It looks like it sort of works in Canty too.
YHM never had any sort of connection. WaiBOP and Southern look like they struggle with it too.
i've always thought it works well in canterbury
christchurch has historically been a one-team town
woolston were in the league for a while, but after one season i believe they turned into woolston canterbury and the next season canterbury
so they had been operating as a one-entry city for some time before the advent of the franchise league came along
i'm not sure at which point mainland football took over the running of the team
The franchise concept has worked better in Canterbury than the club model of the regional league champions having the right to enter the national league, which was disasterous in the 1990's.
Christchurch are really the pioneers of the merger/ franchise concept from the National League's inception in 1970. Christchurch United was actually formed as a new entity from the combined resources of several prominent local clubs (Christchurch City, Woolston, Rangers, Christchurch Technical and Shamrock) solely to contest the National League.
Thus, they had a lot of financial clout, connections and public support and were the only consistantly strong national league side in Christchurch 1970-1991. New Brighton competed in the league from 1972-1977. Other Christchurch clubs briefly competed in the league, Woolston and Rangers (by virtue of winning the Southern League) but never achieved much. United- New Brighton derbies in the 70's did attract the biggest crowds in National League history of 10.000 or so.
However, when the National league was discontinued in 1992, Christchurch United became just another local club.
When the National League was revived in 1996, 97, 98, as an invitational National Summer Soccer League, Woolston Working Men's Club were granted entry - a major disaster since it was just another small, not particularly distinguished local club.
Woolston failed spectacularly to attract the support of most football fans or players - fans and players remained loyal to their own clubs and Woolston had crowds of 200 - 400, always finishing last on the table. Many of the best Canterbury players indeed preferred to migrate north to play for Nelson Suburbs, seen as preferable to playing for a Woolston side many players from other local clubs felt to be a rival and less competent organizationally than Nelson.
However, the franchise concept had already been launched at the Christchurch Casino (with financial backing from that institution and elsewhere) at the same time Woolston was applying to enter the new Summer League in 1996. The Canterbury franchise had the backing of most Christchurch clubs (well, all except Woolston) and top football people like Steve Woodin. Its application was rejected in favour of Woolston to howls of derision from most football folk in Christchurch.
I myself wrote to Bill McGowan advocating a franchise-based league or at least requesting he consider allowing a franchise entry for Canterbury. He however stuck to club-based criteria - until the wheels fell off the Summer League, clubs went bust and he made a turn around to accepting franchises were the way to go from 2004.
After Woolston realised they didn't have the resources on their own to field a competent side in the National League, they joined with the then most successful local club Christchurch Technical to form Christchurch City in the league for the 2000, 2001 seasons.
Canterbury United was in effect a franchise when it entered the still club-based national league, replacing Christchurch City after they voluntarily withdrew to allow them to take their place for the 2002 and 2003 seasons. Mainland Football now administered the national league entry.
Such was the improvement in Canterbury's entrant in the national league in terms of results, crowds and financial performance, with all Canterbury clubs now supportive of the Canterbury United entry, that Bill McGowan changed his tune and opted for a franchise-based league from 2004 on - hence the advent of the NZ Football Championship. Nelson also came on board Canterbury United.
Even Waitakere City who had emerged as the dominant force in Auckland football in the early 1990's, becoming national champions in '90, '92, '95, '96 '97 were imploding by 2002 when they finished last and were relegated from the national league. Many clubs were struggling to stay afloat. Hence the shift to franchises, encouraging clubs to pool their resources to form stronger entities.
Auckland City's rise to prominence is only a post 2004 phenomenon. There was only one national league title for central Auckland in 18 years prior to 2004 !!!! The franchise league set-up has really benefited the central Auckland area - in the 18 years between Mount Wellington's last title win in 1986 and the NZFC's advent in 2004, the only club from the central Auckland area to win the national league was Central United in 2001 (they won the North Island League v South Island League play-off in 1999 when there was no national league - but that clearly doesn't count as winning the national league). Central United were never very successful in winning the national league - they had more success in the Chatham Cup.