ISPS Handa Premiership

Couldn't make the ACFC game today. This commentator is utterly appallingly. Just sounds like some drunk geezer at the pub commentating

Correct about what?

So is Lower Hutt the Wellington Phoenix? or are the Wellington Phoenix and Lower Hutt stand alone? if so, where do Lower Hutt get their players from?

Massive issue with the Wellington Phoenix being given a spot in the National competition. They need to learn to earn!!

That new setup will be better for the strong NRF club teams. but not so good for the regions like Canterbury, Hawkes Bay where the provincial franchise model gets buy in by the local football communities.

Not so sure about. Compare the performances of Napier City Rovers and Hawkes Bay Utd , and Christchurch United (admittedly a way back) and canterbury United. seems to me that the club model has been more successful in those places

I doubt NCR will make the national round. They will get reimbursed a load of travel cash though 

Real shame as it was a fantastic game as well! Have noticed that the Sky Sport Next coverage can be a bit amateurish at times. Nevertheless, it's good that they're covering it. 

Frustrating having to wait a week to find out who makes finals... season end getting delayed which is not good for those allstars games and the beginning of the regional leagues.

Real shame as it was a fantastic game as well! Have noticed that the Sky Sport Next coverage can be a bit amateurish at times. Nevertheless, it's good that they're covering it.

Frustrating having to wait a week to find out who makes finals... season end getting delayed which is not good for those allstars games and the beginning of the regional leagues.

It's not like the regions are being frozen out altogether, Hamilton Wanderers still can very feasibly make the top four in the NRFL Premier, same goes for NCR and top three in Central. Even Nelson Suburbs and a few Dunedin sides can make it through the Southern system.

Gives regions a chance at making the national league, without bearing the financial burden of having to do it every year and operating beyond their financial constraints to try and be competitive (which a lot of Handa Prem sides have done). 

Also I'd be surprised if there wasn't a Canterbury team in the National League every season, given the strength of Cashmere, Christchurch United, etc. and the lack of quality elsewhere in the South Island. 

Terris is talking about Canterbury specifically where he feels the local football community, got behind the provincial team model pretty well. He has doubts about whether will be the same level of local support, for a club team like Cashmere Tech.

And yes he also alludes to local club teams potentially struggling - certainly initially - when facing clubs from the higher quality Northern League. 

Be interesting to know if any players from say Tee Dubs feel the same.

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Terris is talking about Canterbury specifically where he feels the local football community, got behind the provincial team model pretty well. He has doubts about whether will be the same level of local support, for a club team like Cashmere Tech.

And yes he also alludes to local club teams potentially struggling - certainly initially - when facing clubs from the higher quality Northern League. 

Be interesting to know if any players from say Tee Dubs feel the same.

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Ah yep I'm getting what you mean. It's reliant on an increase in support for the clubs because of the systematic changes which I guess isn't a guarantee. What sort of numbers do Cashmere usually get? Honestly I'm not much clued up on supporter numbers around the country in places I haven't lived. 

There will normally be 100-200 (could be more or less, always hard to tell) or so watching a game when we've played there. I think what will be interesting to see at Tech is who out of their 'overseas' players do and don't play each week. There can be 7 or so overseas players on the pitch at a time. They will still be very strong locally, but still only having 4 (+1) overseas players may make it harder on a national stage.

I think personally that there will be interest in how the SI teams go in the National League, but maybe more from 'we aren't that far off' to 'we are miles off' for those teams that don't make it. 

I tend to agree with Dan Terris' thoughts that a regional team seems to work here from a parochial point of view.

Looking forward to the season starting!

To answer this question, both.

Lower Hutt is a/the partner club of the Wellington Phoenix. They will play in the Central League as Lower Hutt and their playing squad will be drawn (primarily) from the Wellington Phoenix Football Academy.

But Lower Hutt will not be able to qualify for the National League Championship. The Wellington Phoenix reserves will play in the National League Championship.

