ISPS Handa Premiership

Thanks for sharing,  

The obvious talking point the promotion-relegation four-yearly cycle.  Although I didn't have the brain compacity to truly understand it.  I'm going to go out on a limb and say I don't mind it as a concept.  One of my pet hates is clubs that have a couple of good seasons and start screaming National League without any track record of consistency or sustainability.  Ensuring the clubs that do get promited are sound and viable is key to the longevity of the competition.  

Main points 

* Summer Football stays

* Two rounds everyone play each other, 3rd round split in to Top 6 \ Bottom 4 (ala Scotland)

* Pro \ relegation introduced but only every 4 years! - worked out on previous 3 years performances (a little bit like Argentina)

* each region (and the Weenix) have a protected spot

* Clubs and Franchises (as in current NL teams) can co-exist

* No Youth League

* Clubs to either operate a 2nd team in a regional league or have an agreed player development program

* aim to get to 30 NL games a year

Based on the last 3 years if they had this pro \ rel system in pace the following would have happened

Teams (that have finished in the "Relegation Zone" (total points over last 3 seasons)

Hawkes Bay United (68)

Waitakere United (66)

Southern United (57)

Tasman United (54)

Weenix (48)

Hamilton Wanderers (36)

So Hamilton would be relegated

How the promotion would work I really have no idea (and not sure NZF do either!) 

I must say, I think most of the ideas are actually going to improve the league.

It would be good for NZF to simplify (for us lacking enough brain power to truly understand them) the rules about relegation.

Also, what is the mixed franchise/clubs model going to look like? Does it mean, for example, that Three Kings could play in the NL? What would happen to Auckland city in that case - as, IIRC, a lot of their players come from there...

I like the idea of high performing clubs being given a shot at the big leagues - I just have a hard time envisioning how that would work (including how do we keep clubs safe from a financial point of view, as we don't want clubs going bust when getting relegated)?

on first glance it seems like not the worst piece of work. Not revolutionary but not full of holes either.

Am I missing something?
How can pro/rel work if each region has a “protected” slot - especially for the regions who only have one NL club (franchise)? 

How does Chatham Cup fit in? Can franchises play in it now, if clubs can be promoted to the National League?

like the Weenix They don't get relegated - the team that will be relegated is the next closest - so you could actually get a scenario where Weenix finish bottom, Soiuthern United 2nd bottom so the 3rd bottom team over 3 years would be relegated!

And if that was Canterbury (a franchise) they would just disappear because they won’t play in the msinland premier league. 

In which case those franchise entities would not likely ever get back. In CHCH case the only club likely to have the $ to take on NL costs would be Chch(Russia) united. Completely destroy concept of a cantab rep team in the NL. 

Also, no quota for youth players = a league for recycled journeymen players. 

Seems to focus on creatingating a financially unviable league for journeyman players who are not good enough to play offshore, so that football tragics can have football in summer, but other than that, looks good. 

NZF should just wakup, we will never have a professional league, trying to have one is a fantasy of epic proportions, and we should focus on what gets our best best youth on the best pathway for good international leagues.

i'm hoping someone can tell me that this scenario can not happen

- it's season 4

- team not doing so great for the last 3 seasons is coming 6th this season

- team needs 3 wins to be safe

- team has a better chance of achieving this outside of the top 6

- team throws last game of the season to ensure they are in the bottom 4

I can't understand NZF endorsing an extended competition when the present shorter one is financially unsustainable for most of the participants.  There are plenty of rumours around about some of the teams and their finances.  Hawkes Bay have not had their AGM becoause they are 'too busy'. - be interesting to see there latest accounts

I agree

The thing that is most interesting about this whole thing for me is that it's obviously been determined that this is affordable

They did do cost analysis didn't they?

It's just been announced that Three Kings are forming a new partnership with Onehunga Sports - called Auckland United - for player development purposes, with WPSS running their youth programme. The announcement didn't say anything about a possible National League bid (which OneSports have previously been interested in) but...

The way I understood it is that, for example, Southern United could only be relegated if they were replaced by another Football South-affiliated club.

Which of course will never happen. The Otago and Southland clubs have been whinging for years about costs to play 7 matches in the South Island league, which has run for the last 2 years. #squattingonalicence

Slightly off topic but Three Kings United and Onehunga Sports have just announced a merger now known as Auckland United FC.

