The 2020–21 New Zealand Football Championship season (currently known as the ISPS Handa Men's Premiership for sponsorship reasons) was the seventeenth and final season of the NZFC since its establishment in 2004. Eight teams compete in the competition with Auckland City and Team Wellington representing the ISPS Handa Men's Premiership in the 2021 OFC Champions League after Auckland City finished Premiers, with Team Wellington finishing regular season runners-up in the 2019–20 competition, after the remainder of the competition was cancelled mid-March due to the COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand. The change from ten teams to eight teams was due to Tasman United and Southern United joining Canterbury United to form a united South Island team, playing under the Canterbury United name. Auckland City won the league with a game in hand, taking top spot for their 12th premiership.
Clubs Team Location Stadium Capacity Manager Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsorAuckland City Auckland Kiwitea Street 3,250 José Figueira Dynasty Sport Vuksich & Borich, Trillian Trust IncCanterbury United Christchurch English Park 9,000 Lee Padmore Nike McDonald'sEastern Suburbs Auckland Madills Farm 1,000 Tony ReadingsLilywhites Winger MotorsHamilton Wanderers Hamilton Porritt Stadium 5,000 Kale Herbert Dynasty SportThe Soccer ShopHawke's Bay United Napier Bluewater Stadium 5,000 Chris Greatholder Bill Robertson Adidas Thirsty WhaleTeam Wellington Wellington David Farrington Park 2,250 Scott HalesNike Stonewood HomesWaitakere United Auckland Seddon Fields 1,000 Chris Milicich Lotto Sport Italia Triumph MotorcyclesWellington Phoenix Lower Hutt Fraser Park 750 Paul Temple Adidas Huawei
Regular season
League table
Positions by round
Fixtures and results The season was scheduled to be played on a home and away basis between 14 November 2020 and 28 February 2021, with the finals series being played in March 2021. On 27 February 2021 it was announced that the game between Hawkes Bay United and Eastern Suburbs for Round 14 had been delayed because of a COVID-19 outbreak that resulted in the Auckland region moving to Level 3 and the rest of the country changing to Level 2. New Zealand Football announced that the game was to be rescheduled to be played as a midweek fixture sometime between 8–12 March but is dependent on the Alert Levels coming down. It was also announced that if the restrictions in Auckland remained, then the game would be cancelled and classed as a draw with both clubs sharing the points. If that was to happen, then the final top four teams for the semi-finals would be Auckland City, Team Wellington, Hamilton Wanderers and Waitakere United. This potentially could cause more issues, as two of the teams (Auckland City and Waitakere United) are based in the Auckland region so was also advised that in the event that the restrictions where still in place when the semi-finals where due to be played, then the competition would proceed to a straight final to be played between the two clubs that where top of the league at the end of the season. This would then see Auckland City and Team Wellington play the final, scheduled to be played on 21 March. With the restrictions in Auckland being lowered, the game was rescheduled and played on Wednesday 10 March 2021. The result of the game decided on who finished fourth and faced Auckland City for the second Semi-final.
Results table
All times are in New Zealand Time.
Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
Round 4
Round 5
Round 6
Round 7
Round 8
Round 9
Round 10
Round 11
Round 12
Round 13
Round 14
Finals series
Semi-finals
Grand final
GK 24 Cameron Brown DF 14 Jordan Vale DF 3 Adam Mitchell DF 6 Brian Kaltak DF 23 Alfie Rogers MF 2 Mario Ilich MF 7 Cameron Howieson (c) MF 16 Yousif Al-Kalisy FW 10 Dylan Manickum FW 20 Emiliano Tade FW 22 Mohamed Awad Substitutes:GK 18 Conor Tracey DF 17 Andrew Blake DF 4 Mario Bilen DF 12 Sam Brotherton MF 8 Albert Riera FW 11 Kayne Vincent FW 13 Deandre Vollenhoven Manager: José Figueira GK 22 Zac Jones DF 14 Jack-Henry Sinclair DF 2 Justin Gulley DF 4 Taylor Schrijvers DF 6 Scott Midgley DF 23 Rory McKeown MF 5 Ollie Whyte MF 11 Mario Barcia (c) MF 12 Andy Bevin FW 8 Sam Mason-Smith FW 9 Hamish Watson Substitutes:GK 1 Scott Basalaj DF 15 Jake Williams MF 13 Sam Dewar MF 19 Haris Zeb MF 20 Wan Gatkek FW 7 João Moreira FW 10 Nathanael Hailemariam Manager: Scott Hales Steve Sumner Trophy: Andy Bevin
Statistics
Top scorers RankPlayerClubGoals1Derek TiekuHamilton Wanderers12Hamish Watson†Team Wellington3Logan RogersonAuckland City8Sam Mason-SmithTeam Wellington5Riley BidoisWellington Phoenix Reserves6Garbhan CoughlanCanterbury UnitedRyan FeutzEastern SuburbsAlex GreiveWaitakere United9Jorge AkersHawke's Bay United5Andy BevinTeam WellingtonGerard GarrigaWaitakere UnitedDylan ManickumAuckland CityAdam ThurstonEastern Suburbs † Due to reaching 12 goals in less games, Hamish Watson was awarded the Golden Boot at the Grand finals.
Hat-tricks Round Player For Against Result Date 10 Hamish Watson Team Wellington Waitakere United 3–4 30 January 2021 10 Ryan Feutz Eastern Suburbs Wellington Phoenix Reserves 8–0 31 January 202112 Hamish Watson Team Wellington Eastern Suburbs 7–0 13 February 202112 Derek Tieku Hamilton Wanderers Waitakere United 3–2 14 February 202114 Sam Mason-Smith Team Wellington Hamilton Wanderers 3–2 27 February 202114 Garbhan Coughlan Canterbury United Wellington Phoenix Reserves 5–1 27 February 2021
Own goals RoundPlayerClubAgainst 2 Shuiab Khan Waitakere United Wellington Phoenix Reserves 7 Finn Surman Wellington Phoenix Reserves Canterbury United 8 Joseph Harris Hamilton Wanderers Auckland City 9 Adam Mitchell Auckland City Eastern Suburbs 9 Finn Surman Wellington Phoenix Reserves Team Wellington
References
External links ISPS Handa Men's Premiership website