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OFC Professional League

1207 replies · 86,956 views
29 days ago
Read the Stuff comments on the latest Voerman article.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/360976009/was-smallest-crowd-ever-seen-sports-event-eden-park

It was really interesting and not as bitter as I expected. 

It really feels like there’s a big pocket or bubble of football fans. 

I expected a lot of old tired slagging off football. Comparatively not much. And those that did got football fan engagement. 

There was a bit of soccer v football, but even that wasn’t super heated. 

Bit of discussion about stadiums around the country, the merits and origins of the NZ teams, where it could have been held to get bigger island crowds in NZ…

Anyway, pleasantly surprised. On the flipside I think expensive Sky and less and less free to air TV in general means fewer people as crossover fans casually following a few different sports, like we used to. Maybe it’s all on the website, but I used to just turn in the TV Friday/Saturday and there’d be some sport on of some kind, arvo to evening. Now you’ve gotta chase coverage to ensure you get your team.


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29 days ago · edited 29 days ago · History
Some of the Auckland NPC crowds at Eden Park have been sub 1,000 so rugby fans know is a bit, can't throw stones in glasshouses stuff

Be interesting to see how is the OPL format next season. Overall it’s been a success but it will always be looking to minimise costs so the Hub concept may unfortunately need to stay

They just need somehow to have games in Vanuatu, New Caledonia and ChCh
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29 days ago
Hope we can eventually get a proper home and away format. Yes I understand the cost issue but when some clubs don't get any home games you're sort of just asking for everything to fall apart
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29 days ago
coochiee wrote:
Some of the Auckland NPC crowds at Eden Park have been sub 1,000 so rugby fans know is a bit no stones in glasshouses stuff

Be interesting to see how is the OPL format next season. Overall it’s been a success but it will always be looking to minimise costs so the Hub concept may unfortunately need to stay

They just need somehow to have games in Vanuatu, New Caledonia and ChCh
I think we will see some four-team, six-match hubs.

Christchurch should be a cinch – needs to be in Jan or Feb pre-Super Rugby – but Vanuatu can't handle double-headers.

I wonder if a Whangārei/Napier/New Plymouth/Nelson/Dunedin might be interested.
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29 days ago · edited 29 days ago · History
If the Nix manage to get a team accepted, Porirua and/or the rumoured Fraser Park upgrade may suit hosting a hub.

More venues/cities, with some hosting smaller 4 team hubs does make some sense. 
Or 6 teams if the league is expanded to include the Nix and New Caledonia.
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29 days ago
I do think this round being in Auckland at this time feels like poor planning to me. They've played a round in Auckland already and it's clashing with the A-League finals.

I can't imagine today's match between SIU and S. Melbourne will get many fans when Auckland v Adelaide will be on at the same time.

Bit biased but could've been better to have tried getting in it Chch (even if just the group phase)? New stadium, first chance to see the new teams, no bigger football match on and SIU get to actually play in the South Island. Flying up to Auckland for the knockout phase afterwards wouldn't be too bad either.

As others have said, Chch, Tahiti & Vanuatu ideally should be getting games next season (New Caledonia too if they get a team) but hubs probably will end up having to stay.
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Endorsed by
LT01
29 days ago
We just need a bit of realism with the crowds and interest. I'd love to know the stadiums cost/revenue comparison for this Vanuatu-Hekari game. It felt empty and ruined the atmosphere too on tv at least.

Melbourne is a good example - the crowds there were poor, but it at least felt more exciting because they used a smaller ground.
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Endorsed by
LGSouthernix
29 days ago
Was today's game at Eden Park? It looked like there was more on the field than in the stands. Embarrassing.
Proud to have attended the first 175 Consecutive "Home" Wellington Phoenix "A League" Games !!

The Ruf, The Ruf, The Ruf is on Fire!!

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29 days ago · edited 29 days ago · History
Yeah not a great look these games at cavernous Eden Park with a tiny number of fans.

But today you have the ALM semi at Mt Smart, and Moana Pasika playing the Canes at North Harbour.
I imagine OPL games have to be at grounds that are easy to setup TV cameras (and VAR) etc. 
Hopefully FIFA/OFC negotiated cheap ground hire with the Eden Park operators.

