AFF & US1

AFF & US1

Does anyone know whether these two leagues will become a single Northern League again as of 2009?

When I was watching the AFF this season there seemed to be a lot of mumbling that US1 clubs such as East Coast Bays, Waitakere City and Glenfield Rovers were DEFINITELY back in from 2009? How the ridiculous situation of 2008 was ever allowed to happen is totally beyond me.

Nope. Can't/Won't happen while the board of US1 stays as is, so I'm reliably informed. The rumour is that the NRFL 1st division will be 10 teams next season and Div 1 will be 14 teams and none of the US1 teams are coming into the NRFL (at this stage anyway!!) Jag2008-09-24 07:49:58

I believe there are some members of the US1 board who want clubs to be able to choose if they want to enter the NRFL but they are outnumbered.  It would be nice if NZ Football got involved because if the best winter league teams aren't playing each other then both leagues aren't providing the best level of competition to prepare players for NZFC and higher levels.

Jag is on the money...

Cheers all for the updates. Towards the end of the last NZFC season, I thought I'd read somewhere that the two most prominent people on the US1 board had resigned? I can't remember names but is this not correct? I think it's a real shame what's happened to the Northern League...

Also, why is the Premier being shrunk to 10 teams for 2009? That seems a bit counter-productive to me.