The new club is the result of an unprecedented merger between two long-standing Timaru football clubs, West End AFC and Timaru City AFC.
Co-president Aaron Collins said talks of a potential merger began as early as 2023.
"A few senior committee members at West End started talking about options and whether something like this could be achieved.
"Both clubs realised they had good committees that really wanted to push forward football in South Canterbury and take it to the next level.
"But we both knew to achieve that you need a lot more people and a larger base.
"It took probably a year of communication within the clubs and then midway through last year was when things hit a head.
"Both clubs took the proposal to its members and each club voted and passed it.
"From there we came together and started working and progressing things to create the club as a whole."
"Once you pull the resources together, it gives you a lot more scope to provide more opportunities for all our players, especially our juniors, youth and women.
"The clubs individually had been strong in terms of their junior grades but what had lacked from both clubs was that youth and women space.
"We knew that the clubs as they were would struggle to do that individually and we want to give them the opportunity to succeed at a much higher level than just locally.
"We knew that with a bigger organisation and having more players to draw on we could achieve that, especially with the support from a larger committee member base.
"That’s why I think we’ve come together and it’s worked out so well. The goals have always been forefront in our mind to be able to progress."
Co-president Aaron Donaldson said it had been great to see those passionate about the the two clubs get behind the merger.
"You’ve got Timaru City which has been around for 57 years and West End which has been around for a lot longer [since 1948]. You’ve got stalwarts of both clubs that have been invested and are passionate.
"When you start talking about the progression of football and what you’re trying to achieve, it was very clear early on that we would have that support.
"When we went to vote, the votes showed such a strong indication to progress forward. It wasn’t like 51%, it was evident that this is what our members wanted.
"We made sure that we spoke to those life members because they had committed to these clubs and they were immediately the ones who thought it was a good idea.
"You put a lot of weight on that. People had their concerns but the initial response made the commitment to doing it so much easier."
The co-presidents said some of the other focuses the club had were around being family friendly, providing coaching upskilling opportunities and encouraging young players with programmes like First Kicks, Fantails fun football and skill academies.
Another strong focus they highlighted was around encouraging past members and supporters of the original clubs to stay connected by registering as non-playing members.
"We’re building on top of what they’ve laid down and we want them to still be part of it.
"We don’t want them to just walk away because they’re no longer involved as players or in official capacity.
"We’d love to see a lot more of them down here watching games or at social occasions.
"We have the option for life membership or for a non-playing supporter. We encourage all our ex-players to register just so we can keep in touch and they can follow what’s going on with the club."
Mr Collins said the new club name and crest were chosen to show the unity of the two founding clubs coming together and to be welcoming to any future sports code that wished to find a home within the club.
"The two stars are for the founding clubs, in the centre of this is the TU, indicating the merging of two clubs.
"The lighthouse shows Timaru United as place of safety for our members, built on a solid footing with light beams expressing the importance of the past and also shinning a light to the future as a guide for our members in their sporting and social journey."
The Caledonian Grounds in South St will be used as the club’s home ground and West End Park will still be used for training and other fixtures.
Mr Donaldson said they were all looking forward to the new season.
"There’s a real buzz, which is something that we haven’t really felt for a wee while.
"That’s an encouraging sign that everyone’s supporting and buying into the new club."
Anyone wishing to register or be involved with the club at any level can do so via the Timaru United Sports Club Facebook page or by visiting the club’s website.
