkdale in 1963, taking its current name as Birkenhead United.<ref name="history">{{cite web |last1=Ruane |first1=Jeremy |title=Birkenhead United |url=https://www.ultimatenzsoccer.com/Database/id1111.htm |website=The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website |access-date=16 April 2021}}</ref> Since 1965, Birkenhead have mainly played either in Division 1 or Division 2 of the Northern League though they twice early on, made it into Premier Division in 1968 and 1970, only to be relegated again that same year.<ref name="history"/> They also had one of their best early runs in the 1970 Chatham Cup, making it to the 5th round before losing to Eden 1–4.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ruane |first1=Jeremy |title=1970 Chatham Cup |url=https://www.ultimatenzsoccer.com/id215.htm |website=The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website |access-date=16 April 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=New Zealand 1970 |url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesn/nz70.html |website=RSSSF |access-date=16 April 2021}}</ref> They wouldn't repeat that success in the cup again until 2010. Again going down in the 5th round, this time to Glenfield Rovers.<ref>{{cite web |title=2010 Chatham Cup |url=https://www.ultimatenzsoccer.com/NZClubSoccer/201076c.htm |website=The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website |access-date=16 April 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=New Zealand 2009/10 |url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesn/nz2010.html |website=RSSSF |access-date=16 April 2021}}</ref>
Birkenhead started to see more success in the 2010s, with them again making the Premier Division in 2013 and they have stayed there since. They have just missed out on winning the division four times in 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017.<ref name="history"/> The success in the local league was also replicated in the Chatham Cup, where in 2012<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ruane |first1=Jeremy |title=2012 Chatham Cup |url=https://www.ultimatenzsoccer.com/NZClubSoccer/2012784.htm |website=The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website |access-date=16 April 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=New Zealand 2011/12 |url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesn/nz2012.html |website=RSSSF |access-date=16 April 2021}}</ref> and 2013 they made the quarter-finals.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ruane |first1=Jeremy |title=2013 Chatham Cup |url=https://www.ultimatenzsoccer.com/NZClubSoccer/2013797.htm |website=The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website |access-date=16 April 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=New Zealand 2012/13 |url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesn/nz2013.html |website=RSSSF |access-date=16 April 2021}}</ref> 2015 they made the semi-finals, only losing 3–4 on penalties to Napier City Rovers,<ref>{{cite web |title=2015 Chatham Cup |url=https://www.ultimatenzsoccer.com/NZClubSoccer/20157a9.htm |website=The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website |access-date=16 April 2021}}</ref> before they finally won the cup in 2016, beating local rivals Waitakere City 3–2 in extra time.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Voerman |first1=Andrew |title=Birkenhead United survive scare to beat Waitakere City and claim Chatham Cup |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/domestic/84125278/birkenhead-united-survive-scare-to-beat-waitakere-city-and-claim-chatham-cup |access-date=16 April 2021 |work=Stuff |date=11 September 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171208175152/http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/domestic/84125278/birkenhead-united-survive-scare-to-beat-waitakere-city-and-claim-chatham-cup |archive-date=8 December 2017 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Football: Birkenhead claim Chatham Cup |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/football-birkenhead-claim-chatham-cup/UIIG5BGKOHMZCTQ4FBE35GAIJU/ |access-date=16 April 2021 |work=NZ Herald |date=11 September 2016}}</ref> They wouldn't have to wait very long before they won the cup again, when in the 2018 Chatham Cup, they made the finals. This time they were facing Wellington side Western Suburbs and after 120 minutes the score was tied 1–1 before Birkenhead prevailed on penalties 5–4 to claim the cup for a second time in three years.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Voerman |first1=Andrew |title=Birkenhead United win penalty shootout to claim second Chatham Cup in three years |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/domestic/106941624/birkenhead-united-win-penalty-shootout-to-claim-second-chatham-cup-in-three-years |access-date=16 April 2021 |work=Stuff |date=9 September 2018 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Chatham Cup: Birkenhead United beat Western Suburbs in final |url=https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/sport/2018/09/chatham-cup-birkenhead-united-beat-western-suburbs-in-final.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210416041627/https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/sport/2018/09/chatham-cup-birkenhead-united-beat-western-suburbs-in-final.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=16 April 2021 |access-date=16 April 2021 |work=Newshub |date=9 September 2018 |language=en}}</ref> In 2021, the club formed a strategic partnership with Scottish Premiership outfit St Mirren FC, alongside Nelson Suburbs.<ref>{{Cite web|date=29 May 2021|title=Birkenhead United form Strategic Partnership with St Mirren|url=https://birkenheadunited.org.nz/latest-news/birkenhead-united-form-strategic-partnership-with-st-mirren|url-status=live|access-date=9 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210809093019/https://birkenheadunited.org.nz/latest-news/birkenhead-united-form-strategic-partnership-with-st-mirren |archive-date=9 August 2021 }}</ref>
