Kingz and the NSL 1999–2004 Football Kingz FC (promoted as "Auckland Kingz" within Australia) joined the
Australian
National Soccer League in 1999 and proceeded to play in the last five seasons of the NSL, failing to qualify for the playoffs in every season. The club was originally to use the spelling of "Kings", however this was changed to the Kingz after receiving legal threats from the
Sydney Kings basketball franchise.
Restructuring Football Kingz into New Zealand Knights The Football Kingz brand was disestablished in 2004 and was restructured into the New Zealand Knights as a new franchise for Australia's new national football competition called the
A-League.
Market research carried out by the club, to determine the viability of a new identity for the team, indicated that 76% of respondents were in favour of a name change. When that research was focused on those aged 35 and under, the percentage in favour of a change rose to 90%. Further to that, the name of "Knights" were polled best of all names suggested in the survey, a clear 30% higher than any other option. The former
Football Kingz FC General manager Guy Hedderwick was promoted to the role of New Zealand Knights chief executive officer. Alongside him Football Kingz and Waitakere City Chairman, Anthony Lee, became the New Zealand Knights Chairman in the restructuring. Initially Anthony Lee had invested into the New Zealand Knights, with his company's (Total Football Ltd) 20% shareholding second only to majority owner Brian Katzen's Octagon Sport (later included Maurice Cox as partner) with 60%. The other shareholders were Sky Television (5%), Chris Turner (10%), and New Zealand Soccer (non-cash 5%). The only major sponsor the club had was retailer Zero's New Zealand (Sub Sandwiches). They agreed to a deal with the Knights over the first three seasons in a six figure deal as a sleeve sponsor. New Zealand Knights was confirmed as one of the eight founding teams in the
A-League.
Paul Nevin was confirmed as manager a month later, having worked as caretaker manager since the position was vacated by Adshead. In late October 2006, as a result of low crowd attendance at
North Harbour Stadium in
Auckland and continual poor on-field performances, rumours began to circulate that
Football Federation Australia (FFA) was considering the possibility of revoking the Knights'
A-League licence and granting it to a new team that would be set to enter the competition in the
2007–08 season. On 15 November, nearing the end of the transfer window, the board and management decided to relieve Paul Nevin of his coaching duties due to a string of poor performances. On 13 December 2006, strong rumours resurfaced that the FFA was considering the revocation of the Knights' licence to compete in the A-League. It quickly became clear that, with five weeks remaining in the current season, the FFA fully intended to reclaim the licence from the Knights. The FFA had continued to express angst at low attendance numbers, poor on-field performance and the lack of domestically developed players. Late on 14 December, the FFA announced that it had revoked the competition licence held by the Knights' owners. An arrangement with NZ Soccer would see the national body step in to manage the club for the remaining five weeks of the regular season, with former
All Whites player
Ricki Herbert to fill the role of head coach. Effectively, the Knights dissolved on 21 January, when the final match of the season was played against
Perth Glory FC. On 19 March 2007 after several delays,
Wellington Phoenix was selected as the successor to the New Zealand Knights.
A-League Seasonal Results ==Stadium==