Nelson Suburbs

In 1978 Nelson Suburbs FC joined Central League where it participated for eight years until 1985. In 1996 Nelson Suburbs FC entered the National League. In 1999 Nelson Suburbs FC entered the new South Island league. In 2000, Nelson Suburbs FC entered the Mainland Premier League. It won the competition in 2004, 2005 and 2008. In 2018, Nelson Suburbs FC entered the newly formed Southern Football League, comprising the five best finishers in the Mainland Premier League and the three best finishers in the Southern Premier League. In 2019, Nelson Suburbs FC won the Southern Football League by one point over Mainland Premier League rivals Cashmere Technical Football Club. In 2020, Nelson Suburbs FC launched the Nelson Suburbs Football Academy. In national competition, Nelson Suburbs have yet to reach the final of the Chatham Cup; having reached the semi-finals in 2008, 2018, 2025 and 2026. All campaigns but 2025 ended with loses to eventual champions East Coast Bays 2–1 in 2008, Birkenhead United 2–0 in 2018 and Fencibles United 3–0 in 2026. The team spent one season in the national league in 2000, finishing seventh out of ten teams but withdrawing from the 2001 league for financial reasons. In 2023, Nelson Suburbs FC entered the Women's South Island League and finished in sixth place in its inaugural season, before finishing sixth again in 2024 followed by seventh-place finishes in 2025 and 2026.