Canterbury United Dragons
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| Full name | Canterbury United Football Club | ||
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| Nickname(s) | The Dragons | ||
| Founded | 2002 | ||
| Ground | ASB Football Park, Christchurch | ||
| Capacity | 9,000 | ||
| Chairman | Craig Rhodes | ||
| Manager | Keith Braithwaite | ||
| League | ASB Premiership | ||
| 2009-10 | 2nd | ||
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Canterbury United FC is an association football club from Christchurch, New Zealand. The club plays most of its matches at English Park in Christchurch, though they occasionally play in Nelson. The club competes in the ASB Premiership, the top level of football in New Zealand.
History
The club was founded in 2002 as a conglomerate of various Christchurch area clubs, in order to form a strong team to take part in the 2002 New Zealand National Soccer League. In 2004, the league was replaced by the New Zealand Football Championship, run on a regional franchise basis, and Canterbury United became one of the eight competing teams.
In Canterbury United's first season in the New Zealand Football Championship they missed out on the playoffs by four competition points, ultimately finishing fourth. In 2007, the club rebranded themselves as the "Canterbury United Dragons" with a new logo and mascot.
Final League placings at the end of the regular season:
- 2010-11: 4th (Played 14 Won 6 Drew 2 Lost 6) Lost playoffs semi finals
- 2009-10: 4th (Played 14 Won 5 Drew 3 Lost 6) Lost playoffs grand final
- 2008-09: 8th (Played 14 Won 2 Drew 2 Lost 10) Missed playoffs
- 2007-08: 8th (Played 21 Won 3 Drew 3 Lost 15) Missed playoffs
- 2006-07: 4th (Played 21 Won 9 Drew 4 Lost 8) Missed playoffs
- 2005-06: 3rd (Played 21 Won 13 Drew 2 Lost 6) Lost playoffs grand final
- 2004-05: 4th (Played 21 Won 7 Drew 6 Lost 8) Missed playoffs
Current squad
2011-12 Squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Notable former players
James Bannatyne-----Team Wellington- Jeremy Brockie-----New Zealand Knights, Sydney FC, North Queensland Fury
- Greg Draper-----Wellington Phoenix FC
- Brent Fisher
- Jeff Fleming-----Green Gully, New Zealand Knights
- Sam Jasper-----New Zealand Knights
- Jack Pelter-----Sunderland
- Ben Sigmund-----Auckland City FC, Wellington Phoenix FC
- Michael White-----New Zealand Knights
Jacobo Egüés-----Athletic Club Bilbao Juvenil, Club Deportivo Laudio (Spain)
Stuart Kelly-----Glasgow Rangers FC,South Melbourne FC,Auckland City FC,Khonkaen FC (Thailand)
Non-playing staff
Head Coach
Assistant Coach
- Andy Pitman (Also on playing roster)
Team Manager
- Martin Stewart