Welcome To
Northern Rovers FC
Established in 2020
The amalgamation of Forrest Hill Milford United and Glenfield Rovers, Go The Mighty Rovers!
Eastern Suburbs AFC, Northern Rovers FC and Fencibles AFC are pleased to announce the appointment of Darren Bazeley to the role of Technical Director.
Following on from the established resource sharing agreement between Fencibles AFC and Eastern Suburbs AFC the two clubs have been working collectively with the newly formed Northern Rovers FC (Forrest Hill Milford United and Glenfield Rovers) This new initiative now allows the clubs to bring on board someone of Darren’s ability which will be pivotal in enhancing the delivery of football across the three clubs.
“This is another great example where clubs individually could not afford someone of Darren’s skillset so by sharing this resource across our partnered clubs, we can collectively bring on board one of New Zealand’s best footballing talents. For our members to have direct access with the All Whites assistant coach and NZ U20 national coach is very exciting”
Aaron Carson – FUAFC Chairman
“We are extremely excited to be part of this partnership with Fencibles United and Northern Rovers and gaining access to someone of Darren’s experience and capabilities is exciting for all involved. As a club we have been extremely fortunate in the last few years to have access to some great coaches for players and coaching staff alike to benefit from and the appointment of Darren is another opportunity for the club to continue the work that has been done in recent years and continue to drive the club forward”
Simon Hilton – ESAFC Chairman
“Darren will be working closely with each club in many areas however supporting the successful implementation of the clubs playing philosophy’s along with the development of effective cultures and standards are pivotal areas of focus. He will also be working closely with each of the clubs DOF’s to support the development and delivery of their programmes to their players and coaches.
Northern Rovers FC ’s purpose is to provide the environment, culture and pathways necessary to enable our players and coaches to achieve their full potential in our sport. We believe this starts with securing the best coaching talent in the land and Darren brings the expertise and experience necessary to develop Northern Rovers into a mecca for coaches on the Shore. We are delighted to be able to share Darren’s rare talent with Eastern Suburbs and Fencibles and we look forward to further developing our relationship with these clubs in the future.”
Adrian Pickstock – Northern Rovers FC
Darren has an extensive footballing background both as a player and a coach. He was lured back to New Zealand from his coaching role at the Newcastle Jets and previous to that he was coaching at the Colorado Rapids in the MLS.
He has been involved in 72 New Zealand international games, coached at 5 World Cups with the U17 and U20 national teams and he holds a UEFA A License.
Darren has also recently been appointed the new All Whites assistant coach and the NZ U20 national coach.
“It’s exciting to be back working here in NZ, I’ve been really impressed with the ambition and direction that Eastern Suburbs, Fencibles and Northern Rovers are looking to take, with Club and Player Development at the forefront. The people in charge of driving these clubs forward really do have the best interests of Football here in NZ in mind. After 3 years personally being away it feels like there has been a great mindset change to how football looks here and I’m excited to be working with these clubs helping them achieve what they want to.”
Darren Bazeley
Northern Regional Football are supportive of this initiative in the club space that aims to deliver a high-quality long-term sustainable experience for club members.
“NRF is fully supportive of clubs engaging in collaborative solutions to football development. In this instance a shared role across the clubs involved which looks to align processes and structures while also building capability in each club is a great outcome for the game.
In recruiting Darren for the role, the clubs now have access to someone who has obvious football pedigree, understands the Auckland landscape and will no doubt contribute a great deal to the game on and off the field.”
Steven Upfold – Northern Region Football – General Manager
“The formation of Northern Rovers is the dawn of an exciting new era for football on Auckland’s North Shore. The region has always been a hotbed of talent, so with the pooled resources and club capability that Northern Rovers has at its disposal, players will have every opportunity to truly realise their potential. Clubs with a clear and strong development pathway for the serious coach and player, are critical in allowing the highest levels of the game in New Zealand to thrive.”
“The Members of Glenfield Rovers AFC and Forrest Hill Milford United have supported an attractive proposal to amalgamate and provide one stronger sustainable Club that can support all levels of football in the surrounding Wairau area. As a Federation, we are excited and very supportive of this innovative step to build a new Club for the current and next generations of players, coaches and supporters. Our congratulations to both Clubs.”
"This is an exciting time for football on the North Shore! Two strong clubs becoming one, with goals of delivering better football for more members and at a higher level. Northern Rovers will be a force to be reckoned with, building on our great facilities, powerful culture and top results. Our long history will be the foundation of our plan, which sets us up for success, long-term. A huge thanks to our members for having their say and voting, it shows that the culture is strong in our membership. A thanks to Adrian and the team and Forrest Hill Milford, for working hard on this and a great outcome. A thanks to the federation for their support, the council and local boards for their support, and finally the football community for their support."
“We are naturally delighted with the outcome of Monday’s vote. We now have the opportunity to turn two good clubs into a football power-house on the North Shore - a club that can provide our players and coaches the opportunity and pathways to perform to the best of their ability in the sport they love and the chance to develop something that will be around for our grandchildren to enjoy. I’d like to thank our members for their support during this process and to thank the FHM Board for their efforts in getting the amalgamation over the line. I’d also like to thank Cole and his team for the manner in which they engaged with the FHM team - it was a pleasure to work with them and I look forward to working together again as we begin to build our new club”