I reckon next year they should look at hosting the finals series spread over Vanuatu and the Solomons. The two most football mad countries in OFC?
I remember the last OFC Nations Cup in 2024 getting decent enough crowds in Vanuatu. Honiara the undisputed football capital of the Island cities.

Only a 2 hour flying time between Honiara and Port Vila.
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28 days ago
what did anyone expect re crowds? - artificial league, played in hubs so home fans dont get to see "their" team play at home with any regularity. OFC wil realise it's belleding money and FIFA wont be propping it up forever so it'll be scrapped before it gets a chance to do what it promised.

Queenslander 3x a year.

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28 days ago · edited 28 days ago · History
Define artificial? How is it different to when the A League was set up mostly with new franchise clubs.

And the hub concept is just a necessity born of being in easily the poorest Confederation in FIFA, with large travel distances between clubs.
Any new new comp in it's first season is going to have big startup costs. Hopefully it can with time transistion to proper H&A.

Watch some videos of the teams getting around schools in Port Moresby, Honiara and Suva/Ba. Hat trick hero Boyers visiting his old school in Honiara the best. The new comp also provides a valuable extra pro pathway for young Kiwis.

We should all be behind the league and hope it survives.
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Endorsed by
AucklandPhoenixHalf a PintLT01Noah4thenix+1
28 days ago · edited 28 days ago · History
Hundred per cent.

Just wish, that FIFA had not embarrassed the competition by hosting games at Eden Park.

While people may say who cares they are paying for the venue hire it kind of makes a mockery of the cost rationale for the hub concept.

Above all it makes the whole thing appear a circus.




Auckland will rise once more

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28 days ago
If I personally had any skin in any of the teams then I'd watch it, but when the biggest city in the country can't manage to get more than a few thousand to watch then clearly something isnt right.

Queenslander 3x a year.

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28 days ago · edited 28 days ago · History
It’s a good opportunity to watch many of the players who are often talked about as the next big thing on these forums and see if they are all that (I.e. Wynne, Pimms, Zorovich, Bayliss etc)

So far the only kiwi players in that AFC team who I think could make a crack at an A league career, would be Wynne and Bayliss. 

Auckland will rise once more

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28 days ago · edited 28 days ago · History
Matt Ellis has also been very good, and 18 yr old Baily Ferguson (Kiwi/Aussie from QLD) already promoted to AFC's A League squad via their OPL team.

Not sure James Bayliss is ALM quality. Pimms a nice gin.

If the Nix ever needed an experienced non visa journeyman squaddie CB (say Hughes got sold) they could do worse than Mourdoukoutas. 
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25 days ago
I wouldn't be surprised if OFC were getting a very cheap (or possibly free) deal to host at Eden Park. 

Eden Park is only opening up the outdoor seating of a single lounge for a bunch of these matchdays so the staffing costs would be very minimal and Eden Park gets valuable 'Event Days' to add to their annual report. 

I often see stadiums and arenas around the world citing how many days of the year their venue was utilised when trying to get more funding from governments, investors, sponsors etc. It's probably quite good currency for Eden Park to be able to add an extra 4 event days from this hub to their calendar. 

So although it looks bad and probably ruins any chances of a good atmosphere at the matches - it could quite possibly be a mutually beneficial arrangement for both parties. 

This is based on no actual insight into the situation - just some thoughts, and if it helps the league be a bit more sustainable in its first season, then it may not be the worst thing (despite how it looks).
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Endorsed by
coochieeFU
25 days ago · edited 25 days ago · History
League finishes today for 3 clubs. Hopefully they have enjoyed themselves, and come back stronger, better prepared in 2027. Learnings.
 
It’s the final day of the Challengers Group at Go Media Stadium!

Buy your tickets now through the link in bio 📲#OFCProLeague pic.twitter.com/Pdrf1LdrCR
— OFC Pro League (@OFCProLeague) May 12, 2026 

