Diamonds, Zealandia, Hungaria and Wellington City – A Proud History
by Ian Rogers
Ian Rogers is a past Chairman, and Life Member of Wellington United.
Ian has a strong passion for the Club and it's history, and has compiled a brief summation of the Clubs
foundation and it's colourful background so far.
Ian has a strong passion for the Club and it's history, and has compiled a brief summation of the Clubs
foundation and it's colourful background so far.
The modern Wellington United has a colourful and interesting lineage.
Step back through time to 1891 and the origins of a football league competition. The game in colonial New Zealand was still in its infancy – indeed the English Football Association itself was still ratifying some laws, and the founders of the Football League had only kicked off in 1888/89, Preston North End being the inaugural English champions.
In 1891 in New Zealand immigrant enthusiasm had imported the game, but there was no national club championship. The Association Football Challenge Trophy, generally known as the Brown Shield, was donated in 1891 by Mr. Robert Brown, a whisky merchant from Glasgow. It has a unique place in the history of the NZ Football Association as the original inter-association trophy but more significantly the gift was the motivating factor for the inauguration of the Association.
From 1892-1925 the Brown Shield was the premier award in domestic football but on the presentation of The Football Association Trophy the Shield was allocated for competition amongst the "minor' associations of the North Island and is still contested on that basis.
However, the first known provincial championship was launched in Wellington in that year and won by Petone
Wanderers. In 1893, Diamond Football Club was formed. It was at a meeting on 6 December of that year, in the former Wellington Harbour Board building on Queens Wharf that a group of supporters resolved to form a football club – to play rugby. Within a year that raison d’etre changed to soccer. Diamond FC became a senior team in 1895 and won its first title, the Regional Provincial Championship in 1900, then again in 1904/05/06/08 – a powerful sequence.
It was a long time until success again in 1929, when teams such as Hospital, YMCA and Waterside dominated. The mantle was passed variously between them, Petone and the powerful Seatoun sides of the 40s and 50s taking
turns, with cameos from Stop Out and briefly Northern and Railways. Diamond picked up a hat-trick of titles from 1963 to 1965, Miramar Rangers won in 1966 and then the Magyars of Hungaria in 1967.
The face of local soccer was changed permanently in 1968 with the advent of the Central League – the competition that widened the boundaries to the central area of the nation.
In the meantime, Zealandia had been formed of immigrants from The Netherlands in 1954, starting the great Dutch influence. By 1964, Zealandia re-named to Wellington United, and soon after merged with Diamonds – creating WDU.
Hungaria was formed in 1962, and in the words of Bob Minshull “kick started football in Wellington” with a team that is still lauded today. In their own right, Hungaria was a founder member of the Rothmans Soccer League in 1970, but player resources and finances saw a brief merger with Miramar Rangers. However, this did not last but the result was the entity known as Wellington City, who merged firstly with Hungaria in 1973 for a composite entry into the National League. This was also short-lived, both teams going solo again in 1973, before a final and permanent merger in 1979 as Wellington City.
Rothmans National League Formation
In 1970 the National Soccer League was introduced. The winners received The Football
Association Trophy. The inaugural league was won by Blockhouse Bay.
Wellington City and WDU traded places in the Rothmans League in 1976, as City was relegated the
previous year and Diamonds, who had won the Central League in ‘75 stormed through to win the Rothmans Soccer League in 1976 under Ian Johnston. In 1979, Barrie Truman took over as coach and in 1981 WDU captured the title on goal difference from Dunedin City. The title was won again in 1985 proved in a watershed year that featured an entirely New Zealand- born team. In 1986 WDU merged with Wellington City to strengthen its resource base with the occupancy of Newtown Park and the playing base of City’s previous Central League
standing.
For the period of 1970 to 1998, Wellington United retained a presence in the National League with one of its clubs of origin – either Hungaria (1970), Wellington City (1971-75), WDU (1973/74; 76-87) or Wellington United (1988-92; 95-97) a spell matched only by the giants of Christchurch and Mount Wellington.
