ASB Premiership: Changes Needed Next Season
ASB Premiership: Changes Needed Next Season
Good God! Here in Canterbury we've forgotten that the league is still on and even a lot of dedicated fans have lost all interest, what to speak of there being any chance of building up wider public interest.
Drastically altering the schedule and stretching it out - after the competition had already started - was unforgiveably amateurish.
Canterbury United have had to face the ridiculous situation of not playing any competitive matches between March 11 and April 8, whilst their play-off rivals Auckland, Waitak and Wellington have been active.
The 14 game season has dragged on for 24 weeks since it commenced way back on Oct 22 2011. That's way too long, with too many breaks between matches.
Compare it to the intensity level of other leagues like the EPL or A-League (in fact name any league anywhere in the world) where teams sometimes play three games in eight days-
and the ASB Premiership is a yawn with the intensity level, momentum and public attractiveness of a constipated tortoise.
So, next season, fewer breaks please.
Increasing the number of teams to ten might help by giving teams a worthwhile number of regular season games to play, as long as they were compressed within a shorter time-frame.
The old Rothmans National League in the 70's and 80's had up to 14 teams, although it too started with 8 in 1970. This generated more public interest.
1971-76: 10 teams, 18 games
1977-86: 12 teams, 22 games
1987-92: 14 teams, 26 games
From today's "Press":
BALANCING ACT FOR CANTERBURY UNITED COACH
Tony Smith 5/4/11
...However, the New Zealand premiership is no ordinary competition. It is a 14-match league but because it runs alongside the Oceania Champions League (0-League), it tends to stretch on interminably, taking as long to play as a rookie reader would take to reach the final chapter of War and Peace.
The Dragons have not played a premiership match since March 11. So Braithwaite has to balance an innate desire to cocoon Collett and company with the need to give them match-time before the playoffs.
"It's that balancing act," he explained. "We don't want them to pick up another booking or they'll be out for the playoff game but if we rest them, they won't have played at this level for five weeks.
"We have to look at how we can get 20 minutes or so out of them and then replace them after that.
"It's Catch-22. We haven't decided what we'll do yet."
The four-week hiatus has been a challenge for Braithwaite and his coaching staff in terms of maintaining their players' match fitness.
"The league was supposed to finish three weeks ago, so we had lads booking holidays and [goalkeeper] Adam Highfield got married because when he made his plans, the competition was going to be finished," Braithwaite said.
"We're the only one [of the four playoff teams] who haven't had a game," he said.
Auckland and Waitakere have been playing in the O-League and Team Wellington last weekend won the White Ribbon Cup final against Waikato FC.
The Dragons have tried to fill the void with practice games with Canterbury clubs. However, it is not the same as fronting each week against national league sides.
Welcome to the world of NZF! Footsul is more priority to them at the moment>Blew.22012-04-05 16:11:34
Big Pete - agree and it makes it hard to showcase our premier team.
Blew - your tirade against Futsal is really boring. ASB premiership scheduling is not related to the growth of Futsal FFS. You are blinkered to suggest so. Good on Futsal for bringing new players to the round ball game.
Blew - your tirade against Futsal is really boring. ASB premiership scheduling is not related to the growth of Futsal FFS. You are blinkered to suggest so. Good on Futsal for bringing new players to the round ball game.
Not anti Futsal - just the priority of federation fund use.
on the plus side, at least the league is still going and even though the demands are much less at least we are not losing a team a season like the a-league is...
however, there are glaring weaknesses such as several poorly performing franchises (needs a freshen up), the lack of match action for non-playing squad members, poor playing and training facilities and the world's longest 14-game season
however, there are glaring weaknesses such as several poorly performing franchises (needs a freshen up), the lack of match action for non-playing squad members, poor playing and training facilities and the world's longest 14-game season
I agree we need 10 teams - 1 more from AKL and another regional team should be easily achievable
I agree we need 10 teams - 1 more from AKL and another regional team should be easily achievable
+1
Nelson apparently are right now submitting an entry for next season and have been unhappy for some time at playing second fiddle in the Mainland Football Canterbury United franchise. The mayor of Nelson is a football guy of Italian descent (in my sister's class at school in Nelson).
