Strengths and weaknesses of ASB prem

Bluemagic, you are also ignoring the fact that the ASBP already has a budget of approx. $3m (roughly a third of NZF's entire budget). That's plenty of money to do all the things you are talking about but there's too much self-interest and short-term thinking. The franchises need to show a bit more agency, self-determination, and working together for the common good. Stop waiting around for NZF to solve problems when the capacity is already there to solve them. The one thing NZF needs to do is maybe hand some of the control over to the franchises.

Of course, this would require an ongoing heavy reliance on pokies, which I don't particularly like or think is a sustainable model. But fuck, if we have pokie money in the game let's at least coordinate and prioritise it for the betterment of the league.

And yeah, I don't seriously think a return to regional and/or winter based football would work either.

Wasn't the main complaint about Superclub to do with the drop in standard?

I was not advocating for a return to Superclub.

^It's possible that Ivan and a coupla other franchise chairmen are actually quite happy with the status quo. Apart from wanting greater promo and more games, that is.

That was certainly the implication in Danny Hay's piece in the SST:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/opinion/9626110/Hay-No-end-to-domestic-decay-in-NZ-football

If that were true, though, it does make me wonder why a handful of ACFC fans bother bitching and moaning on this forum about the state of the ASBP when perhaps they should either:

a) go and get in Ivan Vuksich's face about it, or

b) accept that the status quo is actually great for their club and be happy with a trip to the CWC just about every year

Coz they're conflicted.

Invest NZF funds in promoting the competition in the media, buying TV highlights package, etc would be a start. Complete indifference is not helping.

We are happy with ACFC and think it's the best club in the land. The state of the ASBP overall is NZF's responsibility, not one franchise.

This Sunday ACFC clash with Canterbury at Kiwitea Street. This will highlight the ASBP at its best, no thanks to an indifferent and in my opinion incompetent NZF.

Waitakere games are on sommet. Has that caused people to flock to waitakere games? 

"Flock" being the operative word ....also see.....  " Turds ...polishing "

Before you say get more sponsors, if it was as easy as that, it would have happened a long time ago.

I actually don't think you are in touch with the issues as you think you are. Yes what you have suggested needs to be fixed is 100% correct. The solution is not as simple as 'just invest more money'. The reality is, there is no money. Even more to the point, if there was all this money lying about, why do you guys need the 1m from Trillion. Because there is no money.....

Then open up the books then NZF

Were is the money going?

They've had a % of CWC Money for 3 years in a row now where has that gone?

Has it been re-invested back into the competition that created it?

If so where? And if not WTF Not!!

Financial statements are available online. Check for yourself.

Cheers for that I'll get the accountants department right on too it

Aces that conversation has been done a few times in this forum and basically they have lost money the last two years. They just pull money from the International Team fund meaning no money to travel teams (which it was set aside for). Had they not used that, we would still have a teams fund but the record would show losses. As that fund is now next to nothing, they will have no option but to show a loss next year (just forgot the TV deal - doh)

So what is it that you thing franchise 'owners' will do better than NZF? Some random thoughts from me:

I like the ASBP and fully support the franchise system.

In HB, I truly think the footballing public get behind HBU and the players come from a good cross section of clubs from throughout HB and the rest of the country. Let's face it NCR are playing at the by far highest level under HBU so makes sense they have the majority of local players in the team, but both coaches aren't from NCR at all.

If people aren't coming to watch because none of their club players are in the team then what can you do? if it becomes a club based national league, surely you'll get the same situation - its not my team so I won't go and watch.

That is a good point tbf.

When you say NCR are playing at by far the highest level under HBU do you mean the CL is miles ahead of its compatriots or something else?

That's just an axcuse to do nothing. Where there is a will there is a way. There is also money at NZF and a media promotion budget would not be too demanding. I remember having a conversation with the NZF ASBP representative about this and it was like talking to a blank stare. This is our premier domestic competition we're talking about and NZF put more effort into promoting futsal than the ASBP.

The futsal community gets off its arse and promotes futsal.

Well I guess the annual reports must be all lies then and there is all this money stashed away then.

I'm sorry Bluemagic but for someone who does a hell of a lot of complaining about NZF on this forum that is a very passive and defeatist point of view. 

You talk about NZF like they are the GCSB or something - a secret organisation who operate outside the law and who are completely immune to any external influence. What a load of bollocks.

Look at the current situation with FvH's resignation. If you feel so strongly that NZF needs to pay more attention to the ASBP then why don't you (or anybody else at ACFC) get off your bum and start lobbying the AFF to put forward a candidate at the NZF Congress in May who will represent your interests. Then get on the phone to the other Federation Chairs and get them on board. It's easy, it's democratic and it's exactly how someone like Frank got there in the first place.

While we're on the subject is anyone from Central/ACFC already on the AFF Board? If not, why not, considering your obvious importance in the Auckland football landscape.

Your comments seem to me to be a classic case of what Danny Hay was describing as taking a "micro-view to the growth and progress of the game" and being "solely interested in their club and their teams being on top of the pile".

Happy happy happy

saying that people will only watch their own clubs in a club based national league is short sighted

people will go where the quality is

players will aspire to be in that team and people will want to watch the teams from out of town play the best that their town has to offer

it's also inevitable that strong clubs will develop a strong and larger base

Compared to the half million in franchise fees paid to NZF, how much do NZF on promoting/administering the ASBP?

Take away that half million and the NZF accounts look dire.

Certainly makes winning a place at the CWC compulsory for an NZ team.

I think the current TW situation has shown there are holes in that argument. 

Why would I go support Miramar just because they're the strongest club in the region? 

I'd support a Wellington team if it perhaps represented more clubs than just Miramar, and was actually representative of the Wellington region (and thus would give me more of a connection to the team). As it is, I go when I feel like it and happen to have the day off work, which is barely ever - and that's mainly just to support the idea of a franchise based ASBP and a day out at the football, rather than to support TW

Weakness of the ASBP - scheduling! Once again this weekend the Aucklanders have 2 games scheduled on the same day at the same time! Why couldn't 1 of these 2 have been played today? That way Aucklanders could have watched one game today and the other tomorrow.

Who is responsible for the scheduling of the games?

Really? That's just bloody stupid.

Yep, ACFC v Canterbury and Waitakere v Wanderers, both games kick off at 2pm tomorrow! I'd travel to watch both games, but top of table - unmissable!

ASB tart.

All I'm saying is our national league should be NZF's primary domestic priority and I don't feel it is. I see no evidence.

I have a simple solution. Gareth Morgan is offering $5 million to the NZF to restructure things (as he sees it). Why not simply invest $1 million a season for the next five seasons in the ASBP Gareth? That would be a huge boost across the board to all the franchises (it could be evenly split or as prizemoney so on field performance is the decider). With the prospect of a robust South Auckland franchise coming on board soon (in place of Wanderers) and this major investment, the ASBP would boom.