Wellington United is a club with a successful history of amalgamations of ethnic immigrants who spoke the common language of football, or soccer as some prefer to call it.
Step back through time to 1891 and the origins of a football league competition. The game in colonial New Zealand was still in its infancy – indeed the English Football Association itself was still ratifying some laws, and the founders of the Football League had only kicked off in 1888/89, Preston North End being the inaugural English champions.
In 1891 in New Zealand immigrant enthusiasm had imported the game, but there was no national club championship. The Association Football Challenge Trophy, generally known as the Brown Shield, was donated in 1891 by Mr. Robert Brown, a whisky merchant from Glasgow. It has a unique place in the history of the NZ Football Association as the original inter-association trophy but more significantly the gift was the motivating factor for the inauguration of the Association.
From 1892-1925 the Brown Shield was the premier award in domestic football but on the presentation of The Football Association Trophy the Shield was allocated for competition amongst the "minor' associations of the North Island and is still contested on that basis.
However, the first known provincial championship was launched in Wellington in that year and won by Petone
Wanderers. In 1893, Diamond Football Club was formed. It was at a meeting on 6 December of that year, in the former Wellington Harbour Board building on Queens Wharf that a group of supporters resolved to form a football club – to play rugby. Within a year that raison d’etre changed to soccer. Diamond FC became a senior team in 1895 and won its first title, the Regional Provincial Championship in 1900, then again in 1904/05/06/08 – a powerful sequence.
It was a long time until success again in 1929, when teams such as Hospital, YMCA and Waterside dominated. The mantle was passed variously between them, Petone and the powerful Seatoun sides of the 40s and 50s taking
turns, with cameos from Stop Out and briefly Northern and Railways. Diamond picked up a hat-trick of titles from 1963 to 1965, Miramar Rangers won in 1966 and then the Magyars of Hungaria in 1967.
The face of local soccer was changed permanently in 1968 with the advent of the Central League – the competition that widened the boundaries to the central area of the nation.
In the meantime, Zealandia had been formed of immigrants from The Netherlands in 1954, starting the great Dutch influence. By 1964, Zealandia re-named to Wellington United, and soon after merged with Diamonds – creating WDU.
Hungaria was formed in 1962, and in the words of Bob Minshull “kick started football in Wellington” with a team that is still lauded today. In their own right, Hungaria was a founder member of the Rothmans Soccer League in 1970, but player resources and finances saw a brief merger with Miramar Rangers. However, this did not last but the result was the entity known as Wellington City, who merged firstly with Hungaria in 1973 for a composite entry into the National League. This was also short-lived, both teams going solo again in 1973, before a final and permanent merger in 1979 as Wellington City.
Rothmans National League Formation
In 1970 the National Soccer League was introduced. The winners received The Football
Association Trophy. The inaugural league was won by Blockhouse Bay.
Wellington City and WDU traded places in the Rothmans League in 1976, as City was relegated the
previous year and Diamonds, who had won the Central League in ‘75 stormed through to win the Rothmans Soccer League in 1976 under Ian Johnston. In 1979, Barrie Truman took over as coach and in 1981 WDU captured the title on goal difference from Dunedin City. The title was won again in 1985 proved in a watershed year that featured an entirely New Zealand- born team. In 1986 WDU merged with Wellington City to strengthen its resource base with the occupancy of Newtown Park and the playing base of City’s previous Central League
standing.
For the period of 1970 to 1998, Wellington United retained a presence in the National League with one of its clubs of origin – either Hungaria (1970), Wellington City (1971-75), WDU (1973/74; 76-87) or Wellington United (1988-92; 95-97) a spell matched only by the giants of Christchurch and Mount Wellington.
Wellington United is a club with a successful history of amalgamations of ethnic immigrants who spoke the common language of football, or soccer as some prefer to call it.