So effectively..The Wellington Phoenix will play in the central league under Lower Hutt. Then the same group of players will play in the National league as the Wellington Phoenix??

Whether they come first or last!!

Yes, as has been the case for the past seven years (kind of).

Phoenix reserves have used the bulk of their partner club CL side, but padded it with a few other (generally ex-academy - this year excepted)  players haven't they?

Will they still have the facility to do that? 

At least that would give additional opportunity to some talented 20-23 yr olds who happen to play for clubs that do not qualify.

From a development POV that would be smart, especially as the Academy CL side typically has a max age of around 19 and is not quite NL level for full depth of squad.

No, usually they have had the ability to drop up to 3 pros from the first team, but obviously this year couldn't use them. This year they did have  couple of Ole kids included in the squad

for the new season whoever a player is registered for at June 30th is who they will can play for for the rest of the season, so I'd assume that the Weenix will have to use whoever is registered for Lower Hutt at that stage (which is their entire academy, so shouldn't be a problem)

You've nailed what I was covering up with (kind of).

I believe they will be stuck with whoever is signed at Lower Hutt City as of June 30 + any professionals dropping down, though this is something I've made enquiries about.

Which is a shame, as being a vehicle that could pick up under-20 players from clubs that didn't make the National League Championship would go a long way to justifying their special treatment.

surely they won't get to play pro drop-downs. The new league needs some integrity

A non issue you'd think.

In the future the A League will be in it's off season, during NL playoffs.

Nix pros not in A League match day squads from 2022 onwards, I guess will get some CL games with Lower Hutt?

You want your non-playing pros to have match time & fitness. Its been used as a path back from injury in the past. Only travel preventing it right now.

NL playoffs each year will be in a Sept-October time slot from memory.

As A League moves to a winter season next year, it will likely be March-September or similar.

And yes you want your fringe or returning injured players to get some football if not required for the first team squad, but from next year it will likely have to be CL.

Good point - i'd forgotten this!

Well a pro can’t play CL

Yeah, I was gonna say this. From memory there's a special dispensation for this in the soon to be dead Handy Prem format for the Phoenix reserves, but once the format's changed that becomes quite a different proposition, especially if they're playing as Lower Hutt?

This is probably part of the reason why it's Lower Hutt, then Wellington Phoenix reserves, not just 'Lower Hutt automatically qualifies for the National League Championship'. 

The regulations (as they stood when first distributed at Christmas) seem to allow for the reserves to operate as they have done up to now when it comes to accessing first-team players. 

Also, the A-League change of season is far from confirmed.

Heard rumours of a mega-merge in Dunedin, with Green Island, Roslyn and Mosgiel looking to join forces. 

Is this the idea of a national league, create a couple of mega-clubs in each city? 

I honestly think it is, and that's been the aim at least since the 90s

And they will then join forces with South Coast United (or whatever they're called) to form an uber-mega club. 

They will call it Southern United.

Those three clubs have come together to form youth teams this winter for a new federation-wide league in Football South.

Then a group of clubs in Christchurch will get together and form Canterbury United.  Full circle.

it's not a merger as such, the clubs will combine to play in the federation and youth leagues as Dunedin Suburbs United

The clubs will still exist in their own right

If they make it into the Southern League or National League they will play under the Roslyn Wakari name

So what happens in the Southern Premier League, are they one team or a their own clubs?

This season they're separate clubs, not sure what happens going forward.

Too many mergers I think would be harmful from a FS perspective as the league really doesn't have many viable teams outside Dunedin. 

I still don't get that bit. They play as separate clubs, then if one gets into the SL or NL, players then transfer to Roslyn? 

A case of crossed wires.

It seems from a post on Roslyn Wakari's FB page, that those three clubs are looking to join forces at senior level in 2022.

That post includes the line "In the South Island League for 2021, if we qualify, we will be competing as Roslyn Wakari AFC" which is just stating the facts of the situation as it is.

ahh that makes more sense - I saw it the other day but couldn't find it when went looking for it again

Unlikely with the transfer deadline before the SL and NL kicks off.