A record 2500
spectators watched January 2011�s ASB Premiership clash between Canterbury
United and Team Wellington at Trafalgar Park, the highest attendance in the
country that season.
Nelson Mayor Aldo Miccio, who is also on the board of Nelson Bays Football, says he would �help facilitate� Nelson�s inclusion as much as he could. �I don�t think any football person in Nelson would object to it. It�s a pathway for our kids.�
Nelson Mayor Aldo Miccio, who is also on the board of Nelson Bays Football, says he would �help facilitate� Nelson�s inclusion as much as he could. �I don�t think any football person in Nelson would object to it. It�s a pathway for our kids.�
This from another posting on this site:
Posted By: poolmister
Date Posted: 24 Jan 2011 at 4:00am <!-- Message -->If you give a place to Manawatu so they can get less than 200 to a game then yes, Nelson should have a chance.
Manawatu, Hawkes Bay and Otago are watched by 10 people out walking the dogs plus a few seagulls and the odd cat on a fence. That makes at least 150 attending.
Tahuna Park in Dunedin makes Trafalger Park seem like Camp Nou.
See also this thread on expanding ASB Premiership:
Big Pete 652012-04-06 11:51:36
Date Posted: 24 Jan 2011 at 4:00am <!-- Message -->If you give a place to Manawatu so they can get less than 200 to a game then yes, Nelson should have a chance.
Manawatu, Hawkes Bay and Otago are watched by 10 people out walking the dogs plus a few seagulls and the odd cat on a fence. That makes at least 150 attending.
Tahuna Park in Dunedin makes Trafalger Park seem like Camp Nou.
<!-- Message -->Tahuna Park in Dunedin makes Trafalger Park seem like Camp Nou.
But where Otago play most of their games makes Trafalger Park look like Tahuna Park .
Not sure where your get our crowd counts from either, there were more than 150 watch us outclass Canterbury in the Premiership.
<!-- Message -->Tahuna Park in Dunedin makes Trafalger Park seem like Camp Nou.
But where Otago play most of their games makes Trafalger Park look like Tahuna Park .
Not sure where your get our crowd counts from either, there were more than 150 watch us outclass Canterbury in the Premiership.
Not my figures - if you look properly, I was pasting a posting from:
Posted By: poolmister
Date Posted: 24 Jan 2011 at 4:00am
Date Posted: 24 Jan 2011 at 4:00am
Mainly interested in the amusing wording "Manawatu, Hawkes Bay and Otago are watched by 10 people out walking the dogs plus a few seagulls and the odd cat on a fence."
By the way a crowd of "more than 150" in Dunedin is surely something to be embarrassed about rather than a source of pride?
Canterbury United had 550 at the return fixture v Otago 20/2/12 with a highest crowd figure this year of 800 v Waitakere 18/12/11
That's despite crowds being down on some previous NZFC seasons (discounting the earthquake-affected 2010-2011 season when English Park was out of action).
Previous seasons: v Otago, English Park 28/2/10: 755 crowd
vs Auckland semifinal 4/4/10: 1025 crowd
Apologies for the mis-quote.
"By the way a crowd of "more than 150" in Dunedin is surely something to be embarrassed about rather than a source of pride?"
I never said 150 plus was something to be proud, just thjat it was wrong. Sounds like you are pretty proud of 1,000 for a Semi, I'm pretty sure Otago have got close to that for league games.
Otago v Waitak at FB: 950
Otago v HB at Tahuna: 250
Otago v Canterbury at FB: 500
Otago v Waikato at FB: 250
Otago v TW at Cally: 210
Otago v YHM at FB: 500
Otago v Auckland at FB: 250
Those numbers are from the ASB Prem website. Obviously some sort of estimates. So average home attendance = 416. It was 490 for just FB games compared with 230 for non-FB games, so the venue made quite a difference.