==Season by season record== {{clear}} {| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%; text-align:center;" |- !rowspan=2|Season !rowspan=2|Qualifying league !colspan=9|League !style="background:white" rowspan=8| !colspan=9|New Zealand National League !rowspan=2 width=40px|Chatham<br />Cup !colspan=2|{{abbr|Top scorer|Top scorer in the league}} |- !{{abbr|P|Games played}} !{{abbr|W|Won}} !{{abbr|D|Drawn}} !{{abbr|L|Lost}} !{{abbr|F|Goals for}} !{{abbr|A|Goals against}} !{{abbr|GD|Goal difference}} !{{abbr|Pts|Points}} !width=40px|{{abbr|Pos|Season position}} !{{abbr|P|Games played}} !{{abbr|W|Won}} !{{abbr|D|Drawn}} !{{abbr|L|Lost}} !{{abbr|F|Goals for}} !{{abbr|A|Goals against}} !{{abbr|GD|Goal difference}} !{{abbr|Pts|Points}} !width=40px|{{abbr|Pos|Season position}} !Name !Goals |- !2021<ref name="2021regional">{{cite web |title=2021 Northern League – New Zealand |url=https://int.soccerway.com/national/new-zealand/regional-leagues/2021/northern/r61444/ |access-date=12 April 2021 |archive-date=12 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210412231829/https://int.soccerway.com/national/new-zealand/regional-leagues/2021/northern/r61444/ |url-status=live }}</ref> | rowspan=6|Northern League|| 19 || 10 || 3 || 6 || 50 || 33 ||+17|| '''33''' || 4th||colspan=9|''Cancelled''{{efn|2021 National League season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic in Northern regions.<ref name="NZF-021121">{{cite web |title=National League Championship cancelled, new interregional competition announced and Chatham Cup moved to 2022 |url=https://www.nzfootball.co.nz/newsarticle/109383 |website=New Zealand Football |access-date=13 May 2023 |archive-date=2 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211102074656/https://www.nzfootball.co.nz/newsarticle/109383 |url-status=live }}</ref> Championship played as South Central Series, with the northern clubs missing in the first edition.}}|| R5||style="background:#FFE4B5; text-align:left" |{{flagicon|NZL}} Alex Greive ♦ || 19 |- !2022<ref name="2022regional">{{cite web |title=2022 Northern League – New Zealand |url=https://int.soccerway.com/national/new-zealand/regional-leagues/2022/northern-conference/r66460/ |access-date=4 September 2022 |archive-date=24 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220824071242/https://int.soccerway.com/national/new-zealand/regional-leagues/2022/northern-conference/r66460/ |url-status=live }}</ref> | 22 || 16 || 2 || 4 || 56 || 24 ||+32|| '''50''' ||style="background:silver"| 2nd | 9 || 4 || 2 || 3 || 19 || 17 || +2 || '''14''' || 4th || R5 || style=text-align:left|{{flagicon|NZL}} Cameron MacKenzie || 8 |- !2023<ref name="2023regional">{{cite web |title=2023 Northern League – New Zealand |url=https://int.soccerway.com/national/new-zealand/regional-leagues/2023/northern-conference/r66460/ |access-date=23 August 2023 |archive-date=24 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220824071242/https://int.soccerway.com/national/new-zealand/regional-leagues/2023/northern-conference/r66460/ |url-status=live }}</ref> |22||7||4||11||46||44||+2||'''25'''|| 8th ||colspan=9|''Did not qualify''|| R5 ||align=left|{{flagicon|NZL}} Luke Jorgensen || 9 |- !2024<ref name="2024regional">{{cite web |title=2024 Northern League – New Zealand |url=https://int.soccerway.com/national/new-zealand/regional-leagues/2024/northern-conference/r66460/ |access-date=2 December 2024 }}</ref> | 22 || 13 || 4 || 5 || 54 || 31 ||+23|| '''43''' ||4th | 9 || 6 || 2 || 1 || 23 || 16 || +7 || '''20''' ||style="background:silver"| 2nd|| SF || style=text-align:left|{{flagicon|NZL}} Monty Patterson || 14 |- !2025 |22||12||5||5||55||33||+22||'''41'''|| style="background:silver;"| 2nd |10||5||0||5||20||21||−1||'''15'''||6th|| |QF||style=text-align:left| || |}
{| class="wikitable" |- | style="background:gold"| ||Champions |- | style="background:silver"| ||Runners-up |- | style="background:#e90"| ||Third Place |- | style="background:#FFE4B5; text-align:center"| ♦ ||Top scorer in competition |- |}
{{s-start}} {{s-sports|chat}} {{succession box |title=Winner |before=Eastern Suburbs |after=Onehunga Sports |years=2016 Chatham Cup}} {{succession box |title=Winner |before=Onehunga Sports |after=Napier City Rovers |years=2018 Chatham Cup}} {{s-end}}
==Notes== {{notelist}}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[http://www.birkenheadunited.org.nz/ Club website]
{{Northern League (New Zealand)}} {{Sport in Auckland}}
Category:Association football clubs in Auckland Category:Association football clubs established in 1963 Category:1963 establishments in New Zealand