2016 Chatham Cup

Birkenhead 3-2 112 minutes

This game has really livened up. 

Both teams looking exhausted, but great end to end stuff now. 

Good stuff being produced up on the North Shore. Wonder when there will be a team from over the bridge representing in the Premiership. 

Still time for the referee to change things...

Great game. Outstanding crowd considering this is a club game in NZ. Really great stuff.

Well that's footy I guess, I'm here live as well and I thought he was very inconsistent

Half of the Birko team have signed for Hamilton Wanderers.

Congrats to Birko.  Was fantastic to see such a big crowd in club colours for a domestic game.  I thought the whole thing came across really well on TV and was the showcase that the cup deserves.

Just got  back from the game. Great crowd, Thought Waitakere were unlucky not to win it. Congrats Birko

entertaining game a great watch!

who was player of the final? Mackinum?

Tom Davis, CB for Birko.  Thought Dyl would have been close though

Birko must have sold a shark load of replica shirts, they were everywhere.

Have to say, TV didn't pick up the many Birko banners - and their big red and white tifo they put out pre-kickoff.

I don't know who does their merch, but I saw more Birko shirts than I've seen at any game that wasn't the Nix!

Birko had some sort of ticket/bus/breakfast deal where the condition was wearing your Birko playing shirt - same sort of thing Eastern Suburbs are going for with their SSP ticket prices/conditions

Great idea, it looked fantastic.

Also, they run their kit through this store: http://www.lottosports.co.nz/catalog/Birkenhead-Un...

$49 for a jnr shirt, $52 for a senior. 

That's affordable, that is.

Does anyone have any highlights? Couldn't find any on the NZ Football website or YouTube for now.

Up the Birko.

how come you didn't have a Birko shirt on buffy - infact to someone who didn't know better you looked like Waitak supporter.

This was a great event, great turn out by both sets of fans.  Just firms up my feeling that overall the franchise model has not worked because of a lack of accountability and fans and that club based football is the way forward.

Of the 20 plus Chatham Cup Finals I've been to that would be right up there with the ChCH United v Mt Wgtn 4-4 draw at that Basin in 1972 in terms of drama , excitement ,etc.

I wonder if it might have opened Martins eyes about club v franchise football. Even allowing for short historys etc of the franchises I don't see a final between two franchises getting 4 K . Best NZFC/ASB Premiership Final crowd maybe 2 K ?

Well done to both clubs - particularly Waitak - I never knew they had so many fans (although maybe I judging them by their alter ego Waitak United)

Haha. Came straight from a mates place and we just didn't bother grabbing shirts at the club before hand.

I think if anyone saw my behaviour it was pretty obvious I wasn't supporting Waitak!

My thoughts exactly.  No doubt that people involved with the franchises are committed and passionate but without fans you really don't have a club.  My issue as well is that when all the funds effectively are from gaming trusts who demands accountability if things go wrong?  Only the board, and they are the ones who appoint the coaches...

You can't say that ACFC don't have fans.

Thanks for pointing that out, they are clearly a fantastic model and about the only place where it seems to be working really well - probably Chch too where you have buy in from all of the clubs in the region

I don't know if a lot would change at Kiwitea street if the name was either of ACFC/Central United, I could be wrong but those two entities seem closer to the same club than any of the other franchise/club partnerships. No doubt the prestige ACFC has as a brand is worth holding on to though. Happy to be corrected by any ACFC fans 

Then you have Waitakere United/City, Eastern Suburbs, Napier City Rovers/Hawkes Bay United, Miramar/Team Wellington, you had Palmy Marist/Manawatu.  It is basically a club league anyway

Auckland City FC certainly a better brand than Central United FC on the Club World Cup stage. Central ... where?

This

Not sure Martin's eyes need to be opened - my reading of the competiton review last year was very much that the ideal aim is for franchises to not be needed. Whether that's possible (financially) is another matter.

They're aiming for a mix, I reckon - to see which ones make it. It's a good plan - no need to tear up the league again, just replace franchises (Like WaiBOP) with a club side and move on.

Was a great turn out.

I have travelled up from Christchurch to many Cup Finals over the years at various locations, Nelson, the Basin Reserve, Newton Park, Park Island and Albany, but could not make it this year.

What would have been the turn out if it was two Aucklands clubs south of the Harbour Bridge as always suprised me when some Aucklanders felt Albany was too hard to get too, lack of parking etc.

Quite a bit happening up at Albany now - does not feel like the middle of nowhere any more

Please declare your conflict of interest in making this claim ;)

It's a good venue for a cup final - and it'll host the Nix this A League season and the Stirling Sports Prem Final.

Using it as a Thursday night venue was madness though.

Highlights of the Final: