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Former Western Springs coach Scott Hales will take the reins as South Island United’s new head coach for next year’s OFC Pro League.
Hales takes over from Welshman Rob Sherman, who guided the side to a fourth-place finish in the pro league’s inaugural season earlier this year.
The 44-year-old won the Northern League with Western Springs last year and previously won three national titles with Team Wellington. He has also had roles with New Zealand Football and the Wellington Phoenix Academy, and is currently an OFC Pro License candidate.
He said he wanted the team to be proud of the fact they are the South Island’s only professional side.
“We want this team to truly represent the South Island and what it means to be a South Islander: humble, hard-working and tough to the core. Those qualities should be clear in how we play, how we carry ourselves and how we connect with people across the island.”
South Island United chief executive Ryan Edwards said Hales’ success in different local environments was central to his appointment.
“Scott has shown he can build on the success of an established team and develop a club over several seasons into a title winner,” said Edwards.
“That combination, alongside the positive feedback from players who have worked with him, gave us real confidence he was the right person to lead our next chapter.”
Edwards said the club wanted to promote pathways for local coaches to succeed.
“His appointment reflects our belief in the talent within New Zealand football. Just as we are creating opportunities for players with strong South Island connections, we want coaches and staff who have worked their way through the domestic game to see a future here.
"When the right people are already in New Zealand, we do not need to look overseas. We want an ambitious junior, academy or senior team coach to see South Island United as a club where there is a genuine pathway into professional football.
Hales said hard-work on the field and community engagement off the field would be two defining parts of the team’s identity.
“I want us to be a professional team that puts community engagement first. We want people to speak positively about what we do off the pitch just as much as what we achieve on it.”
“That starts with showing up and supporting our community. We have to earn people’s support through the relationships we build and the contribution we make.”
United’s season starts in January with three games in Papua New Guinea. They play Tahiti United on January 24, before PNG Hekari United on the 27th and Bula FC on the 30th.
They will play 14 regular-season matches across four countries before the finals series in the Solomon Islands in May.