Canterbury average home attendance to date = 517.
Compare this with someone like TW, average home attendance to date = 322, and both the SI teams look good.
Otago v HB at Tahuna: 250
Otago v Canterbury at FB: 500
Otago v Waikato at FB: 250
Otago v TW at Cally: 210
Otago v YHM at FB: 500
Otago v Auckland at FB: 250
Those numbers are from the ASB Prem website. Obviously some sort of estimates. So average home attendance = 416. It was 490 for just FB games compared with 230 for non-FB games, so the venue made quite a difference.
Canterbury average home attendance to date = 517.
Compare this with someone like TW, average home attendance to date = 322, and both the SI teams look good.
Rumour: That the O League will run June/July next year and so give NZFC clubs 7 games before Xmas and 7 after without interuption. You heard it here....
Rumour: That the O League will run June/July next year and so give NZFC clubs 7 games before Xmas and 7 after without interuption. You heard it here....
Also heard similar with also an option of 21 rounds for the ASB Premiership.
Rumour: That the O League will run June/July next year and so give NZFC clubs 7 games before Xmas and 7 after without interuption. You heard it here....
Also heard similar with also an option of 21 rounds for the ASB Premiership.
21 rounds would be much better option...
Nelson apparently are�right now�submitting an entry for next season�and have been unhappy for some time at playing second fiddle in the Mainland Football Canterbury United franchise.
�
�
The mayor of Nelson is a football guy of Italian descent (in my sister's class at school in Nelson).
�
�<span has="2">A record 2500
spectators watched January 2011�s ASB Premiership clash between</span> Canterbury
United and Team Wellington at Trafalgar Park, the highest attendance in the
country that season.
Nelson Mayor Aldo Miccio, who is also on the board of Nelson Bays Football, says
he would �help facilitate� Nelson�s inclusion as much as he could. �I don�t
think any football person in Nelson would object to it. It�s a pathway for our
kids.�
spectators watched January 2011�s ASB Premiership clash between</span> Canterbury
United and Team Wellington at Trafalgar Park, the highest attendance in the
country that season.
Nelson Mayor Aldo Miccio, who is also on the board of Nelson Bays Football, says
he would �help facilitate� Nelson�s inclusion as much as he could. �I don�t
think any football person in Nelson would object to it. It�s a pathway for our
kids.�
�
This from another posting on this site:
�
Posted By: poolmister Date Posted: 24 Jan 2011 at 4:00am <table cellSpacing="0" cellPadding="0" width="100%"><t><t><t><t><tr><td><!-- Message -->If you give a place to Manawatu so they can get less than 200 to a game then yes, Nelson should have a chance. Manawatu, Hawkes Bay and Otago are watched by 10 people out walking the dogs plus a few seagulls and the odd cat on a fence. That makes at least 150 attending.Tahuna Park in Dunedin makes Trafalger Park seem like Camp Nou.
�
�
See also this thread on expanding ASB Premiership:
</td></tr></t></t></t></t></table>Thanks for re posting this comment. If you look at the date of my post then I stand by what was posted.
Good atmosphere at that Cant v Well game in Nelson.
I have been to Canterbury v Oatgo games in Dunedin and without the Chch people there, yes every cat must get counted to get 150, 75 max at the last game at Tahuna Park in 2011 and that included those sitting watching from cars, what fans are they?
Mind you same could be mentioned about the last Waitakere vs Waikato game at FTP.
Piss poor numbers [except form waikato fans] at that game as well. Stiil it is Jaffaland and it was a drizzly day. Mind you you can't get them out on a fine day up there.
FTP is not worthy of being an ASB Premiership ground. Pitch is or was crap for the above mentioned game, bare patches and ruts down both sides.
Rumour: That the O League will run June/July next year and so give NZFC clubs 7 games before Xmas and 7 after without interuption. You heard it here....
