They haven't got a permanent home and their wind-swept ground on the fringe of the city isn't the prettiest but Tauranga's Old Blues are making all the right noises where it counts - on the pitch.
Far from letting their senior side hog all the headlines, Old Blues' second team got their hands on some silverware of their own on Saturday, winning the CNS Clinic Cup, an FA Cup-style knockout competition played among teams competing in the Bay 1 and 2 leagues.
In front of a subdued crowd at Mt Maunganui's Links Ave, Old Blues downed Tauranga City United's third team 4-1.
City had earlier won the Bay 1 league - Old Blues were third equal - but there was no fairytale finish for the side spurred by the memory of former assistant coach Walter Crosa, who was tragically killed last month.
In fact Crosa's 18-year-old son, Daniel, who had his father's initials shaved on his head, will remember the day for all the wrong reasons after being sent off a few minutes from fulltime for a second yellow card following a second rash tackle.
Several of the Old Blues players involved in the Federation's Northern League promotion tri-series the week previous fronted for the club's second team on Saturday, raising a few eyebrows, although midfielder Reuben Wood, who had a massive influence in both halves down the right flank, shrugged off any criticism.
"I've played a couple of games for the Federation team but this is a strong team anyway, we played good football and I don't think there'd be many that would argue that we didn't deserve it."
Tauranga had an early goal disallowed when Anthony Oliver nudged the ball past Old Blues keeper Alex Bryant but was ruled offside, though their highlights reel, particularly down the attacking end, was sparse. Wood steered home his side's opening goal on the half hour when Tim Clarke's free kick from outside the penalty area rose over the defensive wall and looked to be comfortably in the clutches of City United keeper Joe Singleton. But Singelton, who had a horror day between the sticks, inexplicably spilled the ball and Wood swooped in to help himself.
Two minutes later the lead doubled as James Bowkett's corner kick swung on from the right, ducked inside the near post and was parried by Singleton into his own net.
Just when it looked like a simple case of "how many" City hit back, mustering several half-decent shots before a clever Crosa run into the penalty area was converted by player/coach Lance Ranchod.
But two minutes after halftime City's hopes of continuing their comeback were buried, with an unmarked Brendan Clarke heading home before Tim Clarke got on the end of substitute Bobby Barnes' free kick and snuck a shot through Singleton's hands.
Taupo won the CNS Bowl final 4-2 against Opotiki.
Scorers:
Old Blues 4 (Reuben Wood, own goal, Brendan Clarke, Tim Clarke) Tauranga City United 1 (Lance Ranchod). Halftime: 2-1.