Central League

It could have been. The men's side of the club is non-existent and the after matches show this. Perhaps starting lower down would be easier to attract players and more teams at a more social level to get players and money through the club for a slow rebuild rather than relying on a single top level side. If you cannot attract players at Central League level it is going to get harder at Prem Level and Cap 1 level, not easier. So what will change going into year two? They will be struglling to fill a Cap Prem side with no reserves or player depth. So yeah I may have made a different decision. 

Maybe you would've, but you've got a far, far better chance of attracting players to the club if you're playing Cap Prem/Cap 1 than Cap 5. The men's side of the club is almost completely dead, you're right, but killing off any competitive men's football isn't how I'd go about a rebuild. Its not like the clubrooms is the only thing that makes a club.

They have far, far more time to recruit to Cap Prem than they did to Central League, that's the obvious thing that's changed, but also they don't need to be at quite as high as standard, so a bigger pool of players to pick from.

The money is an interesting point and I'm not involved with Wellington United so can't comment on club finances other than to say they appear to have plenty for the women's game.

I think staying in Central League is what they refer to as a "no brainer" and any other decision would've been ridiculous.

The Phoenix show no respect for the local leagues. Never have. But just because someone is worse doesn't make it OK for someone else.  Don't agree with the dig at North Wellington or Olympic.

They clearly don't have to respect the league, because they aren't. But they should and I don't really know why you would need an explanation on this. The Central League is the top division in the region. There are mandated requirements to fit the league, standard of ground, ball boys, filming of games, social media updates, coaching qualification minimums etc all of this comes at a cost. 

But is the argument here is that a start of a season, when you know you have a team that is not capable of competing at probably the top 3 divisions in the region that it is ok to take a spot away from someone like Havelock who came in last season worked so hard and almost survived and have gone back to the local league and are 13 from 13? Clearly they can, and did...and have embarrassed themselves and not moved forward at all. 

Ridiculous is putting out a team of players that just turn up at Central League level.

I'm talking about re-building a club, not an elite program. You need players to do that so building from the bottom up makes more sense. Recruitment is all about attracting players, no one in the region is going to want to go there now. Why would you? With the influx of academies taking away much of the talented youth players the "larger pool" of players just doesn't exist anymore.

Why would you go there now? Well, if you think you're a Cap Prem player and aren't getting a look in at your club, there's a whole new team looking to be filled with Cap Prem quality players. One of the nicest home grounds in Wellington helps as well. Maybe they keep losing again next year, but they're more likely to be competitive next year than they were this year, which again makes it easier to attract players.

They clearly have aspirations to remain a Central League club, so giving away a Central League spot would be antithetical to that. If they go to Cap 5, its a minimum of 7 seasons before they're playing Central League again. Maybe it will be that much longer anyway but you've got a better chance of developing players to the standard required if they're playing Cap Prem/1/2 compared to Cap 5. Build from the bottom as well, its not an either/or situation.

Guess we can't really know until we see it play out.

You're talking about respect, there is no respect for the league. The reason I pointed out North Wellington and Olympic and they aren't the only ones, is because for every club its about winning and being in the top grades. 

What is happening with Wellington United looks bad but I'm not sure they saw this happening and really they wanted to have a team in the top grades. 

How about Wairarapa, they haven't lost a professional club backing and are also winless. The difference here is the money walked instead, so without the financial backing, they are bombing out. If it wasn't for United doing worst, would you be talking about their respect for the league? They are averaging 5 goals against a game and only have 2 more goals for than United, which is terrible but is only being overshadowed because of the Nix leaving United in the lurch.

Winning and respect are not mutually exclusive.

Team Taranaki "wanted" to have a team in the top league but knew it was not realistic to try to deliver on what they "wanted" with a pool of players that were not of the standard required, so they made the tough call.

Have you seen Wairarapa and Wellington United play? The difference is that Wairarapa have gone through a similar turbulent summer but are looking to rebuild on the back of the academy with talented young players who are getting exposed a bit early. They will be lucky to survive on the basis of how bad United are and in other years would get relegated for sure,  but will be better for it next year.

I think you're on a hiding to nothing if you want clubs to give up spots in leagues for "respect". Similar to if my job tried to pay me in experience. Its nice in theory but not gonna happen.

I've seen a couple of Rapa and United games and yes, they have approached it differently. Rapa has a bit of a head start though, given they were able to hold onto their academy where United couldn't really. Guess I personally feel that respect and results are closely tied together. I doubt United are going out of their way to "disrespect" anyone and are doing their best with the cards they've been dealt. I'm also sure this season has gone worse than they envisaged when making the decision to stay in Central League.

Team Taranaki is a completely different kettle of fish, no point comparing apples and oranges. Representative side vs club rebuild. Irrelevant.

Your examples don't make sense to me. If I got hired for a job I had no capability to complete, do I have a moral obligation to let my employer know?

The only irrelevant part of the Taranaki example is the rep side part. They had a spot in the League. Im sure if they had an open training they could have got 12 or 13 players along of a quality that would not be competitive. They couldn't however get a squad together that would be able to compete strongly so they took the option of not taking the spot.

Yeah, wasn't overly clear with my job comparison. Its completely unrealistic to expect someone to work for no pay. Just like it is completely unrealistic to expect a side to pull out of a league out of "respect" for the league. That's all I was saying. In theory, it can be a win-win situation but it doesn't tend to happen that way in practicality, in my experience.