See very informative article in this morning's Christchurch "Press":
Latest is that they are considering O-League to be held in May- June in future.
One has to ask if NZ football CEO Grant Kavanagh is totally out of touch?
Kavanagh on the O-League: "the problem would be overcome if the schedule was changed to a May-June tournament."
There's no way NZ teams can compete in the O-League in May-June because ASB Premiership teams in effect don't exist after the season finishes in April and players depart for their winter club sides or go overseas. Franchises can't afford to keep teams together just for a handful of O-League games long after the ASB Premiership has finished.
Crazy stuff...
At least NZF CEO Kavanagh openly admits the current ASB Premiership is "dysfunctional"-
As I've previously commented, Canterbury have had to face unacceptable breaks between games this season such as a period of no home games between 26 Feb. and April 8- which is 42 days!!! Could barely remember what the team looked like!
Amazingly the final looks quite possibly to be re-scheduled for the second time this season- originally it was supposed to be April 22, then April 29 and now possibly May 6
That's three different dates over the season!!!
Previously the schedule was altered to accomodate the Olympic qualifying tournie in Taupo and this pushed the final forward to April 29 (which should never have happened as the dates of the Olympic tournament were known well before the ASB draw was made- the original tournie in Fiji had much the same dates);
And now NZF have belatedly realised the ASB Final can't be on April 29 if Auckland are participating since they have an O-League game that day (a possibility also known well in advance).
Just to make sure, in case it gets changed again, anyone know of anything conflicting with a May 6 final?
Canterbury will be disadvantaged if they make the final because of only playing three games in almost two months since the March 11 game against Waitakere:
April 8 v Auckland
April 15 v Waitakere (semi)
April 22 v Waitakere (semi)
May 6 Final
One has to ask if NZ football CEO Grant Kavanagh is totally out of touch? YES
Just to make sure, in case it gets changed again, anyone know of anything conflicting with a May 6 final?
FA Cup Final
Not sure if already posted by someone else. Regarding expansion teams, an announcement will be made on the 30th of April. Got it on my calendar. 
Hopefully Tauranga and Nelson get teams. Yes, Auckland could sustain another team on the North Shore, but fu** that. If your on the Shore get down to Kiwitea St or Fred Taylor Park, no excuses for football fans up there.
Hopefully Tauranga and Nelson get teams. Yes, Auckland could sustain another team on the North Shore, but fu** that. If your on the Shore get down to Kiwitea St or Fred Taylor Park, no excuses for football fans up there.
god help us if those muppets at links ave get there paws on a nzfc franchise 
The O-League in May-June will be a terrible mistake.
The most leagues(Tahiti,Vanuatu,Solomon-Islands,NZ,...) play in the (NZ-)Summer and in New Zealand you can�t keep the whole player in the franchises for only 6 games in 2-3 months.
This have to consider by Kavanagh.
My way(like in Europe/Germany), I don�t know if this is also possible in NZ.
1. The ASB Premiership have to make a expansion to 11-12 teams.
2. A NZ-Cup, like the White-Ribbon-Cup, but for all teams.
3. The Youth-League about the whole season(14-20 games). Then you can create good Youthteams. This is a normal standard in the most of the countrys.
4. The ASB-Premiership Season start in September until Mai
The result is a season with ca. 26 plays for all teams(without Play-Offs and O-League). For Auckland as example 38 games, this is normal for a team, which play international. And the effect is you have better youth-player and the squads with 25-30 player are at long last useful. And another regions in NZ have a ASB-Premiership-Team like Nelson(crowd of 2500). Rugby is Number 1, but with a good football league and a good training for the Youth-Player, New Zealand will play a good role also in football.
The most leagues(Tahiti,Vanuatu,Solomon-Islands,NZ,...) play in the (NZ-)Summer and in New Zealand you can�t keep the whole player in the franchises for only 6 games in 2-3 months.
This have to consider by Kavanagh.