So it will be an Auckland United vs Auckland City derby similar to the city of Manchester.

https://twitter.com/Onehunga_Sports/status/1190059777881075712

I predict in 4 years time it will all change again and that the promotion and relegation never happens in the format outlined.  4 years is a long time.

So what your asking for in this scenario is that Canterbury united are immune from relegation if they mathematically come last over a four year period.  So they can keep the concept?  Why?  If the concept works they will be successfull enough to avoid relegation one would hope.  

Squatting on licence? Are you for real? Given Southern have been top half for the last two seasons, they're doing more than enough. 

Sorry otagolad, I didn’t express the irony well enough at all. Squatting on a Licence really only applies to the weenix. But any club having a rough run that in reality would disappear if relegated is a problem with the league structure. The point is NZF are trying to play both games - a more open system where clubs that aspire to NL have an opportunity; and giving all feds representation in the league. But the system will I reckon see the end of the city/region representative team. It’s just that I don’t see a way how it can work in a one franchise city like Dndn or Chch because the reality of another entity (in all likelihood a single club) stepping up is unlikely (more so in Dunners) and probably not what the football supporters of either city want. So what happens if no other club steps up? Other regions will begin to complain, I’ll wager. 

just don't mention the previous 8 seasons......

Good to have the Handy back on to compliment all the other football going on around the world at the moment.

Only had a brief look at the changes that will be implemented by NZF, but looks highly promising. Interesting to see how it plays out. Promotion/Relegation is enticing, albeit a little bit of an odd system. Good to see the season will be expanded too, although clubs with financial constraints/limitations might have a hard time absorbing all the extra costs, and not to mention with the possibility of relegation sending clubs over the financial precipice too.

Results from today.

Southern United 4 - 0 Tasman United

Waitakere United 3 - 1 WeeNix

Hawkes Bay United 2 - 3 Auckland City

Team Wellington take on Hamilton Wanderers and defending champions Eastern Suburbs host Canterbury United tomorrow afternoon to round off week 1.

https://oceaniafootballcenter.home.blog/

Bevan hat trick for ACFC

ISPS Handa Premiership Preview

https://oceaniafootballcenter.home.blog/2019/11/01...

No Youth League, not the greatest news and a 'cap' to be implement of the number of games ISPS Handa Premier players are allowed to play in the 'winter season' (around 12) - will be interesting to see how the latter goes down if it goes ahead..

two of the better ideas in my opinion.

Could you please expand on that; I'm genuinely interested in WHY you think these are good ideas.

Pretty good metrics though...

Sure - it's an Auckland slanted view however.

Youth league for Auckland is just an excuse for clubs to poach talent from other clubs - it's a poor comp, not long enough to tick any boxes for development - however if they do go ahead and overlap the seasons and make the Handa a longer comp there will be less players playing both regional leagues and national league.  If you use Suburbs as an example it should mean they put out a different team for NRFL and ideally it's those players who were doing youth league who play a lot of NRFL minutes which is better for their development than the current league.

Completely left-field idea...

...but what would be the obstacles in the way of NZF if they were to partner with the likes of mycujoo.tv or similar to allow free streams of Handy games?
I don't have Skype (like many others) and can only go to about 60% of TW games. I'm sure there are many others like me and the ability to stream online would enable us (and potentially others around the world) to watch more Handy games.

Genuinely curious, especially since clubs have to pay for Sky to show their games. This could be free/cheaper and increase the number of viewers many-fold.

I'm overseas,  is there anywhere I can see highlights?  or has Sky got it all locked down? 

player welfare?  It's not great to have players playing back to back seasons for year on year.

In Auckland players will play National League for the competition and then play NRFL (sometimes even Div 1) for the cash - removing the ability (eventually) for players to do both should see them choose National League if the product is good enough.

Phoenix have highlights of their game up:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GCxyHYM3pk

Freekick at 0:55 is just bad refereeing.

Sutton looks decent.

Can't see any other highlights at this stage - as expect, nothing on Sky's on demand platform.

there was something but you have to be a sky subscriber to get it

the have some game highlights on Sky. The level doesn't see to high yet.