From the Taranaki Daily News today.
Probably a good thing we're away for the first three weeks after all the rain we've had today as well. 😂
Probably a good thing we're away for the first three weeks after all the rain we've had today as well. 😂
For the first time since 1992, a Taranaki football club is back on the national stage with New Plymouth’s FC Western set to play their first Central League match this weekend.
And it’s going to be a tough one. They will travel to Hutt Valley to play the Wellington Phoenix Academy, a side which came fourth in the league last year. While, Team Taranaki, a composite side, spent one season in the Central League in 2017, FC Western is the first club to have a side in the division since New Plymouth Old Boys in 1992.
Spencer Salt, who coaches the side with Josh Dobson, said the club’s rise had been years in the making, fuelled by higher standards and belief that helped the team progress through the regional ranks and claim the Central League 2 title last year.
“We were close to winning things locally, but once we started taking everything more seriously, analysis, preparation, all of it, that’s when things changed,” he said. However, moving into a stronger competition meant increased travel, costs and extra commitments for its players, with only a handful remaining from last year’s squad.
FC Western had joined the Federation League before it was replaced by Central League 2 last year, where they won the competition to secure promotion to the higher league for this year.
Ahead of the season, Salt was realistic about expectations, with the club set to play 18 matches, nine home and nine away, against some of the strongest amateur clubs in the central North Island.
At the end of the season, the top three clubs, along with the Phoenix Academy team, earn entry into the national league, the equivalent to rugby’s NPC. For FC Western, that goal was still a long way off.
“We don’t want to finish bottom, but it’s more about how we perform and how we grow into the level. It’s a big step up, so it’s about improving each week,” Salt said.
Beyond the results, he said the promotion was about building a long-term pathway for Taranaki players, who had traditionally left the region to pursue higher honours.
Club president Luke Stancliffe-White said there were initial hesitations about joining the league because of the added financial and logistical challenges for what was a traditionally low-resourced club.
Travel costs, including regular overnight trips out of the province, along with league fees and general operations stretched the club’s resources.
“We’re a volunteer-run club trying to compete at a national level, so every bit of funding, every sponsor and every home game matters,” he said.
“It’s a big step up financially. But we knew if we didn’t take the opportunity, the pathway might close.”
Despite playing a few games at Stadium Taranaki, he said home ground Lynmouth Park could become a fortress.
The club is genuine grassroots, with smaller changing rooms and facilities and a less manicured pitch that visiting teams are not used to.
“It’s really funny seeing teams come here and see the surface and the changing rooms, seeing that reaction. It’s quite a psychological benefit to playing here, this is our home ground.”
Whether their Central League journey is short-lived or the start of something bigger, club captain Matt Scott said it was a moment the region should get behind.
With games streamed on FIFA+ and TVNZ, the league had already gained a large following in Asia, which could attract more sponsors, he said.
“It’s a huge opportunity, not just for us, but for football in Taranaki,” he said.