My way(like in Europe/Germany), I don�t know if this is also possible in NZ.
1. The ASB Premiership have to make a expansion to 11-12 teams.
2. A NZ-Cup, like the White-Ribbon-Cup, but for all teams.
3. The Youth-League about the whole season(14-20 games). Then you can create good Youthteams. This is a normal standard in the most of the countrys.
4. The ASB-Premiership Season start in September until Mai
The result is a season with ca. 26 plays for all teams(without Play-Offs and O-League). For Auckland as example 38 games, this is normal for a team, which play international. And the effect is you have better youth-player and the squads with 25-30 player are at long last useful. And another regions in NZ have a ASB-Premiership-Team like Nelson(crowd of 2500). Rugby is Number 1, but with a good football league and a good training for the Youth-Player, New Zealand will play a good role also in football.
I imagine the problem with more games for all the different teams (Youth and Senior) is the added cost on teams that are already struggling financially.
i would like the league to have a few more teams, would be great to have Nelson back in there but.... the standard of the league is dreadful, most decent club teams would easily depose of Manawatu, so would increasing numbers make the league stronger or dilute it even more?
because the league is so poor at the bottom end, increasing the number of teams is actually likely to increase the standard, especially if part of the expansion is in auckland.
sounds counter-intuitive i know, but that's what happens when you have a 'amateur' franchise national league and a fair % of the game's player budget resides in the club-based regional leagues.
reg222012-04-20 12:18:50
sounds counter-intuitive i know, but that's what happens when you have a 'amateur' franchise national league and a fair % of the game's player budget resides in the club-based regional leagues.
reg222012-04-20 12:18:50
Not sure if already posted by someone else. Regarding expansion teams, an announcement will be made on the 30th of April. Got it on my calendar.
Hopefully Tauranga and Nelson get teams. Yes, Auckland could sustain another team on the North Shore, but fu** that. If your on the Shore get down to Kiwitea St or Fred Taylor Park, no excuses for football fans up there.
Hopefully Tauranga and Nelson get teams. Yes, Auckland could sustain another team on the North Shore, but fu** that. If your on the Shore get down to Kiwitea St or Fred Taylor Park, no excuses for football fans up there.
I understand that the 30th of April date will not be met.
In the past travel costs seems to have counted against regional teams staying in national league, ie Gisborne City, Nelson United, Invercargill etc.
Unsure if there will be any increase in numbers with any changes to the existing team likely to depend if they all want to front up again in 2013.
Here is the link to NZ Football site on the process and dates.
I understand that the 30th of April date will not be met.
In the past travel costs seems to have counted against regional teams staying in national league, ie Gisborne City, Nelson United, Invercargill etc.
Unsure if there will be any increase in numbers with any changes to the existing team likely to depend if they all want to front up again in 2013.
Here is the link to NZ Football site on the process and dates.
Correct. Listen to our new podcast to find what Grant McKavanagh has to say about the future of the ASBP and future franchises.
http://yellowfever.podomatic.com/entry/2012-04-23T03_52_17-07_00
http://issuu.com/nelsonweekly/docs/24_april_2012
Nelson bid confirmed
Nelson bid confirmed
NZ Football in the works for a weekly highlights show on SKY Sport.
Repeating myself from the TW thread, but if the point of finishing was a final was TV and media coverage which isn't going to happen now, is there any point in running this not as a proper league??
NZ Football in the works for a weekly highlights show on SKY Sport.
awesome, let's hope it happens. has been promised ever since the original highlights show was canned
I'd rather have one game live per week than highlights imo.
i'd rather have anything, even highlights of one game
I'd rather have one game live per week than highlights imo.
Agreed, plus wouldn't that actually be cheaper and easier because they would only have to get cameras to one game?
Although finding a 2 time slot on sky would be more difficult than a 30 min slot.
Hmmm, I suppose they could have a Saturday or Sunday midday kickoff. Rugby and league don't usually start til 2ish
Reckon live coverage is probably out of the question.