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24 days ago
Did I hear Ifill was on the unused subs that the Phoenix will be joining next year?
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Endorsed by
BullionNoah4thenixSouthernix
21 days ago
2ndBest wrote:
Did I hear Ifill was on the unused subs that the Phoenix will be joining next year?
Perfect. Adding another stable club will help the competition + I get to watch more of the Nix (For better or for worse). Maybe the OFC and APL should work together to organise NZ derby matches together? Pro League at 5pm A-League at 7:30pm would be sick
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Endorsed by
coochieetheprof
21 days ago
Lee Padmore rumoured to be lined up to coach the WPX OFC Pro League team
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Endorsed by
Noah4thenix
21 days ago
observer wrote:
Lee Padmore rumoured to be lined up to coach the WPX OFC Pro League team
Didn't he leave the Nix academy a few years ago though? What's he up to at present
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21 days ago
LT01 wrote:
 observer wrote:
Lee Padmore rumoured to be lined up to coach the WPX OFC Pro League team
Didn't he leave the Nix academy a few years ago though? What's he up to at present
Is a Cantab and returned to the Mainland for family reasons.

Got his PRO licence about 6 months ago, which for only about the last 1-2 years has been possible to obtain in the OFC region??

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7393786356520583170/
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9 days ago
Nice stories. The new OPL is doing what its meant to. Develop Oceania talent. Im sure if it can run for a few more years the PI teams will up their games and compete seriously with their big neighbours.
Any rumours about expansion for next season?. The Nix have to get a team in ASAP. Probably along with New Caledonia. I suspect FIFA is busy with the WC so we might have to wait.
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9 days ago · edited 9 days ago · History
austin111 wrote:
Nice stories. The new OPL is doing what its meant to. Develop Oceania talent. Im sure if it can run for a few more years the PI teams will up their games and compete seriously with their big neighbours.
Any rumours about expansion for next season?. The Nix have to get a team in ASAP. Probably along with New Caledonia. I suspect FIFA is busy with the WC so we might have to wait.
I think it will be a slow process for the Island teams to improve.

Hopefully each of the clubs can set up some sort of Academy and get some good coaches in their coaching their best teenagers.

Importantly the pitches need to be better. The ones in the Fiji hub were awful. I think the PNG one was also pretty average. Honiara's stadium and surface excellent.

Their teams still struggle to string more than 6 passes together, before trying the low % miracle ball. The best midfielders in the Island teams were mostly imports like Higashide at SI and Owen Smith at Vanuatu.

Better technical coaching, better truer pitches and their best young talent will then be getting the same resources that the best young talent in NZ has access to. More a level playing field then. But it might be 5+ years away, before we see real consistent noticeable improvement. 

If you look at the Island national teams, New Caledonia has easily the best technically gifted footballers. Pushed both the All Whites & Jamaica. Though alot of them might be based in France. Hopefully they can get a team into this Pro League soon.
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Endorsed by
LT01
5 days ago
https://www.oceaniafootball.com/ofc-launch-club-ofc-pro-league-licensing-regulations/

TLDR: Following season will not be open to new clubs UNLESS a current member is unable to meet the licence regulations, in which case a club with a pathway certificate will be invited to fill the vacancy.

Interesting that they aren't expanding yet, especially with how confident Paul Ifill was. Perhaps since South Melbourne are allegadly trying to knick WU A-League licence the OFC are keeping the door open for the Nix potentially filling in for South? You'd imagine that a South in the A-League wouldn't want to also focus on what they might consider a "Lesser League"


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5 days ago
A piece on ABC radio in Australia on the OFC Pro League. 

In it the competition manager Stuart Larman mentions (as Noah4theNix mentioned above) that there is no money to expand the league so they expect to keep it at 8 teams for season 2. 

The playoffs series will have less matches and be more of a knockout tournament. The Leaders and Challengers group will be gotten rid of - but all 8 teams will still be involved in the playoffs. 

Also they are planning to take the competition to more locations next year. They are looking at splitting some of the rounds into 2 groups of 4 teams playing in 2 different locations at the same time.
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4 days ago · edited 4 days ago · History
Sounds like Vanuatu (maybe 4 teams) will definitely get a hub.
You'd hope they could also have a hub in Christchurch/Dunedin/Nelson.

Maybe not Tahiti as they are renovating their National stadium due to hosting the Pacific Games.

But yeah I guess the big news is sadly no Nix II side or New Caledonia entrant. Unless yes one of the existing clubs falls over.

The Nix could do worse than for now set up a sort of MOU with South Island United, with players loaned out through the comp. Far from ideal but still some value, re an extra player development pathway.
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Endorsed by
AucklandPhoenixLT01Noah4thenixSouthernix
4 days ago · edited 4 days ago · History
The Nix will definitely be rooting for South Melbourne to enter the A league.

