- published: 26 Apr 2013
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This page details the history of New Zealand's first professional football club The Football Kingz FC through to their disestablishment in 2004, making way for the creation of the New Zealand Knights as an inaugural participant in the newly established Australian A-League .
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 play-offs 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 another Australian sporting franchise.
Their inaugural coach was OFC Player of the Century and former New Zealand international Wynton Rufer in a player-coach role, with his brother Shane as assistant coach. Playing their inaugural game on the evening of 1 October 1999 at North Harbour Stadium in front of then the largest crowd to watch a club game in New Zealand. The game was played against Carlton FC and even though it resulted in a 0-3 was an enthralling start to the professional era in New Zealand. This first season would end up being the club's most successful, finishing 8th, winning 15 games.