Right, but TT don't now have to go away and build a team to compete from scratch, and win 6 promotions to get back to the stage they want to be, they aren't a club. I'm sorry, but I really don't see the parallel, the organisations have completely different goals. One was looking for short term results, the other wants long term sustainability. If TT get relegated then they're no worse off than if they pulled out - they disintegrate and go back to playing for club sides in the Naki - but for Wellington United relegation to Cap Prem is a far, far more desirable outcome than Cap 5. The consquences of withdrawal are completely different, so the withdrawals can't really be compared.

To extend your metaphor - the boss hired me when I could do the job, and circumstances almost entirely out of my control have meant I can't perform up to scratch right now, which my boss is completely aware of. I'm under no obligation to do anything except sit there and accept my paycheck if he's happy with that (and Capital Football don't appear to be making any noise about this).

I agree it would be lovely to have 10 competitive teams in Central League, but don't expect clubs to step out of the way to let that happen if its going to directly negatively impact them cos you're gonna be disappointed most of the time.

Capital Football was deafeningly quiet through this. Which was nothing short of shocking.

I take your points, but ultimately Wellington United were run into the ground and the only way out was to effectively close the club and put the badge on the Phoenix kids. There are players at so many clubs around the region that were turned away from competitive football at the club. This was never going to last and hasn't.  In the time the Nix ran it,  it is clear that nothing has been done to fix the issues that ran them into the ground in the first place. So all this "poor United" sentiment doesn't sit with me. Its a club that barely exists. They didn't even try to get a team together that would be competitive, the coaches were appointed so late and relied on weak trials a few weeks before the season started. That sentiment flows through the team. There were 5 or 6 players just standing on half way in the weekend just waiting to get beat and weren't getting held to account. That's the disrespect, be poor but have something about you. If I was involved I would be embarrassed to have to admit it. The fact its happening at such a historically significant club in the region makes it sadder but doesn't excuse it.

When you look at other Central League Clubs some have had real dark days as part of their history.

Wests, North Wellington and  Stop Out come to mind. If Wellington United have the passionate members that are willing to put in the hard graft then they will be back. 

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I'm told the new committee at WU are doing everything in their power to rebuild the club.

As with CL many clubs hop up and down between Cap Prem and CL, some just take longer to get back

What happened to Rapa, has the Keinzley money dried up?  They were pitching for a national league gig not long ago

Keinzley has walked away from the club which largely explains their struggles this season.

That's not the understanding that I have (in relation to Keinzley I mean) but happy to be corrected if that understanding is wrong.

My understanding is that Keinzley is coaching juniors at the moment and having a year out from seniors but intending to be more directly involved next year in some form

https://www.facebook.com/WellingtonUtd/photos/a.202544283132665/1975322625854813/?type=3&theater

Maybe Stu had to withdraw cos he was red flagged for owing 2 cones & a bib to Olympic?

Awesome highlights, again, from Tim Motu. Napier City Rovers vs Miramar.  Imray with an outrageous, one for the ages, performance 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyBIrJRiJPU&fbclid=IwAR3uH4R_0FnDUGT0kTCGOn7EwSlXqMuEPVBSzWdax3-_bGECUORTRsFuINQ

The 'Mar keeper played a blinder - 3 or 4 point blank saves

I haven't forgotten. I just don't think that United are this blameless entity that we all need to feel sorry for.

The Phoenix takeover was a quick fix to a financial issue, the Phoenix left and then Stu and Kaizan were another quick fix option that rather unsurprisingly fell over as well.

That first red card was embarassing. All he did was give the guy a hug around the head, bit laughable.

I luvvvv choooo

So who was saying United were a blameless entity that you need to feel sorry for? pretty sure United haven't been saying that

United aren't the first and won't be the last club to go through a tough year, what is quite surprising is the vitriol that is coming from a club that has been in a similar position in the past, but then maybe those commenting on here don't remember (or don't want to remember)  what it was like

Olympic beat Rapa 5-3 tonight - Tom Jackson got a hat-trick, money well spent by Olympic?

Depends if you think a 3rd place league finish and a quarter final cup exit is good value for money.

Wests secure title with 15-0 win over Wellington United.

Wow........what a hiding

Well to all at Western Suburbs FC on another  CL tittle . 

Now has won the Central League title more than any other team in its history with 7, Miramar next on 6.

true but your numbers are wrong

Wests have won the Central League 9 times (once as Porirua United) 

Miramar next with 8 titles

Waterside Karori have 6 (4 as Waterside, 2 as WK)

Napier 5

Olympic 3

Are you talking about Central League as from when it was set up, I'm guessing not as Wests have won it only 7 times since it was set up in 1992.

Central League was set up in 1968

In a different format it was, back when it had divisions. The new Central League in its current format was formed in 1992.

no it was formed in 1968, in 1992 they renamed the divisions from 1-3 to Premier, 1 & 2

It stopped running in 1999 with the introduction of the federations

it was revived into its current format (ie one division) in 2005

Is there a play off?

The play off to gain promotion to the Central League is between  Petone & Havelock North.

Sun 8th Sep, 1.00pm, Guthrie Park, Havelock North

Sat 14 Sep, 3.00pm,  Memorial Park, Petone  

Havelock looked sharp in their last league game of the season thumping federation runners up Marist in their local derby.

I do think Havelock might struggle to adapt to the turf at Memorial Park, otherwise it could be a pretty closely contested playoff.

Im wondering if fatigue might be a factor for havelock as i think a few of their players are playing for their respective high schools at nationals this week.