Putting that to one side, I do wonder which team would be the most likely to go under.



Auckland will rise once more

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4 days ago
coochiee wrote:
Sounds like Vanuatu (maybe 4 teams) will definitely get a hub.
You'd hope they could also have a hub in Christchurch/Dunedin/Nelson.

Maybe not Tahiti as they are renovating their National stadium due to hosting the Pacific Games.

But yeah I guess the big news is sadly no Nix II side or New Caledonia entrant. Unless yes one of the existing clubs falls over.

The Nix could do worse than for now set up a sort of MOU with South Island United, with players loaned out through the comp. Far from ideal but still some value, re an extra player development pathway.
Does the OFC pro league clash with the National or Central league? Something to consider for those teams.

I assume loaning players to SIU might restrict the 'Nix in terms of getting a player back to the 'Nix and register for the AL - say Nathan Walker gets loaned to the SIU, he may only be able to rejoin the 'Nix during a transfer window.
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4 days ago · edited 4 days ago · History
The OFC Pro League went January-May. I presume it will be the same next year.

And yes that would be the issue freely moving players between the the OPL and ALM. There were restrictions on how many players Auckland could move between their OPL and A League squads in the first season of the OPL.

https://aucklandfc.co.nz/news/your-guide-to-understanding-the-auckland-fc-ofc-pro-league/
Any player contracted to our A-League squad who is under the age of 23 is eligible for selection in the OFC team.
From the league squad, a maximum of three players aged over 23 can be selected. 

Those restrictions maybe changed or fine tuned Season II. 

Also the Nix and South Island United are obviously based out of different cities, so not simple at all. But the OPL is basically a travelling roadshow, with the players not in ChCh for any long stretch after pre season.

The Nix should at least be thinking about whether some sort of loan arrangement for a small number of the younger fringe ALM guys could work. 

Young Jayden Smith for example is a South Islander who has spent long periods of time playing zero football, just training with the A League squad.
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4 days ago
coochiee wrote:
The OFC Pro League went January-May. I presume it will be the same next year.

And yes that would be the issue freely moving players between the the OPL and ALM. There were restrictions on how many players Auckland could move between their OPL and A League squads in the first season of the OPL.

https://aucklandfc.co.nz/news/your-guide-to-understanding-the-auckland-fc-ofc-pro-league/
Any player contracted to our A-League squad who is under the age of 23 is eligible for selection in the OFC team.
From the league squad, a maximum of three players aged over 23 can be selected. 

Those restrictions maybe changed or fine tuned Season II. 

Also the Nix and South Island United are obviously based out of different cities, so not simple at all. But the OPL is basically a travelling roadshow, with the players not in ChCh for any long stretch after pre season.

The Nix should at least be thinking about whether some sort of loan arrangement for a small number of the younger fringe ALM guys could work. 

Young Jayden Smith for example is a South Islander who has spent long periods of time playing zero football, just training with the A League squad.
Smith has been required at times in the ALM team, if he's with SIU its likely he may not be able to play for the 'Nix until a transfer window allows for him to be registered with the Nix again - so possibly unavailable for the 'Nix Jan to May.
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4 days ago
But if it was a loan deal, couldn't he be recalled at any time?

My knowledge of this stuff is poor, and I imagine it's a bit complex with two teams in different competitions in different confederations!
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4 days ago
It's more about the A-League's rules around registering players at certain times of the competition I think. Unless he's an academy player you can't just parachute someone in midway through the season.
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4 days ago · edited 4 days ago · History
SamCoughlan wrote:
It's more about the A-League's rules around registering players at certain times of the competition I think. Unless he's an academy player you can't just parachute someone in midway through the season.
Possibly. However Bailey Ferguson was signed to AFC's OFC team, then did so well he made a few ALM match day squads.

He may have been registered to Auckland's A League squad from the very start, I have no idea.
But he came from the QLD NPL, not AFC's reserve or 'academy' side.
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4 days ago · edited 4 days ago · History
Believe he was given a scholarship deal.

Next year, I predict that AFC will really use this system to its full advantage, promoting the likes of Prins and Burns and a few others from the OFC team and injuries permitting shipping them back.

Auckland will rise once more

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Endorsed by
coochieeSouthernix
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