Southern United Women
Wikipedia - Southern United FC
Southern United, previously known as Otago United, was a semi-professional football club based in Dunedin, New Zealand. Founded in 2004, they play their home games at the Logan Park and Forsyth Barr Stadium. It is the southernmost football club playing in a top division league in the world.
History
Southern United was formed in 2004 as Otago United, competing in the New Zealand Football Championship. Based in Dunedin, Southern United, the sole representative from its federation, was one of eight teams competing in the league at the time. The club had 21 feeder clubs and 4 associations from within the geographic area from Timaru south to Invercargill.
Lutz Pfannenstiel, the only player to play professionally on every FIFA continent, once called Otago United home.
In the inaugural season, Otago United finished second from bottom, but improved to finish fifth out of eight in the next season. However, the club went from bad to worse in the 2006–07 season, finishing in dead last and ending the season being humiliated 8–0 by league winners Waitakere United. The following season was slightly better, finishing in seventh ahead of Canterbury United, despite achieving the record for the fewest goals scored in a season.
The shortened 2008-09 season saw the team secure just two wins (both 2–1 over Canterbury United, home and away) and two draws (3–3 at home vs Waikato and 1–1 away vs Team Wellington). Despite the season been seven games shorter, they still managed to score three more goals than the previous season.
After a good start to the 2011–12 season Otago United lost several key players and slumped to a run of one draw and seven defeats. A 3–3 draw with Waikato in the final game of the season earned them sixth spot on the table. The high points of manager Richard Murray's first year in charge were perhaps the blooding of several promising new young players and the selection of captain Tristan Prattley in the New Zealand national under-23 football team.
The loss of Prattley (to Waitakere United) and New Zealand under-20 international representative Joel Stevens to injury midway through the season severely hampered Otago, and they could only finish in 7th place with just two wins – avoiding the wooden spoon only on goal-difference. In 2020 due to financial constraints they did not field a team. In 2021 due to the national league restructure the club no longer exists.